10 Things You Didn't Know About Junk Food
Despite the omnipresence of junk food, there are many things that people don't know about it. Here are ten of those things, and most of them are probably going to be a surprise.
1. Junk Food Is Relatively New
Processed foods first appeared in the marketplace after World War I. Technological innovations during the war contributed to better methods of preservation. This caused housewives to move away from time-intensive, made from scratch cooking and toward foods that were ready to eat.
Along with better preservation, methods came an increase in the consumption of sugar. However, it was the economic boom after World War II that really contributed towards the rise of junk food consumption. Television Advertising boosted the prominence of foods that were calorie dense but nutrition poor. Additionally, more Americans were buying cars, contributing to the demand for food on the go.
2. The Term "Junk Food" Is Even Newer
Some sources suggest that the term "junk food" was first used at some point in the late 1950s. It gained prominence and popular usage in 1976 thanks to the song "Junk Food Junkie." The pop hit by Larry Groce was a novelty song detailing the life of a man who led a healthy lifestyle by day, but indulged in his addiction for Twinkies and McDonald's by night.
3. Ingredients That Don't Sound Like Food
While the finished products are familiar, chances are good that most people wouldn't recognize, much less be able to pronounce, many of the ingredients that go into their favorite snacks.
- Corn dextrin, which appears on the ingredients listed in a host of junk foods, is also a component of the glue that goes onto postage stamps.
- Most people are familiar with shellac as a finish for wood products, but they don't know that it's also used in countless junk food products.
- So is propylene glycol, which is a common chemical used for de-icing planes.
4. Kids Are a Favorite Target of Junk Food Purveyors
Watching Saturday morning cartoons is a tradition for American kids, but they get bombarded with approximately eight junk food commercials per 10 minutes of viewing. To top it off, most of these ads are produced specifically with children in mind, and the strategy is working. Researchers have suggested that most American children can recognize a McDonald's ad or sign before they can speak.
5. The Connection Between Expectant Mothers and Unhealthy Children
Scientists have found that children are more susceptible to obesity and various health problems if their mothers regularly consumed junk food while they were pregnant or breast-feeding. Moreover, other studies found that consumption of junk food can actually get in the way of conceiving in the first place.
6. It's an Expensive Habit
Americans spend around $160 billion at fast-food restaurants annually. On top of that they also buy junk food at the grocery store, especially at the holidays. Halloween brings spending of about $2.2 billion on candy, and the numbers for Easter are similar.
7. Junk Food Costs More Than Money
It seems like junk food is inexpensive, but economists suggest that it's the hidden costs that take the worst toll. Health problems related to obesity cost Americans approximately $118 billion annually. Factor in missed days at work, and junk food becomes a very expensive habit.
8. How Many Calories?
A 2013 study estimated that fast food meals contain an average of 836 calories, meaning that it's not unusual for such meals to contain far more than that amount. In fact, some people consume their entire daily allotment of calories in one fast-food meal.
9. It Contributes to Depression
No one is surprised that junk food leads to obesity and diabetes, but many don't realize there's a connection between junk food and depression. Teens are particularly at risk because of their unpredictable hormone levels. While a nutritionally balanced diet helps to regulate these changes, a diet heavy in junk foods does the opposite.
10. Junk Food is Biologically Addictive
Anyone who has ever felt like they "needed" that order of French fries probably already suspected this. Science has shown that foods containing high amounts of salt, sugar and fat are inherently addictive. That's why it's so incredibly hard to break the junk food cycle.
Understanding what junk food is and why it has such a strong hold on American culture may be an important first step toward making choices that lead to a healthier lifestyle. That means good news for waistlines and for bottom lines.
Dr. Donna Sergi is a leading Nutrition Response Testing Practitioner and Brooklyn Chiropractor. Learn more by visiting her website at: http://www.healthieruny.com
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