research questions about junk food

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The Impacts of Junk Food on Health

Energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods, otherwise known as junk foods, have never been more accessible and available. Young people are bombarded with unhealthy junk-food choices daily, and this can lead to life-long dietary habits that are difficult to undo. In this article, we explore the scientific evidence behind both the short-term and long-term impacts of junk food consumption on our health.

Introduction

The world is currently facing an obesity epidemic, which puts people at risk for chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Junk food can contribute to obesity and yet it is becoming a part of our everyday lives because of our fast-paced lifestyles. Life can be jam-packed when you are juggling school, sport, and hanging with friends and family! Junk food companies make food convenient, tasty, and affordable, so it has largely replaced preparing and eating healthy homemade meals. Junk foods include foods like burgers, fried chicken, and pizza from fast-food restaurants, as well as packaged foods like chips, biscuits, and ice-cream, sugar-sweetened beverages like soda, fatty meats like bacon, sugary cereals, and frozen ready meals like lasagne. These are typically highly processed foods , meaning several steps were involved in making the food, with a focus on making them tasty and thus easy to overeat. Unfortunately, junk foods provide lots of calories and energy, but little of the vital nutrients our bodies need to grow and be healthy, like proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Australian teenagers aged 14–18 years get more than 40% of their daily energy from these types of foods, which is concerning [ 1 ]. Junk foods are also known as discretionary foods , which means they are “not needed to meet nutrient requirements and do not belong to the five food groups” [ 2 ]. According to the dietary guidelines of Australian and many other countries, these five food groups are grains and cereals, vegetables and legumes, fruits, dairy and dairy alternatives, and meat and meat alternatives.

Young people are often the targets of sneaky advertising tactics by junk food companies, which show our heroes and icons promoting junk foods. In Australia, cricket, one of our favorite sports, is sponsored by a big fast-food brand. Elite athletes like cricket players are not fuelling their bodies with fried chicken, burgers, and fries! A study showed that adolescents aged 12–17 years view over 14.4 million food advertisements in a single year on popular websites, with cakes, cookies, and ice cream being the most frequently advertised products [ 3 ]. Another study examining YouTube videos popular amongst children reported that 38% of all ads involved a food or beverage and 56% of those food ads were for junk foods [ 4 ].

What Happens to Our Bodies Shortly After We Eat Junk Foods?

Food is made up of three major nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. There are also vitamins and minerals in food that support good health, growth, and development. Getting the proper nutrition is very important during our teenage years. However, when we eat junk foods, we are consuming high amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, which are quickly absorbed by the body.

Let us take the example of eating a hamburger. A burger typically contains carbohydrates from the bun, proteins and fats from the beef patty, and fats from the cheese and sauce. On average, a burger from a fast-food chain contains 36–40% of your daily energy needs and this does not account for any chips or drinks consumed with it ( Figure 1 ). This is a large amount of food for the body to digest—not good if you are about to hit the cricket pitch!

• Figure 1 - The nutritional composition of a popular burger from a famous fast-food restaurant, detailing the average quantity per serving and per 100 g.
• The carbohydrates of a burger are mainly from the bun, while the protein comes from the beef patty. Large amounts of fat come from the cheese and sauce. Based on the Australian dietary guidelines, just one burger can be 36% of the recommended daily energy intake for teenage boys aged 12–15 years and 40% of the recommendations for teenage girls 12–15 years.

A few hours to a few days after eating rich, heavy foods such as a burger, unpleasant symptoms like tiredness, poor sleep, and even hunger can result ( Figure 2 ). Rather than providing an energy boost, junk foods can lead to a lack of energy. For a short time, sugar (a type of carbohydrate) makes people feel energized, happy, and upbeat as it is used by the body for energy. However, refined sugar , which is the type of sugar commonly found in junk foods, leads to a quick drop in blood sugar levels because it is digested quickly by the body. This can lead tiredness and cravings [ 5 ].

• Figure 2 - The short- and long-term impacts of junk food consumption.
• In the short-term, junk foods can make you feel tired, bloated, and unable to concentrate. Long-term, junk foods can lead to tooth decay and poor bowel habits. Junk foods can also lead to obesity and associated diseases such as heart disease. When junk foods are regularly consumed over long periods of time, the damages and complications to health are increasingly costly.

Fiber is a good carbohydrate commonly found in vegetables, fruits, barley, legumes, nuts, and seeds—foods from the five food groups. Fiber not only keeps the digestive system healthy, but also slows the stomach’s emptying process, keeping us feeling full for longer. Junk foods tend to lack fiber, so when we eat them, we notice decreasing energy and increasing hunger sooner.

Foods such as walnuts, berries, tuna, and green veggies can boost concentration levels. This is particularly important for young minds who are doing lots of schoolwork. These foods are what most elite athletes are eating! On the other hand, eating junk foods can lead to poor concentration. Eating junk foods can lead to swelling in the part of the brain that has a major role in memory. A study performed in humans showed that eating an unhealthy breakfast high in fat and sugar for 4 days in a row caused disruptions to the learning and memory parts of the brain [ 6 ].

Long-Term Impacts of Junk Foods

If we eat mostly junk foods over many weeks, months, or years, there can be several long-term impacts on health ( Figure 2 ). For example, high saturated fat intake is strongly linked with high levels of bad cholesterol in the blood, which can be a sign of heart disease. Respected research studies found that young people who eat only small amounts of saturated fat have lower total cholesterol levels [ 7 ].

Frequent consumption of junk foods can also increase the risk of diseases such as hypertension and stroke. Hypertension is also known as high blood pressure and a stroke is damage to the brain from reduced blood supply, which prevents the brain from receiving the oxygen and nutrients it needs to survive. Hypertension and stroke can occur because of the high amounts of cholesterol and salt in junk foods.

Furthermore, junk foods can trigger the “happy hormone,” dopamine , to be released in the brain, making us feel good when we eat these foods. This can lead us to wanting more junk food to get that same happy feeling again [ 8 ]. Other long-term effects of eating too much junk food include tooth decay and constipation. Soft drinks, for instance, can cause tooth decay due to high amounts of sugar and acid that can wear down the protective tooth enamel. Junk foods are typically low in fiber too, which has negative consequences for gut health in the long term. Fiber forms the bulk of our poop and without it, it can be hard to poop!

Tips for Being Healthy

One way to figure out whether a food is a junk food is to think about how processed it is. When we think of foods in their whole and original forms, like a fresh tomato, a grain of rice, or milk squeezed from a cow, we can then start to imagine how many steps are involved to transform that whole food into something that is ready-to-eat, tasty, convenient, and has a long shelf life.

For teenagers 13–14 years old, the recommended daily energy intake is 8,200–9,900 kJ/day or 1,960 kcal-2,370 kcal/day for boys and 7,400–8,200 kJ/day or 1,770–1,960 kcal for girls, according to the Australian dietary guidelines. Of course, the more physically active you are, the higher your energy needs. Remember that junk foods are okay to eat occasionally, but they should not make up more than 10% of your daily energy intake. In a day, this may be a simple treat such as a small muffin or a few squares of chocolate. On a weekly basis, this might mean no more than two fast-food meals per week. The remaining 90% of food eaten should be from the five food groups.

In conclusion, we know that junk foods are tasty, affordable, and convenient. This makes it hard to limit the amount of junk food we eat. However, if junk foods become a staple of our diets, there can be negative impacts on our health. We should aim for high-fiber foods such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits; meals that have moderate amounts of sugar and salt; and calcium-rich and iron-rich foods. Healthy foods help to build strong bodies and brains. Limiting junk food intake can happen on an individual level, based on our food choices, or through government policies and health-promotion strategies. We need governments to stop junk food companies from advertising to young people, and we need their help to replace junk food restaurants with more healthy options. Researchers can focus on education and health promotion around healthy food options and can work with young people to develop solutions. If we all work together, we can help young people across the world to make food choices that will improve their short and long-term health.

Obesity : ↑ A disorder where too much body fat increases the risk of health problems.

Processed Food : ↑ A raw agricultural food that has undergone processes to be washed, ground, cleaned and/or cooked further.

Discretionary Food : ↑ Foods and drinks not necessary to provide the nutrients the body needs but that may add variety to a person’s diet (according to the Australian dietary guidelines).

