We all eat a little worse every now and then, but if you’ve found yourself constantly eating junk food and takeaways on a daily basis then this bad habit will start to take its toll on your health. There are many negative effects of poor nutrition and if you’re gorging on junk then you will be missing out on all the vital nutrients your body needs from fresh fruit and veg to survive and work optimally. Need to snap out of your bad eating? Let the consequences of eating unhealthy food inspire you to make a change.
You are more likely to put on weight resulting in being overweight or obese
The one thing everyone knows about eating bad is it can cause weight gain. Many junk foods and fast foods have high-calorie contents made up of bad fats and bad sugars. This will increase your body mass index which is a risk factor for many diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. If your weight gets too high you may even fail to find cover for life insurance. Check out this article to see how your BMI affects life insurance rates as your insurance could even be declined if your BMI is too high.
You could actually increase your hunger, even if you eat more food
Even if you eat the same amount of junk food as healthy food, you might still be constantly hungry. Even if you eat more junk food, you are still hungry. This is partly down to the foods you are eating being addictive due to things like high sugar content, but also because they are not feeding your body in a nutritional sense. All your cells are still hungry and calling out for the nutrition they need. It’s a vicious circle as you continue to eat the wrong foods satisfying your stomach momentarily, but shortly after you are hungry again as the components of your body haven’t received any adequate nutrition.
Your mood and energy levels will probably get worse
As Mental Health First Aid confirm:
“It is well known that unhealthy eating patterns can cause mood swings. Blood sugar fluctuations and nutritional imbalances are often to blame. Without a steady source of fuel from the foods we eat, our mind and bodies don’t function well. Here’s how some unhealthy eating habits can alter your mood and emotional well-being:
- Skipping meals. Missing a meal, especially breakfast, can lead to low blood sugar. This will likely leave you feeling weak and tired.
- Cutting out entire food groups. If you reduce the variety of foods in your diet, it can be more difficult to get all the essential nutrients you need. Low levels of zinc, iron, B vitamins, magnesium, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids are associated with worsening mood and decreased energy.
- Eating too many refined carbohydrates. High intakes of unhealthy, processed carbohydrates, such as white bread and pastries, cause blood sugars to rise and fall rapidly. This can lead to low energy and irritability.”
Your skin may suffer
Eating a lot of fast food can cause skin issues like acne. Fast food can also cause acne by increasing the production of oil on the skin’s surface. And it’s not just the regular “bad” oils that are produced, but also inflammation-inducing omega-6 fatty acids.
The high sodium content of fast food also causes dehydration by pulling fluids from the cells into the bloodstream, which can worsen acne.
Greasy foods and simple white sugars, along with a lack of nutrients that are vital for skin health will all cause issues. Furthermore, fast food has an increased risk of disrupting gut health which can lead to eczema and dermatitis.
You can increase your risk of heart disease and heart attack
The high salt content of many unhealthy foods can contribute to high blood pressure. High saturated fat levels and other unhealthy fats in fast food can increase risk of clogged arteries causing issues such as heart attacks and even stroke. Even one fast food meal a week can increase your risk of coronary heart disease by up to 20 percent!
Your outgoings may increase
Whilst many people think healthy eating can be expensive, there are actually cost implications to eating unhealthily. You may get ill more often and need to pay for more prescriptions than healthy people. You may need to take more sick days off work and lose out on full pay. There are also other questions to consider such as can you get life insurance after a heart attack? Yes, you can still get life insurance to financially protect your loved ones should the worse happen, but if you’ve suffered a heart attack or any other health complication relating to your unhealthy eating and lifestyle habits, then you will need to declare this. This could increase your premium as you are now seen as a higher risk for the insurance.
And many more negative impacts…
This list is not conclusive, but once you start researching the negative consequences of eating unhealthy food on a regular basis, then it’s not hard to see how bad it is for your body inside and out. You will increase your risk of diabetes, increase your risk of mental health issues, increase risk of tooth decay, increase risk of some cancers… the list goes on.
Conclusion
People who eat a lot of unhealthy food and snacks are more likely to develop heart diseases and other health problems.
As we know, eating a healthy diet is very important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But what exactly is an unhealthy diet? An unhealthy diet is mainly characterized by the amount of saturated fats, sugars and carbohydrates it includes.
A diet that includes too much saturated fat can cause high cholesterol levels in your blood and increase your risk of developing heart disease. A diet high in sugar can also make you overweight due to the excess calories it contains. Finally, eating lots of refined carbohydrates can cause spikes in blood sugar levels causing mood swings or weight gain.
When you eat a lot of unhealthy food, it can lead to weight gain, poor skin and hair quality, and digestive issues. The best way to avoid these consequences is to eat healthier food.
Cutting down on unhealthy foods is a good way to ensure that you maintain a healthy lifestyle. There are many benefits of eating healthy foods such as the prevention of diseases, living a longer and better quality of life. Let the benefits of healthy eating inspire you to make better choices when it comes to mealtimes and snacking.
Find many healthy recipes for inspiration on.my blog!
Great article, thank you. It’s difficult to stay out of the vicious circle of low energy -> eating junk -> lower energy, but it’s so important.. It’s worth looking at wellbeing in other areas, especially mental health, to find and address anything that’s making healthy eating harder.
Yes it is and when we eat more junk, we crave more junk. Definitely a vicious cycle that can be hard to break.
This is me to a tea, my problem is I skip meals so by the time I go to eat I’m so hungry I just want junk food for a quick fix
Scary information – makes you think!