Category: Healthy Food

The aim of this report is to analyze the relationship between poor diet and impaired mental well-being, particularly within the lower socio-economic groups, and how education and multi-agency partnerships can influence behavior change and promote positive holistic health.

Low Income

There are many factors that contribute to an individual’s mental health, including nutrition, education, well-being, and income. While national guidance is in place to maintain and improve these, they may not be protecting the vulnerable. For example, the BBC reported that “up to 3.7 million UK children live in homes struggling to afford enough meat, fruit, and vegetables to meet healthy eating advice” (Sellgren, 2018). This research was carried out by the Food Foundation, which compared the weekly cost of following Public Health Guidelines with the average disposal income of poorer UK households. It found that following the guidelines would use 30% of a household’s income, compared to 12% for richer households. Critically, it also suggests that low-income households, earning less than £15,860 a year, would use nearly half their disposable income to afford the suggested foods (Sellgren, 2018). These categories cover more than 3.7 million children. Furthermore, as household income in the country decreases, it has been reported that “households in receipt of statutory benefits consume fewer portions of fruit and vegetables than those in non-benefit households” (Mental Health Foundation, 2017: 10). This inequality could severely affect the mental and physical development of these children. Linked with cognitive dysfunction, this could lead to a wider global impact as they develop and potentially fail to positively contribute to society – impacting our economic future. The stigma associated with low income and the perceived knowledge of limited opportunities and exclusion from society could significantly affect stress levels and mental well-being.

Mental Health

Mental health plays a huge part in a family’s lifestyle – whether it is that of the child, the parent, or the family as a whole. Chronic stress, often linked with poor income, which is often related to poorer education, can lead to anxiety, irritability, and cognitive dysfunction. Stress in adults can also lead to increased caffeine or alcohol intake, both of which can greatly exacerbate anxiety levels, influencing the atmosphere in the family environment.

While there are multiple factors that contribute to an individual’s overall health, mental well-being, and support networks can be significant motivators to improve welfare. According to the health belief model, a positive mindset is required to empower behavioral change. Therefore, an individual with poor mental health may find it difficult to consider change, such as improving their nutritional intake, due to their potential negative attitude. Poor mental health not only affects the individual, but it can also greatly affect their family, social networks, their employability, and ultimately impact their social class and income, which could in turn negatively affect global health.

Negative physical and mental health developments could impact the NHS too, ultimately costing the service avoidable time and money. One obvious conclusion would be that the government needs to collaborate with the food and health industries to make these guidelines achievable for all, regardless of income. This is supported by Luzzi and James (2008) who state that “the inferior diet of the poor often relates to their lack of private or affordable public transport to out-of-town supermarkets, to the absence of an adequate range of cheap foods in city centers and to an unwillingness to experiment for fear of wasting food”.

However, there is an argument that the guidelines are not the issue; misunderstanding nutrition is. According to Sellgren (2018), the chief nutritionist at Public Health England, Dr. Alison Tedstone, found that an adult following the Eatwell Guide would have an average daily spend of £6 per day. Tedstone believes this amount mirrors the current spending on unhealthy food, arguing that addressing the prolific promotion of unhealthy food and the abundance of fast food outlets is more significant to improving the nation’s diet.

Nutrition

A healthy diet contributes to a healthy brain, thus positive mental health. Healthy neurotransmitter activity is supported by consuming adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals, essential fats, and amino acids. When a brain is deficient in micronutrients, cognitive, motor, and socio-behavioral functions will likely be impaired, and several mental health problems can arise including concentration, memory problems, and depression, which can greatly affect all aspects of an individual’s life, including their employability and social status.

A poor diet can also be related to poor sleep. Spiegel et al. (2004) found that reduced sleep can cause cravings for unhealthy food and reduce levels of leptin, a hormone that helps weight maintenance by regulating food intake and energy expenditure, thus creating a cyclical effect. Additionally, processed food, often used to address cravings, has been linked to poor mental health too. The Mental Health Foundation (2017) states that the “change in food production techniques, such as processing, the use of additives and industrialized farming have all been directly attributed to serious physical health problems”.

Combating this arguably requires further public education about processed food and poor nutrition, especially for those raising the next generation. A parent’s knowledge deficiency would impact their child, potentially leading to generations of poor diet techniques, yet the importance of good nutrition in early childhood cannot be understated. “Early life nutrition may affect long-term cognitive and behavioral development throughout childhood into adult life, building a ‘cognitive reserve’. This reserve affects cognitive functioning during adulthood and may eventually determine the rate of cognitive decline during aging, while nutrition continues to impact these processes” (Geissler and Powers, 2017: 472).

The study found a direct link between nutrition and cognition, stating that “children who are undernourished are more apathetic and interact less with their caregivers and environment” (Geissler and Powers, 2017: 472). Not only would this affect the child’s mental growth, but it would also impact the parent, finding their child lethargic and needier, reporting a direct correlation between the increased malnourishment of the child and the amount their behavior differed to well-nourished children. This functional isolation would impact the child’s development. Children gain many of their social skills from school, and if they are healthy, their attendance could potentially improve, increasing their odds of developing social interaction skills while improving their cognitive development as they mature.