Refined Sugar : ↑ Sugar that has been processed from raw sources such as sugar cane, sugar beets or corn.

Saturated Fat : ↑ A type of fat commonly eaten from animal sources such as beef, chicken and pork, which typically promotes the production of “bad” cholesterol in the body.

Dopamine : ↑ A hormone that is released when the brain is expecting a reward and is associated with activities that generate pleasure, such as eating or shopping.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

[1] ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2013. 4324.0.55.002 - Microdata: Australian Health Survey: Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2011-12 . Australian Bureau of Statistics. Available online at: http://bit.ly/2jkRRZO (accessed December 13, 2019).

[2] ↑ National Health and Medical Research Council. 2013. Australian Dietary Guidelines Summary . Canberra, ACT: National Health and Medical Research Council.

[3] ↑ Potvin Kent, M., and Pauzé, E. 2018. The frequency and healthfulness of food and beverages advertised on adolescents’ preferred web sites in Canada. J. Adolesc. Health. 63:102–7. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.01.007

[4] ↑ Tan, L., Ng, S. H., Omar, A., and Karupaiah, T. 2018. What’s on YouTube? A case study on food and beverage advertising in videos targeted at children on social media. Child Obes. 14:280–90. doi: 10.1089/chi.2018.0037

[5] ↑ Gómez-Pinilla, F. 2008. Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 9, 568–78. doi: 10.1038/nrn2421

[6] ↑ Attuquayefio, T., Stevenson, R. J., Oaten, M. J., and Francis, H. M. 2017. A four-day western-style dietary intervention causes reductions in hippocampal-dependent learning and memory and interoceptive sensitivity. PLoS ONE . 12:e0172645. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172645

[7] ↑ Te Morenga, L., and Montez, J. 2017. Health effects of saturated and trans-fatty acid intake in children and adolescents: systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE. 12:e0186672. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186672

[8] ↑ Reichelt, A. C. 2016. Adolescent maturational transitions in the prefrontal cortex and dopamine signaling as a risk factor for the development of obesity and high fat/high sugar diet induced cognitive deficits. Front. Behav. Neurosci. 10. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00189

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What really makes junk food bad for us? Here’s what the science says

By Clare Wilson

9 June 2021

Fun, cheap and tasty, but perhaps not the healthiest option

Sharon Pruitt/EyeEm/Getty Images

CUT down on fatty food. No, sugar. Aim for a Mediterranean diet. And remember to eat more plants…

The variability of healthy eating advice has become a cliché in itself. Yet despite all the contradictions, there is one thing that many agree on: we should avoid junk food. Until recently though, no one could give you a decent reason why. Gastronomic snobbery aside, science lacked an agreed definition of what junk food actually is, and that has made it difficult to know whether we should be avoiding it and, if so, why.

It has long been assumed that processed junk foods are bad because they tend to contain too much fat, salt and sugar. Recent studies, though, suggest that other mechanisms could be at work to make these foods harmful to our health. Getting to grips with what these are could help us not only make healthier choices, but also persuade the food industry to come up with healthier ways of giving us what we like to eat.

One thing’s for sure: we certainly do like it. Factory-made food makes up between 50 and 60 per cent of the average person’s calorie intake in the UK , and around 60 per cent in the US. But while junk food has a bad name among many food lovers, dietary health research and the public health advice that stems from it have so far concentrated either on individual food groups, like meat and dairy products, or the relative amounts of the three macronutrients – proteins, fats and carbohydrates – that we consume.…

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Fast Food Research Paper Topics for Fast Food Lovers and Haters

Fast food helps to save time on shopping and cooking and to eat quickly and relatively cheaply. However, we pay for such convenience with our health: the nutritional value of this type of meal is several times overstated. If, for example, we take McDonald’s McCombo – a full meal consisting of a gourmet burger, French fries, and Coca-Cola – then we get 1,396 kcal per meal.

The energy value of the diet should correspond to the energy consumption of the body. A woman needs to consume no more than 1,800 kcal per day, while a man, 2,200 kcal. Thus, for one visit to McDonald’s, you get almost a daily calorie intake.

If you look at the composition of a burger, nothing is suspicious: bread, a piece of meat, vegetables, herbs, seasoning, and sauce. However, experts say this is a misleading impression. The most harmful food in all fast foods is just a bun with meat and sauce. There is no fiber, little protein, and most of all, simple carbohydrates and fats. Simple carbohydrates provide short-term energy and are stored as fat in the body. Saturated fats are mostly carcinogenic.

In general, the subject of fast food is very interesting and controversial. If you want to study it closer and even write a paper about it,  we offer you to check out the fast food research paper topics. The writers from our research proposal writing service   shared their ideas on titles to ease your life. We are sure you will find the best match for your needs. We also have a great choice of technology research topics and are ready to assist you with any task, from an essay about fast food to a depression research paper . Read on for more information.

Argumentative fast food research paper topics

These argumentative topics on fast food will help you develop strong thesis statements and support your ideas. If you need some help, we recommend you pay for research paper assistance and contact professional writers.

• Should all fast food restaurants contain healthy dishes like salads?
• Why is it difficult to monitor the quality of semi-finished products in fast food restaurants?
• Why can fast food sandwiches lay for months at room temperature and not change their presentation?
• Is the main problem of fast food its unbalanced composition, such as excessive amounts of salt, sugar, and saturated fat?
• How can fast food restaurants replace oils used for deep-fried frying?
• Should fast foods use agricultural products in their meals?
• Why is fast food abundantly flavored with salt and sugar?
• Why does constant snacking on fast food contribute to the appearance of excess weight and obesity?
• How does the appearance of the working staff of fast food restaurants change over time?
• What is the connection of fast food and heart and vascular diseases?
• What are the arguments for fast food?
• What is the main danger of fast food?
• Why is there so much debate about fast food?
• Why does the harm of fast food provoke more discussion than the harm of alcohol?
• Is it easy to become addicted to fast food?
• Is it good that fast food restaurant technologists in different countries make sure that the taste of food is the same?

Fast food research paper topics on fast food restaurants

The number of fast food restaurants is continuously rising. Here we have gathered the most current issues connected  to this type of food service point. Try our research paper writing services for more exciting ideas on a topic and customized samples.

• Why are fast food restaurants so popular? How does it affect society?
• Explain why your small town needs more fast food restaurants.
• How can you eat healthier if you choose fast food? Explain where calories are hidden. Is it possible to maintain a balanced diet eating in fast food restaurants?
• Analyze the nutritional content of the menu in a fast food restaurant (of your choice).
• Find out the difference between regular and cage-free eggs used in the fast food industry. Why do fast food restaurants use such eggs?
• Describe what features of an oligopoly popular fast food restaurants have. What techniques do they use?
• Is it possible to eat healthy food in a fast food restaurant?
• Imagine that you are an owner of a fast food restaurant. How would you attract new customers? Create a feasibility plan with a list of actions.
• Why are McDonald’s, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, and other fast food restaurants still popular in the US despite all the negative opinions?
• Compare employee motivation at McDonald’s (up to your choice) with another fast food restaurant.
• Should we replace cafeterias with fast food restaurants?
• Analyze how fast food restaurants work under capitalism.
• What are the main reasons why people eat at fast food restaurants? Are there any alternatives?
• Should the government attract restaurants that serve healthy food with loyal taxation and bonuses?

Fast food research topics: obesity

Obesity is frequently connected with increased consumption of fast food. The nutritional qualities of fast food items are usually poor and become  harmful for the human body if regularly consumed. Our authors are ready to assist you with more ideas and offer customized research papers for sale at your request.

• Choose two articles about the influence of fast food on obesity rates. Think what can be done to decrease this influence.
• Explain what role fast food restaurants play in rising obesity rates.
• Define the effect of fast food accessibility and availability on childhood obesity.
• Evaluate how fast food advertising influences children. Does it affect obesity rates among children?
• Take the opposite position: fast food shouldn’t be blamed for obesity. Explain from the perspective of personal choice.
• Fast food advertising to children and childhood obesity .
• Should the government take an active part in the obesity epidemic? How?
• Analyze the childhood obesity rates in the US (or another country). How can it be decreased?
• How does fast food cause obesity? Describe the typical mechanism.
• Explain the role of individual responsibility as regards to obesity and fast food.
• Analyze the chemical composition of fast food. What are the most harmful ingredients? How is the food prepared?

