In our society today, eating junk food daily has become a normal occurrence. Today, McDonalds is rated as the number one restaurant in the U.S. that people eat at. However, junk food has several effects on both our physical and mental state that should be taken into consideration before eating it. 

Junk food should be eaten irregularly because of the medical and mental issues it causes.

Eating unbalanced foods causes a load of different health risks. One can develop diabetes, heart problems, obesity, trouble breathing, liver disease, etc. Fast food has high amounts of sodium and by ingesting this on a normal basis, you are increasing your blood pressure and your risk for different cardiovascular diseases. As stated by the FDA,  the healthy amount of sodium per day is 2,300 mg; however, one cheeseburger combo meal at McDonalds is 1035 mg which is almost half of  the daily sodium intake. 

Constantly eating burgers and McDonalds for meals doesn’t give you energy. This junk food lacks nutrition and is instead filled with sugars and carbs. They lack the fiber and protein needed for an energy boost and cause a person to have a momentary spike in energy that ends up depleting really quickly, leaving someone in a drowsy state rather than an energetic one. Healthline states that once the food spikes your blood sugar levels, the levels quickly drop creating fatigue and cravings for sugar and junk food. If we look at the Sonic menu nutritional facts for a chocolate shake, we see that it has 67 grams of sugar, which is over 10 spoons of sugar, and 42 grams over the recommended intake by the AHA of 25 grams of sugar per day. Even one 12 oz soda can of Sprite has 38 grams of sugar, which is 12 grams over the recommendation.

Junk food can be linked to stress and even depression. In a study conducted by the NIH, researchers tested several students from ages 6 to 18. The students were fed junk food and sugary drinks, and the scientists concluded that a significant amount of students experienced distress and were violent while on this diet. Not only this, but according to Harvard University a lack of nutritional fuels messes with the generating of insulin and with your brain function resulting in negative moods like depression. Healthline confirms this in their statement about how those who consume these types of foods are 51% more likely to become depressed. 

Junk food is quick, easy, and tasty to eat; however, too much of it can cause detrimental effects. A person could order a healthier option on menus, but even those options have too much salt and bad ingredients that shouldn’t be consumed. Instead one could be healthier by making their own version of the food; for example, one could make a burger at home by swapping out the bread with wheat or whole grain bread, grilling the meat and not using as much salt or sugar, and even by swapping out the type of oil. This already decreases your risks because it is significantly healthier than the amount of sugars and salts that fast food places put in one burger. 

The occasional consumption of junk food is okay, but the normal everyday consumption of it is not. Several meals a week from fast food places can place your health, state of mind, and energy in a bad position. Protect your health by limiting your consumption of junk food!