Tuesday, October 16, 2007 Attraction called junk food
JUNK food is everywhere, from the big air-con malls to the small sari-sari stores in far-flung barrios. It is just there whether we like it or not. Like a shadow it follows you around and you can't just get away from it. Its lure is so strong that it appeals to all senses.
You see them in the big billboards, in television, in the magazines. When you don't see them, you get to hear them by the catchy tunes in the airwaves. If you turn deaf and blind, you get to sniff them in the air and their aroma is enough to make you sit up and get it....pronto!
There is no let up in the ads that it has gotten into the system of the young and the not so young. It has established itself into the lifestyle of the now generation. Like a magnet It draws us to it.
So, what is all the fuss about junk food when everyone has developed a particular liking to it? We may understand better the big influence of junk food in the population if we get to know the reasons for the question "Why do we like junk food so much?"
It doesn't need a lot of thinking to rattle off the answers to the question. It is well liked because it is so tasty, it is readily available, it doesn't take a long time to get it and preparing it is quite easy and fast.
Hamburger, French fries, hotdog, pizza, cakes and pastries, soft drinks and the like readily satisfies ones taste. Did you even wonder why we love it so much?
Well...junk food is loaded with sugars, fats and salts that give it its distinctive favorable flavor. In this era of fast pace lifestyle one wants to get things done in the shortest possible time and therefore one prefers food that is easily secured either for dine in or food to go and it should be tasty as well.
Clearly junk food is the answer to this demand. That is also the reason why junk food is also otherwise known as "convenience food." In fact, junk food maybe regarded as heaven sent by many or is it really heaven sent? These temptations are hard to resist and it takes a lot of will power not to succumb to it.
So, before reaching out for that delightfully delicious junk food again, please consider the following:
(1) The sugars, fats and salts in junk food are associated with well known diseases like diabetes and obesity because of the sugars, high blood pressure because of the salts, heart and coronary problems because of the fats and cancers for the different additives that it contains.
(2) Junk food lacks vitamins, minerals and fiber necessary for health since processing of the food strips off these necessary elements.
(3) The high calorie intake from its consumption are useless in value thus the term "empty or zero calorie" food.
(4) Consumption of junk food is not synonymous with nor is it the right choice of food for loosing weight (dieting).
With the above information in mind, let us turn our attention to the children. They have trooped back to school. They are left to choose what they want to eat and they are left to fight the battle of the junk food.
Let us then be aware of the other effects of junk food in children other than the ones previously mentioned. It has been observed that children on junk food diet may behave differently from other children. They will have less energy as a result of the lack of the needed nutrients of the body.
On the same token, consumption of a high caloric food will make them feel sleepy. There is failure to concentrate and they may do poorly with their studies.
Over weight problems are evident and are now a major concern among children. Due to the lack of the necessary vitamins and minerals their immunity is lowered and they are therefore prone to illnesses. In effect, the children's whole being is affected ...physically, mentally, intellectually and emotionally.
Over all, the most important thing to keep in mind is that we want our children to grow up healthy, happy, and full of energy and vitality. Protecting our children from the ill effects of junk food must be a personal commitment. Keeping this commitment in mind our children will be able to achieve a long and healthy life that we've always wished and dreamt for them.
How then can we safeguard our children from the harmful effects of these "convenience" foods? Is protecting the children from its effects still attainable with the constant bombardment of highly attractive advertisements? (To be continued)