Fast food essay topics: situation in the US

The US remains as one of the leading countries in consuming fast food. In this section we propose you topics connected to regulatory and social issues  related to fast food in the United States. You can buy research papers online and get more ideas on topics that will impress readers.

• Analyze the book “Fast Food Nation” by Eric Schlosser. What is the author’s point of view on fast food?
• Do you agree with the opinions of Eric Schlosser (author of “Fast Food Nation”)? Why?
• Define why fast food became so popular among US citizens. How does fast food influence American society?
• Prove that the US government should incorporate a special tax on fast food.
• Should the fast food industry in the US be banned? Argue your position.
• How does fast food affect food service wages in the US?
• Is it appropriate to sell fast food in hospitals?
• Define how fast food manipulates health in America.
• Analyze the situation with fast food in schools. Should the government ban fast food in schools?
• What are the economic and social advantages of the fast food industry?
• Analyze how Disneyland got rid of fast food. What types of healthy food do they provide?
• Can fast food be treated as a high-risk factor for the American population?
• Does fast food influence the economic situation of the state? How?
• Should the government control and regulate the ingredients in fast food?
• How has fast food culture changed the dining tableware? How has fast food become an ordinary part of our daily meals? How have paper cups and plates become a regular part of our tableware?
• Analyze what effect fast food has on lower social economic groups.
• Should the government ban fast food advertising to children?
• Explain why fast food products should be labeled with warning signs.

Topics on the harm of fast food

Many people are aware of the harms of fast food, but most of them still consume it in great quantities. Why do people continue to eat this kind of food? What are the consequences? All these and other questions are listed below. Note that our service creates customized samples on any topic. Our texts are unique, and you can check any of them with an AI text detector to ensure.

• Explain why fast food is hazardous for human health and the planet.
• Create an argumentative essay on prohibiting advertising of fast food, alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceuticals.
• Compare and contrast fast food and home-cooked meals. What option is the best? Why?
• Compare and contrast the effects of tobacco and fast food. Are there any similarities?
• What will happen to a person if he or she consumes fast food in great amounts?
• Why do people continue consuming fast food even if they know that it’s unhealthy?
• Explain why many people are obsessed with fast food these days.
• Analyze your personal food choices. What place does fast food have in your daily ration? Are you influenced by the media? What can be done to make people refuse fast food?
• Should high schools offer fast food options on the menu of student cafeterias?
• Do you eat fast food? Why? How can avoiding fast food change your life?
• What long-term effects on a person’s body does fast food have?
• What is more dangerous for health – smoking or fast food?
• Why do students prefer fast food even if they know enough about healthy eating?
• Explain why you love fast food and why you think it’s right for you.
• How can the quality of fast food be improved?
• Does fast food influence the environment? How does the fast food industry worsen the ecological situation?

Topics about the fast food industry

The fast food industry has its own peculiarities. In the list below we have touched international issues, government regulation, advertising, and more.

• Explain the role of fast food in the UAE. Why is fast food popular in this country?
• Analyze the existing fast food TV commercials or big boards. What are the main messages? What tactics has the advertising agency used?
• Explain the fast food industry in the context of Porter’s five forces.
• Analyze whether the fast food industry should be regulated like the tobacco industry. What are the main factors?
• Compare and contrast fast food and “slow” food. What is the typical portrait of an average client?
• How is corporate social responsibility used in fast food digital marketing campaigns? What impact does it have on society?
• What should be the main arguments in anti fast food campaigns? What arguments will work better for each social group/age?
• Think about the future of the fast food industry. What has changed recently? What is the prognosis?
• How does fast food benefit the health care industry?
• Analyze how American fast food culture has integrated into the Chinese food market. Why has it become so popular in China?
• Analyze the fast food franchise models. How has it affected business? What are the main reasons to own a franchise?
• Explain why fast food in reality differs from the advertising pictures. Is it false advertising?

Fast food thesis statement examples

We hope that these topics will help you write a persuasive paper that receives a high grade. We also recommend you check out our collection of film research paper topics , Holocaust research paper topics , and environmental research topics . However, if you face some problems, you can always get help on EssayShark essay writing service . You will see that a paper written by our writer is perfectly structured, the topic is well researched, and the sources are cited correctly. Change your writing problems into successes by getting our assistance!

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8 thoughts on “ Fast Food Research Paper Topics for Fast Food Lovers and Haters ”

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Nice topics!

Are these food research topics for college students or I can use it for my university essay?

You can use them for any academic level, if the topic suits the requirements of your tutor.

examples of fast food essay topics given in the article should awarded with a medal!!!!!

I think here are very rare research topics about food for writing unique papers

your food research topics motivate to write!

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A descriptive study to assess the knowledge and practice of health hazards of junk food consumption among adolescent in selected urban school, haldwani, Uttarakhand.

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Background: Adequate and balanced nourishment is vital for upholding health and quality of life. Maintaining the right eating habits of college students means a lot for the prevention of many diseases that could occur in the adult period. Thus the purpose of the study is to assess the junk food consumption of college students.Aim: To study the dietary habits concerning junk food consumption of college studentsResults: About 16% consume junk foods daily. Hungry was the main reason to consume junk foods; Ice cream was the most preferred food for most of the participants. Majority of the participant mentioned taste as the major factor influencing the food intake.Conclusion: Nutrition professionals should take up the role and spread awareness in the general public and give them better guidance. A well-balanced diet, periodic physical activity, sufficient sleep, with good life style habits help in sound mind and healthy body leading to a happy life.

Promoting Healthy Weight Among Children With Developmental Delays

An extensive body of research demonstrates a higher prevalence of obesity among children with developmental delays (DD) versus children without delays. This analysis examined the effectiveness of a randomized controlled trial to promote healthy weight in a subsample of preschool-age children with DD ( n = 71) on the adoption of quality nutrition and increased physical activity habits versus controls. Child care centers ( N = 28) randomized to the intervention group received a multilevel (parent, teacher, child) role modeling program and curriculum on obesity prevention. Results showed that children in the intervention group slightly decreased their junk food consumption while the control group increased their junk food consumption. In addition, among preschool-age children with DD, change in parent fruit and vegetable consumption significantly influenced change in their child’s consumption. Conversely, the greater the consumption of junk food by parents, the greater consumption by their children. Results imply that preschool-age children with DD may benefit from child care center–based healthy weight programs.

Junk Food, Consumption

Knowledge attitude and practice about obesity and its complication in rural area of lahore.

Introduction: The population has not been investigated extensively about understanding and perception about obesity and its complications. The aim of the study was to investigate the understanding, recognition and practice between overall population in the selected areas of Lahore related to obesity and its complications. Methods: The descriptive study which involved 100 respondents. The respondents from Hussain Abad Lahore were conveniently approached and recruited. A pre-approved, questionnaire was used for data accumulation. SPSS version 20 was used both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: From Out of the total 100 participants, 53% were females and 47% were males. Almost the half Participant 45% was in the age of 35years. Nearly 91% respondents don’t have idea about normal body mass index of adults. While 89% participants don’t know hormonal problems can lead the obesity. However 51% participants know that obesity can lead the heart problems. . Just about 52% participants were agreeing that when the person consumes extra calories than the individual burns obesity can occurs. 44% participants were agreed that psychological factors can influence the eating habits and obesity more over 36% are agreed that junk food takers are more susceptible to obesity. Only 3% participant checks their Body Mass Index (BMI) level. 26% change their eating habits, physical activity in order to maintain their physique and 11% takes of junk food. Conclusion: The respondents were more careful that obesity happens when a man expends a bigger number of calories than a man devours it. However the respondents know about obesity and its entanglements to some degree, their preparation towards weight isn't general which ought to be investigated later on for better human administrations, and prosperity comes about. Int. J. Soc. Sc. Manage. Vol. 5, Issue-3: 187-191

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13.7 Cosmos & Culture

What junk food can teach us about junk science.

