When junk food comes to mind, we think of the greasy, sugary, saturated unhealthy foods and beverages, yet most of us consume them on a daily basis. Most people consume junk food because of its immense convenience and cheap price. However, is it worth risking our health?
While occasionally eating out would not hurt once in a while, eating on a daily basis can cause great destruction to the human body. This results from the massive carbohydrate and little to no fiber content. To put it simply, when the digestive system breaks down the foods, the carbohydrates are released into the bloodstream as sugar (glucose). Thus, the blood sugar increases. The pancreas responds to the sudden surge by releasing insulin. The insulin then transports the glucose around the body to the cells that need it to produce energy. This process is extremely regulated. Healthy bodies can handle these sudden surges. However, repeatedly consuming unhealthy amounts of carbohydrates can lead to frequent surges, which soon develops into insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes).
Researchers discovered that high levels of insulin caused by junk food or an unhealthy diet may affect the brain in more ways than one. Not only does it increase the chance of developing dementia, but the chance of developing depression rises. A spanish study revealed that depression and junk food does connect. The research studied over 9000 people (with an average daily calorie intake) who have never been on depressants, nor were they diagnosed with depression over the course of 3-6 years. At the end of the study over 500 people were diagnosed with depression and put on antidepressants. Furthermore, a similar study showed that people on a junk food diet had a 48% increased chance of developing depression than a person on a healthy diet.
A lot of people claim that Mcdonalds offers fresh ingredients however that is not true. A study revealed that cattle are fed protein from their own kind and from pigs. In addition, it has been reported that the Mcfries contain over 19 ingredients despite it being advertised as ‘100% British potatoes’.
To conclude this speech, I think we can agree that junk food has no advantages. Not only is it detrimental to our bodies, but to our minds too. Dear honoured guests, we should all ask ourselves a question. Is it worth risking ourselves for such short-term luxuries?
