July 21 marks one of the gastronomic holidays – Unhealthy Food Day, or Junk Food Day, when you can give up gastronomic prohibitions, diets and pamper yourself with your favorite, albeit unhealthy, food without much guilt. But first of all, this is a holiday for lovers of hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, chips, French fries, snacks, soda, buns, sweets and other products from food courts and fast food chains.
Unhealthy food, or junk food, is usually understood as food that contains a lot of sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, and therefore – and extra calories, but has very little or no nutritional value.
It is believed that the term «harmful food» was coined by American microbiologist and health nutrition advocate Michael Jacobson. Back in the 1970s, he compiled a list of foods that contain high calories and unhealthy ingredients with minimal nutritional value. And he called on the public to refuse such food for their own health. Thus, in 2008, American scientists at the Scripps Research Institute medical research center proved that «harmful food» has exactly the same effect on brain function as drugs, developing food addiction.
It is not surprising that today's holiday appeared in the USA. After all, it is in America that the most popular foods and dishes belong specifically to the «harmful food» category, but also the largest percentage of population obesity is in the USA (about 40%, and this figure is growing). In addition, recently there has been an increase in the incidence of obesity in children and adolescents throughout the world, and excess weight in childhood – is a significant factor in obesity in adulthood. According to WHO forecasts, by 2030 up to 41% of the world's total population will be overweight. And not least of the reasons for this is «harmful food», the consumption of which, unfortunately, is gaining momentum in Russia.
It is also important to note that consuming such food from time to time does not have a negative impact on health, but regular consumption of a large number of foods considered unhealthy can lead not only to obesity, but also to «-related health problems » cardiovascular diseases, some types of diabetes and cancer.
Today, cafes and fast food restaurants (food courts) – are an integral part of our lives, and instant meals, of course, make life easier for many people, but it is important to take care of your health and not abuse a large amount of such food. In addition, «ethnic» food is becoming increasingly popular as fast food, for example, Asian noodles or rice with various additives and sauces, Greek gyros, and Latin American cuisine, where there are a large number of vegetables.
Therefore, for some, Unhealthy Food Day – is an ordinary eating day, and for others – is an opportunity to treat yourself to your favorite « yummy » that we give up in everyday life. The main thing – is to know when to stop and take a high-quality approach to your diet, because this – is the key to health.