Tania Lombrozo

If you follow the headlines in nutrition science, you may have come across the claim that a daily bar of dark chocolate could help you lose weight faster. Websites touted the sweet news earlier this year:

"Excellent news: Chocolate can help you lose weight!" (3/31, Huffington Post )

"Need a 'sweeter' way to lose weight? Eat chocolates!" (4/1, Times of India )

A little more than a week ago, the study's lead author, Johannes Bohannon, made a startling confession: The study was a hoax! And, what's more, he wasn't Johannes Bohannon — affiliate of the fictional Institute for Diet and Health — but journalist John Bohannon, out to make a point about the media's willingness to uncritically report and promote junk science.

Bohannon and his co-conspirators did conduct a real study, but it was poorly designed (and they knew it). For starters, they recruited a meager sample of 16 participants whose weight was monitored for only three weeks. After one participant was dropped due to an unexplained " weight measure issue ," they were left with 15 participants divided into three groups. In one group, participants were instructed to follow their normal diets. In another, they were instructed to follow a low-carbohydrate diet. And, in the third, they were instructed to supplement a low-carbohydrate diet with a daily bar of dark chocolate, which the researchers provided.

After crunching the numbers on the 18 variables that they measured — which ranged from cholesterol to sleep quality and well-being — they found a statistically significant result: The group that ate chocolate lost weight 10 percent faster than their low-carb peers. Bohannon and colleagues rushed this to press at the International Archives of Medicine, which sounds like a legitimate academic journal. But the editor skipped peer review and instead charged the authors a fee for publication. After circulating a well-crafted press release, headlines were trumpeting the good news: Chocolate can help you lose weight!

In his " confession ," Bohannon explains the problems with the study, the data analysis, the publication process, and the media's subsequent coverage.

Among other things, measuring so many variables with a small sample made it quite likely that something would turn out to be statistically significant by chance alone — and just about any result involving chocolate would have been newsworthy. (Chocolate improves your sleep! Chocolate reduces cholesterol!) Because the paper was never peer-reviewed, and because none of the journalists who covered the study consulted with experts, this concern went unnoted.

Bohannon's confession has gone viral, and many of the outlets that reported the original study have dutifully updated their coverage.

But Bohannon and his collaborators also have been subject to some critical scrutiny concerning the ethics of the study and of the publicity stunt . As the title of his confession declares, Bohannon "fooled millions" — but the millions weren't mercenary publishers and lazy science reporters. They were trusting readers.

There are really multiple ethical questions here. One is about whether the study or the hoax violates rules that should never be broken. For instance, one might think it's never OK to conduct a study without fully informed consent, or to deliberately promote bad science. Let's set this question to the side, and instead consider a more consequentialist approach — one that looks at the outcomes of an action. In this case, does the good that came (or will come) from the chocolate hoax outweigh the bad?

Narrowly, one might worry about the "millions" who now hold unfounded beliefs about the benefits of chocolate for weight loss: the readers who received the misleading media coverage, but not the updates and retractions. In fact, chocolate does have some potential health benefits , so increasing people's chocolate consumption a smidge (or reducing their guilt about existing consumption a smidgeon) probably wouldn't do much harm, as long as readers didn't extrapolate wildly beyond the reported findings to abandon healthdul diets and exercise plans entirely, instead opting for a daily dose of Snickers.

More broadly, though, one might worry about the consequences of the hoax for people's perceptions of science. Will it lead to greater distrust of science and science journalism, or to greater trust in future science and science reporting? Will it make people dismiss nutrition headlines as bunk, or to read the articles that follow more conscientiously?

A parallel issue arises with cases of scientific misconduct. With each reported instance of fraud or high-profile retraction, there's room for short-term pessimism about science and people's trust in science, but also long-term optimism about science as a self-correcting process.

Unfortunately, there's a fresh example to illustrate the point: the retraction of a widely reported study , published in Science, on how interactions with gay canvassers affected voters' attitudes toward gay marriage. It now appears that the first author, Michael LaCour, may have fabricated or misreported survey data purportedly collected months after the canvassers made their visits.

When interviewed , the study's senior author, Donald P. Green, responded to a question about whether the episode was an example of larger problems with the scientific process:

"The question of what does this mean about the integrity of science, or the integrity of scientific vetting procedures — I suppose you could look at it one of two ways. The negative way to look at it is here was a failure of the review process, or a failure of the vetting process, or a failure on my part as the senior author. We posted our data, we did all kinds of checks, and still fraud slipped through. That's one way to think about it."

But Green went on to consider a second way to think about it: as "a positive story about the self-correcting nature of science." After all, the problems with the study were uncovered and brought to light, by scientists doing science .

I'm inclined to draw similar lessons from the chocolate hoax, though the parallels aren't perfect. But as with scientific misconduct, there's reason for both pessimism and optimism.

On the side of pessimism, there's evidence that exposure to contradictory messages about nutrition from the media can have negative consequences. A 2014 study found that higher levels of perceived inconsistency in the media's coverage of nutrition were associated with greater confusion about what to eat. That, in turn, was associated with greater distrust of nutrition science. "The fundamental concern," wrote the authors, "is that those who report greater contradictory exposure to topics such as fish, wine, and coffee consumption will experience greater feelings of confusion and backlash — and that these beliefs, in turn, may lead people to doubt public health recommendations more generally, including those about which there is little contradictory information (e.g., fruit/vegetable consumption, exercise)."

On the side of optimism, we can hope for self-correction: for better science, and for better science journalism, in the wake of Bohannon's hoax. That means weeding out fake academic journals, and it means adopting more rigorous norms when it comes to selecting and reporting science for the general public.

But there's an even more important lesson for scientists and journalists, and it goes beyond these familiar calls for reform.

Let's, for a moment, take the metaphor of "junk science" seriously. When it comes to junk food, we don't expect the government or nutritionists to withhold unhealthful foods entirely. We also place some responsibility on people to be educated consumers and to make intelligent food choices.

The discussion surrounding the chocolate hoax has focused on scientists and journalists as gatekeepers with a responsibility to keep junk science out of people's media "diets." But we also need scientists and journalists to act as educators, to help the public become more sophisticated consumers of scientific information.

So, in the end, I'm an optimist. But I place the burden on scientists and journalists to do better — not (only) as gatekeepers but also as educators. And, so, I place the burden on readers, as well, to become more educated consumers.

Editor's Note: The initial version of this post was truncated owing to a technical error.

Tania Lombrozo is a psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley. She writes about psychology, cognitive science and philosophy, with occasional forays into parenting and veganism. You can keep up with more of what she is thinking on Twitter: @TaniaLombrozo

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Articles on Junk food

Displaying 1 - 20 of 103 articles.

Junk food is promoted online to appeal to kids and target young men, our study shows

Tanita Northcott , The University of Melbourne and Christine Parker , The University of Melbourne

From banning junk food ads to a sugar tax: with diabetes on the rise, we can’t afford to ignore the evidence any longer

Gary Sacks , Deakin University

Our ‘food environments’ affect what we eat. Here’s how you can change yours to support healthier eating

Georgie Russell , Deakin University and Rebecca Leech , Deakin University

Got period pain or cramps? What to eat and avoid, according to science

Lauren Ball , The University of Queensland ; Emily Burch , Southern Cross University , and Pui Ting Wong , The University of Queensland

Promotional techniques on junk food packaging are a problem for children’s health – Australia could do better

Gary Sacks , Deakin University and Alexandra Jones , George Institute for Global Health

Ultra-processed foods are not only bad for our bodies, their production damages our environments

Laila Benkrima , Simon Fraser University

Why taxing ‘junk food’ to tackle obesity isn’t as simple as it seems

Duane Mellor , Aston University

School-approved Cheetos? Why we must protect school food from corporate interests

Sara F.L. Kirk , Dalhousie University ; Amberley T. Ruetz , University of Saskatchewan ; Rachel Prowse , Memorial University of Newfoundland , and Steve Machat , Dalhousie University

How eating a local diet can help Indonesians live healthier and more sustainable lives

Mulia Nurhasan , CGIAR System Organization and Romauli Panggabean , World Resources Institute

Clear nutrition labels can encourage healthier eating habits. Here’s how Australia’s food labelling can improve

Gary Sacks , Deakin University and Jasmine Chan , Deakin University

Ultraprocessed foods – like cookies, chips, frozen meals and fast food – may contribute to cognitive decline

Sara N. Burke , University of Florida

Australia is dragging its feet on healthy eating. In 5 years we’ve made woeful progress

Gary Sacks , Deakin University and Davina Mann , Deakin University

Ultra-processed foods are trashing our health – and the planet

Kim Anastasiou , Deakin University ; Mark Lawrence , Deakin University ; Michalis Hadjikakou , Deakin University , and Phillip Baker , Deakin University

You can’t outrun your fork. But that doesn’t mean exercise can’t help you lose weight or change your diet.

