Like other children, they too feel attracted to junk food despite my sermonizing.
We live in the 21st century and, sad to say, junk food has gone global. Thanks to deft advertising and the myriad of fast-food chains, junk is almost everywhere. Even groceries, convenience stores and school cafeterias pack junk with an alluring look.
What is junk food? It is a derisive term given to food that is of little nutritional value but high in fat, sugar, salt, and calories. Some examples: a) Fish & Chips; Chicken nuggets; Pizza; Burger; Noodles; Pasta; b) Samosas, Frankies, Crisps; Processed biscuits; Ice-cream; Hot-dogs; Doughnuts; c) Sweetened colas.
Junk food has a low “satiation” value, i.e., one doesn’t feel full easily — so kids overeat. What is more, junk food displaces nutritious healthy food from the diet with grave consequences.
There are certain factors inherent to fast-foods that promote overeating: a) they are low in fiber; b) have a high palatability; and, c) pack calories in a small volume.
Some time ago a well-meaning anti-junk food video went viral with one million views. The video starts with a 32-year-old obese man, who suffered a sudden heart attack. “How the hell did that happen?” doctors ask while inspecting Jim, the patient on the stretcher. Then, in less than two minutes, the video aptly chronicles Jim’s life by rewinding to his childhood.
In his youthful days Jim sipped sweetened colas on the couch and ate cookies and pizzas in the office; he sneaked candy bars from the fridge and gulped French fries while playing video games.
Throughout the dramatic video, a pattern emerges that leaves no room for doubt that both Jim and his parents were the culprits. When Jim stuffed himself with the wrong food, his parents did not object. While on a drive — to keep Jim happy – his parents willingly ordered doughnuts, French fries and synthetic packaged juices.
The well-intentioned video ends with a dire warning: “Your child’s future doesn’t have to look like this. There’s still time to reverse the unhealthy habits our kids take into adulthood. Let’s do it now”. The makers of the video added a positive note, ““Don’t worry, we didn’t create the video to make you feel guilty. We created it to fast forward to the year 2030 to show you what the future might look like for kids if we don’t act now.”
The harmful effects of junk food are too many to be listed, but here’s a brief peek: they trigger a “cocaine-like” addiction (secondary to the high level of chemical preservatives, high fructose corn syrup and monosodium glutamate) by altering the function and activity of the brain; they cause mood swings, behavioural changes and bouts of depression through hormonal changes; they cause high blood-pressure, insulin resistance and diabetes even in kids as young as 7 or 8; they dangerously clog the walls of the arteries leading to premature heart attacks and increase the risk of colo-rectal cancer, gastroesophageal reflux and irritable bowel syndrome.
Faced with such an onslaught on our health, what does one do?
Many countries in the world have totally banned junk food from schools and it’s high time we also do the same. The Goa Government-sponsored mid-day meals on the other hand can go a long way in providing hygienic, balanced, wholesome food to our kids to benefit the younger generation.
Finally, all will agree, that it is us doctors that ought to be in the forefront of an incessant education campaign against junk food. I believe that the Indian Diabetes Association has already chalked out a plan of action against junk food – surely a step in the right direction. One only hopes that its zeal doesn’t diminish as time goes by.
And I make this comment because recently I was pained to learn that the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) campaign against junks suddenly lost its steam for the simple reason that the ADA started receiving for their activities millions of dollars each year from junk food companies, candy manufacturers (and pharmaceutical firms who also profit immensely from the ill-health caused by junk food!)
So, next time you won’t have to guess the reason if doctors in India also suddenly desist from decisive action against junks… A blot on our profession!
(Dr. Francisco Colaço is a senior most consulting physician)
