Facts about Junk Food

An estimate suggests that Frito Lay sells one billion bags of Cheetos per year

Consumption of junk food provides little or no nutrition due to unhealthy ingredients. Junk food is often considered unhealthy especially when eaten regularly. Credit for the phrase ‘junk food’ is given to Michael Jacobson who coined it in 1972 to describe food that provides no nutritional value. Junk food is usually food that can be obtained conveniently in a ready-to-eat form such as a bag of chips or food from a ‘fast food’ restaurant.

Facts about Junk Food:

• Paul Johnson and Paul Kenny of Scripps Research Center performed a study which concluded that junk food has similar addictive qualities as that of heroin.
• The glue on envelopes and postage stamps, corn dextrin, is also commonly used as a thickener in junk food.
• There is an increase in obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, certain cancers, tooth decay, and other diseases by consuming junk food.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding mothers who eat junk food are more likely to raise children who will have a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, raised cholesterol, and high blood fat.
• Hostess produces 500 million Twinkies per year.
• The creamy center of a Twinkie isn’t really cream at all but rather its made of mostly Crisco.
• More than two billion dollars is generated through sales of candy for Halloween.

So the next time you are considering a snack for yourself or for your children, consider something a little (a lot) more healthy.