Cassandra J. Lowe , Western University

Junk food and the brain: How modern diets lacking in micronutrients may contribute to angry rhetoric

Bonnie Kaplan , University of Calgary and Julia J Rucklidge , University of Canterbury

Public acceptance of sin taxes on sugar or fat not dependent on evidence

Nicole Fiorillo , McMaster University and Katherine Boothe , McMaster University

Appetite for convenience: how the surge in online food delivery could be harming our health

Stephanie Partridge , University of Sydney ; Alice A Gibson ; Julie Redfern , University of Sydney ; Rajshri Roy , University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau ; Rebecca Raeside , University of Sydney , and Sisi Jia , University of Sydney

Combo meal deals and price discounts on fast food encourage us to eat more junk. It’s time for policy action

Gary Sacks , Deakin University ; Evelyn Suk Yi Looi , Deakin University , and Lily Grigsby-Duffy , Deakin University

No, it’s not just a lack of control that makes Australians overweight. Here’s what’s driving our unhealthy food habits

Gary Sacks , Deakin University and Sally Schultz , Deakin University

Personalised nutrition is trendy, but can it help us eat less junk food?

Katherine Livingstone , Deakin University

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Nutrition & Dieting — Junk Food

Essays on Junk Food

The importance of writing an essay on junk food.

Writing an essay on junk food is important because it allows us to explore and understand the negative effects of consuming unhealthy foods. Junk food has become a widespread issue in today's society, and writing about it can help raise awareness and promote healthier eating habits.

When writing an essay on junk food, it's important to research and include factual information about the harmful effects of consuming these types of foods. This can include discussing the high levels of sugar, fat, and sodium found in junk food, as well as the impact it has on our overall health and well-being.

Additionally, it's crucial to address the societal and environmental implications of junk food consumption. This can involve discussing the marketing tactics used to promote these products, as well as the impact on our planet due to excessive packaging and waste.

To effectively convey the message in your essay, it's important to use a clear and persuasive writing style. This can involve using strong evidence and examples to support your arguments, as well as engaging the reader with a compelling and .

Overall, writing an essay on junk food is important because it allows us to shed light on the negative effects of consuming these foods and encourages individuals to make healthier choices for themselves and the environment.

• The Impact of Junk Food on Health

Junk food has long been associated with negative health effects, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. This essay will explore the various ways in which junk food can negatively impact our health, and discuss potential solutions for reducing its consumption.

• The Role of Advertising in Promoting Junk Food

Advertising plays a significant role in promoting junk food to consumers, especially to children. This essay will examine the tactics used by advertisers to market junk food, and discuss the ethical implications of targeting vulnerable populations.

• The Influence of Junk Food on Children's Eating Habits

Children are particularly susceptible to the allure of junk food, which can have long-term consequences for their health. This essay will explore the ways in which junk food influences children's eating habits, and discuss strategies for promoting healthier choices.

• The Economics of Junk Food

Junk food is often cheaper and more readily available than healthier alternatives, making it a popular choice for many consumers. This essay will examine the economic factors that contribute to the prevalence of junk food, and discuss potential solutions for making healthy options more accessible.

• The Cultural Significance of Junk Food

Junk food has become deeply ingrained in modern culture, with many iconic brands and products becoming synonymous with American cuisine. This essay will explore the cultural significance of junk food, and discuss the ways in which it has shaped our culinary landscape.

• The Environmental Impact of Junk Food Packaging

The production and disposal of junk food packaging can have significant environmental consequences, contributing to pollution and waste. This essay will examine the environmental impact of junk food packaging, and discuss potential solutions for reducing its footprint.

• The Psychology of Cravings for Junk Food

Many people experience intense cravings for junk food, which can be difficult to resist. This essay will explore the psychology behind these cravings, and discuss strategies for overcoming them and making healthier choices.

• The Role of Government Regulation in Limiting Junk Food Consumption

Government regulations can play a crucial role in limiting the consumption of junk food, through measures such as bans on advertising to children and restrictions on the sale of unhealthy products. This essay will examine the impact of government regulation on junk food consumption, and discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks of such policies.

• The Ethics of Junk Food Consumption

Consuming junk food raises ethical questions about personal responsibility, corporate accountability, and societal well-being. This essay will explore the ethical implications of junk food consumption, and discuss potential solutions for addressing these concerns.

• The Future of Junk Food

As our understanding of nutrition and health continues to evolve, the future of junk food is uncertain. This essay will explore potential trends and developments in the junk food industry, and discuss the ways in which our attitudes and behaviors toward junk food may change in the years to come.

Discussion of The Issue: Should Schools Sell Junk Food

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How sugar can affect our lives, fast food and its impact on our body, super size me: how fast food is killing us, parents should be aware of the dangers of fast food restaurants, research on convenience food, why junk food should be banned in schools, five food combinations that can ruin your health, healthy eating habits: a significant role of food culture, rising demand of noodle boxes in recent years and their use, review of "fast food nation: the dark side of the all-american meal" by eric schlosser, health issues in fast food industry, fast food’s prompt harm to your wellbeing , overview of the whole process of a potato chip manufacturing, analysis of the factors making mcdonald’s one of the most renowned fast food organizations over the world, fast food farms: what happens behind the closed gates, kfc chicken crisis in uk: a case study, tax on junk food in kerala: strengths, limitations, and challenges, tax on junk food: a solution to addressing obesity in canada, tax on junk food as the solution to obesity, relevant topics.

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Determinants of Junk Food Consumption Among Adolescents in Pokhara Valley, Nepal

Suraj sujan bohara.

1 Faculty of Health Science, School of Health and Allied Sciences, Pokhara University, Kaski, Nepal

Kanchan Thapa

2 Independent Public Health Researcher, Kathmandu, Nepal

Laxman Datt Bhatt

3 Department of Healthcare Management, National Open College, Pokhara University, Kaski, Nepal

Shankar Singh Dhami

Shreejana wagle, associated data.

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.

Background: Junk food consumption and its consequences has become a major public health concern globally because of its deteriorating health consequences and surging prevalence. Though its adverse health consequences are widely prevalent in all age groups, children and adolescents are more at risk. It may lead to obesity and act as a risk factor for different non-communicable diseases (NCD's) like heart diseases, cardiovascular disease, cancer, hypertension, diabetes, etc. This study was carried out to explore the junk food consumption and its associated factors among adolescent students.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 538 adolescent students of Kaski district, Nepal. We used a stratified proportionate sampling technique to recruit the participants. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive and bivariate statistical analysis was performed. The odds ratio was computed to test the association.

Results: The study found that more than half of the participants (60.30%) consumed junk foods over the last 30 days, more prevalent among public school participants (65.1%) followed by participants of private school (56.3%). More than half of the participants consumed salty snacks (58.7%) followed by sweets (57.5%). The time of consumption was found to be higher together with friends (83.9%). Similarly, it was consumed more while the participants were on a trip (70.1%). Consumption of junk foods was significantly associated with public school (OR: 1.44, CI = 1.01–2.06), single family (OR: 1.46, CI = 1.01–2.10), living with parents (OR: 1.64, CI = 1.03–2.63), while on travel (OR: 1.99, CI = 1.33–2.98), while reading (OR: 2.01, CI = 1.16–3.47), at home (OR: 2.20, CI = 1.53–3.16), at school (OR: 2.86, CI = 1.98–4.12), friends' influence (OR: 2.01, CI = 1.37–2.94), and junk food availability at home (OR: 1.92, CI = 1.33–2.76).

Conclusion: Consumption of junk foods among adolescent students was remarkably high in both public school and private school adolescents. Regardless of adequate knowledge on harmful consequences of junk foods, school-going adolescents are consuming junk foods due to its easy availability and ready-to-use packaging. The government of Nepal should strictly standardize and regulate advertising policies and extravagant health claims advertised by junk food manufacturers. An appropriate intervention targeted to adolescents to improve food behaviors is recommended.

