Junk-food - FACTS

It's simple

Fast food is full of fat, carbohydrate, sugar and salt.

This cause obesity. 

(What is weight gain?  This is a direct effect of eating, particularly high-energy foods or simply consuming more calories than you burn during the day.)

And obesity can cause:

Hypertension

Coronary Heart Disease

Stroke

Gall Bladder Disease

Osteoarthritis

Sleep apnea

Respiratory Problems

Endometrial Cancer

Beast Cancer

Prostate Cancer

Colon Cancer

Dyslipidemia

Steatohepatitis

Insulin Resistance

Asthma

Hyperuricemia

Reproductive Hormone Abnormalities

Polycystic Overian Syndrome

Impaired fertility

Diabetes

Need more? Ok.
 

Memory & Cognition Impairment -

Among older adults whose diets are high in saturated and trans fats, a high intake of foods containing copper may cause a fast decline in their ability to think, learn, and remember, according to the study from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Other research data have linked fat intake, especially that of saturated and trans fats, to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive difficulties.

Foods linked to memory and cognition problems are:

• Saturated and trans fats
• High cholesterol food
• Organ meats (liver, kidneys)
• Shellfish

Arthritis, Gout - Gout, a kind of rheumatoid arthritis - a disease of the joints, gets aggravated when sharp crystal shards of uric acid collect between joints and cause painful inflammation. The body breaks down foods containing purines - an organic substance - into uric acid, usually a neutral but unnecessary chemical that is then filtered out of the bloodstream by the kidneys. Certain foods contain such high levels of purines that can cause or aggravate gout.

• Fatty red meats (beef, lamb)
• Organ meat (kidney, heart, and liver)
• Fried foods
• Synthetic sweeteners

Migraine & Headache -

Foods may trigger not only migraine but also tension type headache attacks. Studies that linked food with the migraines date back to the 1920's when researchers began to examine and manipulate the diets of people suffering from migraines. Certain foods often cause headache because of their high content of the amino acids tyramine and phenyethyamine. The tyramine increases blood flow to the brain which can lead to a headache. Other foods cause headache in most vulnerable people because nitrites are added.

"Headache foods" are:

• Aged cheese - Swiss, Blue cheese, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Stilton, Parmesan
• Chocolate (high contaent of phenylethylamine)
• Ice cream, milk
• Chicken liver
• Herring
• Vinegar and pickled food
• Fatty foods
• Nitrite-containing foods - bacon, hot dogs, salami, sausage, bologna, lox
• MSG (monosodium glutamate)
• Aspartame

High Cholesterol (hyperlipidemia) - High intake of saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol increases blood cholesterol levels, which, in turn, may increase the risk of coronary heart disease. Caused by fatty foods.

High Blood Pressure - Caused by:

• Salt
• Sugar
• Fatty foods

Gastritis, Peptic Ulcers - Certain foods may increase the stomach acids and irritate the stomach lining. Fast food may aggravate gastritis. These contain sodium and calcium propionate, which, over a period of time, can damage the stomach lining.

• Fast food
• Pastries, buns
• Pizza

Insomnia -  There are both foods that can help you fall asleep and the ones that will keep you awake:

• Sugar
• Fatty or spicy food
• Food additives (MSG, artificial colours, flavourings)

Stress - Certain foods and drinks act as powerful stimulants to the body and hence are a direct cause of stress. These foods are called "pseudostressors" or "sympathomimetics":

• Refined sugar
• White flour
• Salt
• Saturated fats
• Processed foods, such as junk foods and fast foods, contain synthetic additives - preservatives, emulsifiers, thickeners, stabilizers and flavor-enhancers

Heartburn & Acid Reflux - Caused by fried and fatty foods

Gas, Flatulence, Abdominal Bloating - Most foods that contain carbohydrates can cause gas. By contrast, fats and proteins cause little gas

Constipation - The most common cause of constipation are lack of fiber and a lot of animal fat. Constipation may be caused by prepackaged and fast foods - hamburgers, fries, hotdogs, pizza, chips and products heavy in sugar

Diarrhea - Many people experience diarrhea after eating fatty foods

What are calories and how much is your average healthy intake of calories per day?

An average man needs around 2,500 calories a day to maintain his weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000 calories a day. These values can vary depending on age and levels of physical activity, among other factors.

Calories are a measure of how much energy food or drink contains. The amount of energy you need will depend on:

• your age: for example, growing children and teenagers may need more energy 
• your lifestyle: for example, how active you are
• your size: your height and weight can affect how quickly you use energy 

Now let's see how much calories are in your lunch

Top 10 unhealthiest fast food

Also you have to consider that there are "declared" and "actual" calories and usually they declare less calories than what is actually in you food.

How does it work?

When we eat and drink, we’re putting energy (calories) into our bodies. Our bodies then use up that energy, and the more physical activity we do, the more energy (calories) we use.

To maintain a stable weight, the energy we put into our bodies must be the same as the energy we use by normal bodily functions and physical activity. If there are some days where we put in more energy than we use, then there should also be days where the opposite is true, so that overall the energy in and energy used remain balanced.

Weight gain occurs when we regularly put more energy into our bodies than we use. Over time, that excess energy is stored by the body as fat. Research shows that most adults eat and drink more than they need, and think that they are more physically active than they are.

If you’re gaining weight, it usually means you’ve been regularly eating and drinking more calories than you've been using through normal bodily functions and physical activity.

To lose weight you have to tip that balance in the other direction. You must start to use more energy than you consume, and do this over a sustained period of time.

You can do this by making healthy changes to your diet so that you eat and drink fewer calories.

The best approach is to combine these changes with increased physical activity.

There's a documentary about a guy, who was eating fast-food for a certain period of time. He was going for health checkups before he has started it and after, also he has done some researches and interviewed many people. You can watch it from here:

"Supersize me"

Another good documentary about what you eat...

"Food Inc"