| We live in an addiction-prone society, but of all the | | | | probably getting a majority of our daily caloric intake |
| addictions out there, one of the most deadly is one | | | | from junk food. A Super Big Gulp from Seven Eleven |
| that is most often overlooked: junk food. The term | | | | and a large bag of chips round off most teenage |
| "junk food" refers to any food that is high in calories, | | | | lunch menus, which makes for a whopping 1600 |
| fat, salt, and sugar without bringing any nutritional | | | | empty calories per meal. |
| value to the table. Unfortunately, this food is usually | | | | Even if a youthful metabolism is still keeping us from |
| convenient, tasty, and extremely addictive. | | | | gaining weight, we are consuming huge amounts of |
| Foods that are high in fat and sugar work on our | | | | highly processed foods, which are not only devoid of |
| brains like opiates - painkillers - and the more we eat, | | | | nutrition, but are also full of harsh dyes, chemicals, |
| the more we want. This consequence is also | | | | and preservatives that poison our bodies. Deep-fried |
| increased by the "empty calorie" effect of junk food. | | | | potatoes have been shown to be highly carcinogenic. |
| It fills us up for a short period of time, but then, like | | | | Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) causes not just |
| any addict, we begin to feel tired, depressed, and | | | | obesity but several forms of neurotoxicity. And the |
| hungry all over again, and we keep coming back for | | | | list goes on. Even if we're not getting fat off junk |
| more of the same. | | | | food, we are getting sick. |
| Junk food becomes a dangerous addiction because | | | | At this point, we have grown into full-fledged, adult |
| its effects are so subtle. When we eat a chocolate | | | | junk food addicts. If we have somehow managed to |
| bar, a bag of chips, or a meal of fast food, we don't | | | | avoid the worst consequences of our addiction during |
| see our arteries clogging with plaque and fat deposits. | | | | our teen years, they will now come out in force. |
| We don't feel ourselves gaining weight as our internal | | | | Those who eat junk food on a regular basis are at |
| organs become fatty and weak, and most of the | | | | risk of contracting Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, |
| time, we don't associate tiredness, anxiety, | | | | liver disease, hypertension, and a myriad of other |
| depression, or skin problems with the junk food we | | | | illnesses that lead to heart attacks, strokes, organ |
| consumed earlier in the day. | | | | failure, and death. In fact, almost twice as many |
| Furthermore, because it seems like everybody does | | | | people die each year of heart disease caused by |
| it, eating junk food doesn't appear to be an addiction. | | | | diet-related obesity and cardiovascular problems, than |
| Junk food attacks every age group. Children are | | | | die of cancer. |
| addicted, seniors are addicted, most people are | | | | Like any lifelong smoker or alcoholic, the ravages of |
| addicted for their entire lives without ever knowing it, | | | | junk food addiction become increasingly apparent on |
| and without understanding the huge health-related | | | | and within our bodies as we age. While it is possible |
| repercussions that come along with the treats and | | | | to break the addiction, the best solution is to avoid it |
| snacks that seem so harmless. | | | | to begin with. It is for this reason that junk food is |
| We begin our addiction to junk food at a young age. | | | | getting kicked out of school cafeterias and vending |
| Children who become addicted to junk food actually | | | | machines all over the world. |
| stop eating the nutritious food they need to grow up | | | | Ultimately, junk food is not only robbing us of the |
| healthy. And the current epidemic of childhood | | | | things we need to be healthy, it is actively poisoning |
| obesity is only the tip of the iceberg. Kids that live on | | | | our systems. The more we can stay away from |
| fats and sugars have shorter attention spans, growth | | | | processed, artificial foods, and stick to eating whole, |
| problems, and suffer from tooth decay and weak | | | | nutritious foods, the more likely we are to lead long, |
| bone structure early in life. | | | | strong, healthy lives. |
| By the time we reach young adulthood, we are | | | | |