Introduction

Junk foods are defined as foods that are readily available, usually inexpensive, and having less nutrient value. These foods contain more calories, more salt, have a higher content of saturated fat, and contain less iron, calcium, and dietary fiber. Common junk foods include fast food, carbonated drinks, chips, desserts, chocolates, etc. ( 1 ).

Globally, junk foods are popular stuff, and consumption is increasing constantly. Traditional foods have been nearly replaced by food items that can be found in a state of ready to eat, in canned form, and preserved for a longtime ( 2 ). The consumption of such foods has peaked in developed countries; however, there is an increasing trend in the developing countries of the world ( 3 ). In South Asian countries, there is a clear rising trend of such junk food consumption ( 4 , 5 ). Despite established evidence of the negative impacts of junk foods on the human body, the consumption of junk foods is popular among youngsters. Such consumption may lead to a high prevalence of obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and coronary heart disease ( 6 ).

It is estimated that 16 million (1.0%) disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost and 1.7 million (2.8%) of worldwide mortality have been attributed to inadequate consumption of vegetables and fruits ( 7 ). Despite the socioeconomic condition of the family, junk food consumption has been emerging worldwide due to quick consumption, ready to eat, inexpensive, and of good taste. Such foods have been found prepared using low-quality ingredients such as refined grains, added sugar, and fats, despite nutritious ingredients ( 8 ). Fast foods have high sodium salt, which is often used as a preservative to make the foods more flavorful and satisfying. Such foods attract more people especially children and adolescents ( 9 ).

Increased junk food consumption among all age groups and more common to young adults is an emerging public health challenge with global prevalence of around 70%. Rapidly changing dietary practices and an increasing sedentary lifestyle predispose to obesity-related non-communicable diseases, including insulin resistance diabetes, neurodegeneration, and psychological changes, stroke, headache/precipitation of migraine, the metabolic syndrome, adult-onset diabetes, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, coronary artery diseases, polycystic ovarian syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cancers, and autoimmune disorders and site-specific neoplasms, both in children and in adults. Recent data show that obesity-related non-communicable diseases are increasing in many developing countries with cross-sectional and secular trends of childhood obesity globally and more prevalent to developing countries ( 10 , 11 ).

Obesity and overweight has increased many fold in Asia, and it is becoming more alarming in recent years. Countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) South East Asia Region are facing an epidemic of diseases associated with obesity such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Various studies had shown a rising prevalence of obesity among children due to their risky behaviors and dietary patterns ( 12 ).

Despite facts known among adolescents in Nepal, there is a gap to explore food consumption patterns and association with obesity. Since adolescents account for a quarter of the country's population, there should be special strategies to think about their current nutritional status ( 13 ). A recent study from Kaski district depicts 8.1% prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents ( 14 ). Another study conducted in the Kaski district of Nepal shows that the obesity prevalence among adolescents is 3.3% ( 15 ). Risky behaviors such as unusual time of sleeping, tobacco and substance abuse, watching television for a longer time, consuming low dietary foods and fruits, along with insufficient physical activities are found to be more prevalent in the Kaski district, which are leading to more risk of deviating health condition of adolescents ( 16 – 18 ). About six among 10 deaths are found to be caused by NCD in Nepal; among them, nearly a quarter of these have been caused by cardiovascular diseases ( 19 ). So, we are in a better position to think about food habits among adolescents to prevent further complications.

There is limited evidence to identify the magnitude of the junk food prevalence and factors promoting its consumption. We explored the status of junk food consumption and its associated factor among the adolescents in the Kaski district of Nepal. Findings of this study are expected to be a primary step toward planning multipronged strategies to address the growing health hazard and protecting children and adolescents from the long-term ill health effects of junk foods. The study results will have policy implications for adolescents to plan, prevent, and control junk foods, obesity, and other health complications.

Study Design

An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among selected school-aged adolescents in the Kaski district of Nepal from July 2017 to December 2017.

Study Areas

The study was conducted in 54 private and 47 public schools of Pokhara metropolitan (formerly Lekhnath municipality), Kaski district, Nepal. Kaski district is one of the largest cities of Gandaki Province, which comprises a total of 492,098 population, which is 1.86% of the national estimated population. The district has 46.3% adolescents, and it ranks third on literacy rate (82.38) and Human Development Index (0.576) with a poverty gap of 0.79 in the district ( 20 ).

Study Population

This study recruited school-going adolescents studying in grades 11 and 12 of selected schools in Pokhara metropolitan. The students of school having only girl's cohort or boy's cohort, physically challenged, and visually impaired students were excluded from this study.

Sample Size Estimation

Sample size was calculated by using the following formula: sample size ( n ) = Z 2 pq/d 2 [Z = 1.96 for 95% confidence interval, P = proportion of population with certain characteristic, q = proportion of population without certain characteristic, and d = allowable error (0.05 for 5%)].

Thus, sample size was computed to be 274 and after adjusting the non-response rate to 5%, the sample size was 290. Since the study included participants of both public and private schools at a ratio of 5:6, therefore, by adjusting the proportion ratio of 5:6, the sample size for public schools was 245 and private school was 290. Therefore, the final sample size of this study was 245 + 290 = 535 (Sample size calculation described in the Table 1 ).

Sample size calculation table.

Sampling Technique

A stratified proportionate sampling method was used to select participants. We designed a disaggregated sampling frame for public and private secondary schools of Kaski district, and the required proportion (5:6) was taken from the type of schools and the required participants from them Sampling technique is described in the diagram ( Figure 1 ).

Flow diagram of sampling technique.

Data Collection Method

The data were collected using the standard self-administered questionnaire among the adolescent students during their school day, and a 30-min time was allocated to complete the questionnaire. Written informed consent was taken from the teacher on behalf of the participants, and the teacher was informed about the student's volunteer participation before the consent grant on behalf of the student. The purpose of the study, confidentiality of their answer, and there is nothing like right or wrong were briefed before data collection. Seven-day dietary recall methods were used to report their recent week dietary pattern. The data were collected from October 29 to November 8, 2017 in Pokhara metropolitan of Kaski district.

Data Collection Tool

A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire was pretested and validated before the final data collection. Extensive literature review was done, and a tool was developed reviewing similar literature, which reports the factors that accelerate junk food consumption. The tool was initially developed in English version and translated into Nepali. The linguistic validation and context validation was checked and recommended by nutrition experts and academic professors prior to pretesting.

Independent Variables

The independent variables are age, sex, parents' education, living status, family type, parents' occupation, advertisement, convenience, peer influence, availability of junk food, and knowledge about the health effect of junk food consumption.

Dependent Variable

The dependent variable is junk food consumption.

Operational Definitions

Adolescent student.

Students of grade 11 and grade 12 who are not older than 19 years of age.

Junk food includes instant noodles, biscuits, cookies, chip lays, chocolates, cake, ice cream, chow mien, Mo: Mo, samosa, soft drinks, Coke, Pepsi, Fanta, burgers, pizza, canned foods, fried potatoes, meat products, etc.

Junk Food Consumption

A student consumes at least one item of junk food for 3 days or more within the last 7 days.

Frequency of Consumption

It is the time that is more than 15 days in a month and more than 4 days in a week.

It is the time that is 5–15 days in a month and 2–4 days in a week.

It is the time that is <5 days in a month and <2 days in a week.

Place of Consumption

It is the place such as home, school, friend's home, etc., where the individual adolescent student consumes any type of junk food.

Living Situation

An adolescent's current living status with parents, relatives, friends, in a hostel, alone, or in any other condition.

Peer Influence

Peer influence is the perceived impact of peer groups, their encouragement, involvement, facilitation, and role modeling for other friends.

Participants who answered the right option among the given three questions in the questionnaire that were classified as adequate knowledge regarding the harmful effects of junk foods and others who did not answer right among the three were classified as inadequate knowledge.

Validity and Reliability

The study tool was reviewed by the researcher and nutrition expert to maintain the validity and reliability of the data collection. Pretesting was done among the 50 students of Pokhara valley, and all the required revision based on pretesting was done on the data collection tool. Pretesting samples were excluded in the final enumeration. Based on the findings of pre-testing, necessary modification on the tool was done prior to data collection. The test of normality was done for those nonparametric distributions, and the median values were computed and presented in the Results section.

