Children’s food habits have become concerning for many now. With an increased number of tasty treats available at the snap of their fingers, their intake of nutrients has reduced considerably. As parents, try to ensure they avoid junk food in their diet as far as possible.

Junk food has become an everyday part of our lives. It’s not just the kids who reach out for junk food, but all of us. Foods such as bread, flavoured yogurts, seed oils, and many plant-based foods, all are advertised as being healthy but in reality are nothing but junk.

There are legit side effects of junk food that you should be aware about. So, come let us find out!

5 reasons why children should avoid junk food

1. Eating junk food impacts energy and focus

Children’s study habits are significantly influenced by their diet. Junk food and foods high in sugar diminish energy levels and the capacity for sustained concentration. Children in the school age range need to be extremely focused and energized. Childhood lays the foundation of lifelong habits, and junk food particularly detrimental to their holistic development. Children of all age groups must engage in physical exercise, and eating junk food frequently does not give them the nutrients they need to have enough stamina to do so. Lack of physical activity is detrimental to one’s physical and mental health and may prevent a youngster from experiencing crucial social growth.

2. Junk food is harmful for gut health

Our gut has innumerable bacteria present in them. These help us stay healthy as they fight off the unwanted bacteria that enter our body and also help in many other body functions. Gut health is most important to keep our immunity intact. But junk food harms our gut and should be avoided at all costs. Especially children need to have strong immunity and so, they should have a strong gut health.

3. Bad fats

Junk foods have artificial trans fat present in them. Foods that contain hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are almost all junk foods, have trans fat in them. These fats cause harmful effects like diabetes, strokes and heart diseases, and so you must try every way to reduce junk food from the diet.

4. Junk food can lead to childhood obesity

According to a 2004 study that appeared in Pediatrics, children’s fast food consumption had a number of risky obesity-related health issues. This study found that children who ate fast food were more likely to eat a meal’s worth of calories, fat, carbohydrates, and added sugars. Additionally, compared to kids who did not eat fast food, they were less likely to consume as much fiber, milk, fruits, and vegetables. In general, children who ate more fattening foods at fast food restaurants also tended to eat more fattening foods in other meals. A 2010 article in the journal Nature Neuroscience noted that high-calorie meals can be addictive, leading kids who occasionally eat fast food to develop unhealthy eating habits.

Also read: If your child suffers from obesity, trust these tips to help!

5. Increase risk of chronic illness

According to the Prevention Institute, researchers attribute the rise in diabetes, hypertension, and stroke to junk food consumption. Children who routinely eat junk food are more likely to develop chronic illnesses. By the year 2050, as per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three adults would have diabetes. Diabetes can cause impairment and early death. Children who are fat later in life are also more likely to have high cholesterol and heart disease, according to research from the Center for Food Safety in 2012. Children’s bodies can undergo changes that are linked to disease at a later age even when they are very young, according to the Women’s and Children’s Health Network.

Eating junk food may seem enjoyable but consuming it regularly is harmful on many counts. Everyone, especially the children should avoid junk food.