Data Management and Analysis

Data were entered in Epi-data and imported into SPSS version 22. A descriptive and interferential analysis of data was performed. Odds ratio (OR) with a value greater than 1.00 is considered as significant. Similarly, chi-square testing was done. Those variables having a p-value less than 0.05 mentioned for risk ratio (RR). Thus, the computed RR yield odds ratio (OR) at 95% confidence interval and 5% level of significance.

Information about the demographic characteristics of the participants is presented in Table 2 . More than half (63%, 339/538) of the participants were in the late adolescent age (17–19 years) followed by the middle adolescent aged group. The minimum and maximum age of the participants was 14 and 19 years. The median age of the participants was 17 years with an interquartile range of 2 years. More than half (52.0%, 280/538) of the participants were female. More than half (64.1%) of the participants were from the nuclear family and lived with parents (83.8%, 345/538). Almost all participants' fathers (95.5%, 515/538) and mothers (92.6%, 498/538) had formal education. The respondents' fathers (78.4%, 421/538) and mothers (92.7%, 499/538) both had informal employment status at the data collection time.

Sociodemographic characteristics of participants ( n = 538).

Table 3 shows the status of junk food consumption by school type. More than half of the participants of the public school consumed junk food (65.1%, 153/235), and the same was found among private school participants (56.3%, 161/286). Among the total participants, 60.30% (314/521) were junk food consumers as they consumed junk foods for four or more days last week. The remaining (39.7%, 207/521) were non-consumers that means they consumed junk foods for four or more days last week. Thus, higher junk food consumption status in public schools than in private schools was observed (65.1%, 153/235, 56.3%, 161/286, respectively).

Status of junk food consumption ( n = 521).

Table 4 reveals the frequency and varieties of junk food consumption over the last month of data collection. Salty snacks were consumed by 59.8% (143/239) of participants from public school and 57.7% (165/286) from the private school. Similarly, sweet-related junk food consumption status, it was almost equal in both public and private schools (56.1%, 134/239 and 58.7%, 168/286, respectively).

Average consumption of type of junk food in last month ( n = 525).

The sweetened beverage was more prevalent at private school (50.3%, 144/286) compared with the public (42.3%, 101/239); the same result was found in fast food consumption status as well (44.1%, 126/286 and 31.8%, 76/239). More than three quarters of the participants from the public school (86%, 197/239) had a practice of consuming junk food with friends; however, participants from private schools (78.3%, 224/286) consumed the foods during travel time.

Occasional food consumption was found more in private school participants. However, they had more practice of taking junk food while they were being alone or while they were with their parents (60.5%, 173/286 and 40.6%, 116/286, respectively). This study also found that participants from public schools had more junk food consumption (15.7%, 37/239) at the time of reading, which was slightly less in participants from public schools (14.0%, 40/286). Consumption during the trip (75.5%, 216/286), at home (59.8%, 171/286), and with friends was more predominant with private school than with public school participants, while more proportion of public school participants had higher junk food consumption rate at a restaurant (64.9 %, 150/239) and at a school (61.3 %, 144/239).

Table 5 Depicts junk food consumption by some characteristics related to practice. Out of 522 participants, 39.3% (205/522) spent 0.85–2.5 US$ on junk foods followed by <0.85 US$ (27.8 %, 145/522), about 19.5% (102/522) spent 2.5 to 4$ and more than 4$ were expended by 13.4% (70/522) of the respondents. Junk food consumption by a family member was found to be 31.3% (163/522). A family member of private school participants had slightly more consumption (33.2%) than public school participants (28.9%). Nearly half of the participants (49.2%) consume junk food as an alternative to breakfast. Out of 522 participants, 38.9% (203/522) wanted to the junk food consumption. Similarly, out of 538 participants, 9.7% (52/538) mostly went outside of the home for dinner and had use of any item of junk food category.

Distribution of weekly expenditure on junk foods, consumption accompanying fruits and vegetables among the participants.

Furthermore, out of 538 participants, more than one third (34.0%, 183/538) of the participants had a practice of consuming fruits and vegetables three to four times a week. More than one fourth (25.5%, 137/538) of them consumed fruits and vegetables seven or more times, and one among five (21.9%, 118/538) consumed five to six times in a week. Only 18.6% (100/538) of them consumed fruits and vegetables one to two times a week.

Table 6 illustrates the knowledge level of junk food consumption and its consequences. Out of 538 participants, only 33.50% (180/538) had adequate knowledge regarding the harmful health effects of junk foods, and among them, more numbers were from private schools (37.5%, 109/291). Similarly, 66.5% (358/538) had inadequate knowledge of junk foods and its harmful effects. Among them, nearly three quarters (71.3%, 176/247) were from public school compared with private school.

Knowledge on harmful health effects.

We compared the OR for the different sociodemographic, behavioral, and individual-level variables with junk food consumption ( Table 7 ). It was found that participants of public school were 1.44 times more likely to consume junk foods. Similarly, children from a single family were 1.46 times, and those living with parents were 1.64 times more likely to consume junk foods. Time of consumption was explored and found, while on travel, 1.99 times, while reading 2.016, and while being alone, adolescents were 2.144 times likely to eat junk foods.

Relationship of different sociodemographic, individual, and behavioral factors with junk food consumption.

Reference, 1; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval .

Home and schools were more commonly observed places for junk foods with OR of 2.20 and 2.86, respectively. Among the sources of information, peer pressure was found to be more influencing, and they were likely to consume 2.01 while being with friends. Similarly, we also explored family member's roles. Those who reported the availability of junk foods at home were 1.92 times more likely to consume junk food.

In this study from Pokhara, we found that more participants were late adolescents, female, living in a nuclear family, and mostly living with parents. A higher number of fathers had received formal education than mothers and had a similar trend in employment status. Adolescents studying in public schools were consuming more junk foods than those in private schools. Salty snacks, sweets, sweetened beverages, and fast foods were frequently consumed junk foods. The time of consumption, traveling, special occasion, places of consumption, and weekly expenditure were explored in this study. We found that adolescents were also interested to avoid junk foods in their meals. More frequent (7+ times/week) consumption of fruits and vegetables was reported from private school participants. Inadequate knowledge of junk food and its long-term public health impact was found more common to participants from public school (71.3%,176/247) and private school participants (62 %,182/291), which suggests that more than half of the respondents had inadequate knowledge on junk food; thus, appropriate interventions need to be done to reduce consumption of such foods.

Consumption of junk foods and its association with different sociodemographic variables has been evaluated in our study; furthermore, published evidence supports that the dietary pattern and socioeconomic characteristics are associated ( 21 , 25 , 26 ). Similarly, consumption is also governed by availability and distance to junk food outlets ( 27 , 28 ). The distance to the grocery store and fast food outlet is also found to be associated with skipping breakfast and free lunch at school and irregular eating habits ( 29 ). Furthermore, good taste, advertisement, easy availability of fast foods, and marketing are also found to be associated ( 30 , 31 ). Other factors for growing fast food availability are increased earning, urbanization, busier lifestyle, fast service, assurance of food safety, and brands in China ( 32 ). Our study is of different nature, and we did not explore these factors; however, these might have definite impacts on the behaviors of the food of adolescents. One of such studies stated that there is no relationship with the proximity of restaurant and the body mass index (BMI) ( 33 ). Consumption of junk foods has been reported as risk factors for obesity and overweight among adolescents ( 34 ). More factors at the individual, social levels have a promotive role in fast food consumption in Teheran among adolescents ( 35 ). Advertisements and bored with family foods have been associated with fast food consumption ( 36 ). Our study shows similarities with the current research findings though we did not explore the BMI status and its factors for them.

Furthermore, adolescents living with parents are consuming junk foods more than others. Similarly, another research from the United States of America (USA) shows that those living with parents and in rented apartments have less frequent meals, poor dietary intake, and little home food availability compared with those living on campus ( 37 ). Moreover, another study from the USA shows that the food intake increased with increasing age and color of participants ( 38 ); however, we did not assess any role of ethnicity in this study, though our study population had a later adolescent aged population. In our study, we found that adolescents are more likely to consume junk food at home, schools, restaurants, and on a trip. Another study reveals that those taking lunch in the school canteen, hotels, and bakers are more likely to consume junk foods; parental influence on eating habits, eating dinner out, and consumption of vegetables and fruits have been found associated with junk food consumption ( 39 ). These factors reported from different studies were similar to our findings.

Furthermore, another research also highlighted the parental role in reducing the consumption of snacks high in solid oils, fats, and added sugars (SOFAS) ( 22 ). Our study demonstrated quite an interesting finding that adolescents living with parents also consumed more junk foods. However, friends were an important influencer to consume junk foods than parents. There are recommendations that the computation of fast foods have multiple factors including societal and individual level ( 35 ). Our study reported having similar elements in urban context of Pokhara, Nepal.

Increased fast food consumption is significantly associated with age, sex, family income, and residence ( 40 ). We also found an association with family types, family behaviors, and availability of foods. Since we conducted a study in urban settings, therefore, we are unable to comment on the difference on the basis of study settings, either urban or rural strata for food consumption. Another study from Pokhara shows that 75% of adolescents had good knowledge ( 15 ). However, in our study findings, 66.5% only had inadequate knowledge about junk foods. The varying proportion can be the used for the cutoff to define knowledge level. Furthermore, we only computed odds ratio without limiting other influencers. So, identification of the strongest influencer can be another scope of work. A study conducted on the general population in Singapore shows that regular fast-food consumers are those who are younger, belong to higher-income groups, and with middle-level education ( 41 ). Among the adolescents, there are various concerns related to foods and body images, dieting, education about foods, control of parents, educational level of mothers, and eating with family ( 42 ). In the present study also, we found positive association with some of these tested variables. In-depth exploring of these factors can be another sphere for the study.

Outcome of our study provides detailed understanding not only on knowledge, prevalence, and practice, influence of social media, peers, and family for junk food consumption among participants but also the reasons and influencing factors for participants to consume junk foods regardless of their knowledge on harmful effects and complications of junk food consumption. Similarly, this research work also provides a comparative insight information on junk food consumption pattern in public and private schools, which will be a supportive evidence for further policy implication.

Despite of these, our study is only limited to explore factors for junk food consumption among adolescents. We only relied on information given by them on the self-administered questionnaire. Therefore, we are unable to comment on the impact of these factors on their nutritional status due to lack of ABC parameters. These figures might have information bias, recall bias, copying other responses, and negligence to respond. We only recruited classes 11 and 12; therefore, junk food consumption status and other predictive factors of the other early adolescents might be missing. The economic status of the participants was not measured, although we supposed that it as an important factor. Junk food consumption is one of the growing concerns of the policymakers to safeguard public health globally. Therefore, we would like to recommend further study exploring ABC parameters of nutrition, their relationship with junk foods, frequency, lesser bias, and using the comprehensive technique of data collection.

Various cross-sectional studies have been conducted to assess the determinants of junk food and knowledge and practice of junk food consumption in different settings of Nepal and other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but our attempt to figure out public school and private school participants' junk food consumption status would be a further pathway to conduct comparative studies on similar topic to assess the health impact of junk foods among those who consume it and who do not consume it. Furthermore, comprehensive longitudinal studies will be a future direction to assess the growth and development of children and adults having junk food consumption practice.

Strategic risk communication to minimize junk food consumption should be prioritized, and interventions should be incorporated into national nutritional strategies. Behavior-change communication strategies should be tailored to targeted school children and general populations in order to address Nepal's food transition and long-term impact. We recommend further longitudinal research to assess epidemiological impact of junk foods, growth, and development of children and adolescents who had the history of regular junk food consumption.

Conclusions

Our study findings reveal an increasing junk food consumption among school going-adolescents, which may contribute to poor growth outcomes. Consumption during travel time, restaurants, home, and school were found to be more common. Family and peer roles were also found to be more influencing for junk food accompanying the participants increased consumption. Interestingly, media exposure played a promotive role in junk food promotion, and among these, friend's influence is most influential.

Consumption of junk food among adolescent students was remarkably high in both public school and private school adolescents. Regardless of adequate knowledge on harmful consequences of junk foods, school-going adolescents are consuming junk food due to its easy availability and ready-to-use packaging. The government of Nepal should strictly standardize and regulate advertising policies and extravagant health claims advertised by junk food manufacturers. An appropriate intervention incorporated with national nutrition policies targeted to adolescents for improved food behaviors is recommended.

Data Availability Statement

Ethics statement.

The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by Pokhara University Institutional Review Committee(Ref # 28/074/75). Written informed consent to participate in this study was provided by the participants' legal guardian/next of kin.

Author Contributions

SSB, KT, and LDB are principal investigators of this study, responsible for conceptualization, design, methodology application, data curation, data analysis, software application, writing an original draft, reviewing and editing, and overall supervision of the research. SSD and SW are responsible for the concept and design of the study, interpretation of the results, and preparation of the manuscript. LDB is responsible for conceptualization, design, methodology application, data collection, data curation, and analysis. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

Our heartfelt thanks to all the participants who participated in this study. We are thankful to Pokhara University, Faculty of Health Science, School of Health and Allied Sciences. Special thanks to all the public and private schools of Pokhara Metropolitan and Private and Boarding School's Organization (PABSON) Kaski branch for their immense support.

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September is National Fruits and Veggies month

Summer is filled with colorful fruits and vegetables, from strawberries to melons, tomatoes to greens, and many more. It’s the season to indulge in foods that are tasty and good for you, too.

Summer’s bounty helps to make eating healthy an easy choice

At a glance: K-State food scientist Karen Blakeslee discusses the benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables for human health and how to limit food wastage during National Fruits and Veggies month (September) in the United States.

More information: Karen Blakeslee, 785-532-1673, [email protected]

Related: Buying Guide for Kansas-Grown Fruits and Vegetables

Aug. 29, 2024

K-State Research and Extension news service

MANHATTAN, Kan. – It’s not really a coincidence that the Produce for Better Health Foundation recognizes September as National Fruits and Veggies month in the United States.

“There are many reasons to include fruits and vegetables every day in a meal or snack,” said Kansas State University food scientist Karen Blakeslee. “The fiber in produce helps keep you full, helps improve digestion and helps reduce risks and effects of several diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and more.”

Many fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals that our bodies can't produce on their own, said Blakeslee, who recommends filling half of your plate during meals with fruits and vegetables.

“By consuming more fruits and vegetables, you lower calorie intake, reduce weight gain and reduce the intake of high-calorie foods,” she said. “Whether they are fresh, frozen, canned or dried, fruits and vegetables can be consumed year-round.”

In fact, with many garden foods reaching harvest, it’s a perfect time to preserve fresh produce. Blakeslee said freezing is easy and doesn’t take a lot of equipment; many foods can be frozen, though some – such as lettuce – do not freeze well.

“Canning and pickling are great options to reduce food waste,” Blakeslee said.

In a monthly newsletter she publishes in her role as coordinator of K-State’s Rapid Response Center for food science , Blakeslee suggests trying something new: Watermelon Rind Pickles.

“After enjoying the juicy watermelon fruit, save the rinds and turn them into a unique pickle,” she said. “Always follow tested recipes and instructions for best safety and quality for all food preservation methods .”

National Fruits and Veggies month also comes with a reminder to cut food waste in the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that nearly 40% of food waste occurs at home.

“When shopping, plan meals and snacks to be a better shopper,” Blakeslee said. “Before going to the store, shop your kitchen first. Incorporate what you already have into menus. Know your schedule and family likes to be sure fresh produce is used before it gets wasted.”

Other tips for reducing food waste include:

• Add perishable foods to a casserole, salad or soup.
• Freeze fresh produce to use later.
• Don’t buy in bulk if it’s not an item you can use quickly.
• Prepare fresh produce so that it’s easy to grab and go for easy snacks.
• If food is spoiled, consider composting if you have space available.

More information on incorporating fruits and vegetables into your daily diet plan – not just in September – is available from several sources, including:

• K-State Research and Extension food, Nutrition, Dietetics and Health: ksre.ksu.edu/humannutrition .
• Produce for a Better Health Foundation: https://fruitsandveggies.org
• USDA MyPlate: https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/what-is-myplate

• Updated: 8/27/24