Education

When it comes to public health education, such as advice on childhood nutrition, it is vital to consider that close to 60% of all adults access health information online, and over 25% access it through social media. Information on diet, nutrition, vitamins, and supplements is one of the most common reasons why people use the Internet. There has been a significant increase in the number of health-related social media accounts, with one nutritionist claiming Instagram is responsible for a rise in orthorexia diagnoses, an eating disorder concerning obsessional healthy eating (Rashid, 2019).

Health professionals question the validity and responsibility of these online ‘experts’, with the University of Glasgow finding that only one in nine of the most popular weight-management bloggers provide correct and reliable information. The study claimed that much of the information presented as fact actually didn’t meet the national criteria. No blogger met the Public Health England nutritional guidelines, yet each blog had more than 80,000 followers. The report concluded: “Popularity and impact of social media in the context of the obesity epidemic suggests all influencers should be required to meet accepted scientifically or medically justified criteria for the provision of weight management advice online” (Forrest, 2019).

Online influencers frequently use similar empowerment techniques to social marketing, engaging the potential service user and appearing professional and trustworthy. If unregulated, irresponsible marketing claims, such as promoting fasting, providing ill-informed nutrition advice, or promising rapid physical transformations, could potentially cause the next global health epidemic.

While this call for regulation could add an argument to the growing mistrust of social media, it remains a powerful tool, with around 70,000 health-related searches on Google every minute (Murphy, 2019). Griffiths et al. (2008) argue that combining specialized health promotion and social marketing on an official government level could “ensure that health improvement strategies and practice are as effective as they possibly can be”. Initially, a typical social marketing campaign would use the biomedical model to influence preventative change – leading to criticisms of self-blaming language (Jones and Douglas, 2012: 284). Recently, a more strategic approach has been employed, using the empowerment model to encourage self-development and motivate independent behavioral change.

Social media marketing should be considered alongside social marketing as a valuable health education tool. Used positively and responsibly, future and developing generations could be empowered through education to improve their nutritional health, and thus their mental well-being, for years to come.

Furthermore, the issue of accidental malnutrition, potentially caused by miseducation, needs to be prioritized by health experts across the world. Collaborative working is imperative to organizing policies and strategies to address this situation. As encouraged by WHO guidelines, this practice happens when “multiple health workers from different professional backgrounds work together with patients, families, carers, and communities to deliver the highest quality of care” (WHO, 2010: 7).

Each nation’s healthcare strategy should involve stimulating research, regulating care, and protecting disadvantaged groups and, arguably, there are already a vast number of health promotions, research projects, and directives across the globe. Some governments are already working alongside the food industry to monitor salt, fat, and sugar reduction, supported by legislation to reduce excessive intake. The United Kingdom has seen great changes so far, with Luzzi and James praising the efforts of public health professionals, claiming that in addition to improving medical services, immunization developments, and drug research, the factor impacting this century most has been diet improvements – prompted by the increased variety and availability of ingredients – and enhanced living conditions. They conclude these “are great public health achievements which should not be overlooked by policymakers and indeed the public” (Luzzi and James, 2008: 275).

However, as malnutrition is still a serious problem in many low-income families, even in high-income countries, the situation needs to be monitored and improved further. Further suggestions to improve and expand public health education include:

• Clarify food labeling to include natural vs processed ingredients, e.g., sugar;
• Promote the benefits of frozen food;
• Link nutritional intake to mental performance;
• Increase the cost of alcohol/cigarettes;
• Increase the sugar tax;
• Reduce the cost of exercise and improve access to facilities;
• Introduce stricter controls on social media regulation;
• Create marketing programs based on improving the well-being of those currently affected by poor income or ill health.

Conclusion

There is a definitive link between poor nutrition and poor mental health, which will have an impact not only on the general public but future generations too, thus adversely affecting the economy and environment. This report concludes income may not be as much a barrier to good health as a lack of knowledge or understanding, and all levels of intervention must understand this. According to the Mental Health Foundation, individuals, practitioners, and policymakers must make sense of the relationship between mental health and diet so we can make informed choices, not only about promoting and maintaining good mental health but also increasing awareness of the potential for poor nutrition to be a factor in stimulating or maintaining poor mental health. There is a need for further education about the impact of diet on mental health and academic performance. The current NHS guidelines are not being met by those who arguably need them most. Collaborative practice is required to revise these, to maintain momentum in the public to see the guidelines as positive and achievable, to understand the proposed benefits, and be empowered to make a behavioral change. Once empowered, each individual has the ability to educate and influence their community, leading to structural adjustment – possibly new original legislation or policy changes to further improve our health. The achievability of these aims will depend on the availability and promotion of healthy eating and impactful messages directed by the health belief model.

Junk food can’t be that bad for you can it? Is junk food something people should eat every day? Why is it cheaper than healthy foods? What can we do to fix this? Our universe is so used to the idea of being able to fall back onto comfort food or saying “I can’t be bothered to cook a healthy meal tonight”. Convenience, price, and ‘tastes good’ ingredients are the fundamental cause of the continuous consumption of junk food. I believe that such food should be the same price as healthy food.

Research highlights that in 2018 two-thirds of Australia (aged 18 and older) were obese or struggling with weight issues. This is 62.8% of the Australian public. Convenience is a large portion of why junk food is so popular. Don’t get mixed up with the idea that convenience is what is making people have a serious illness. These illnesses are because of the food you say is ‘convenient’.There have been many discussions in our world bout making fresh food cheaper. Why hasn’t this happened? We definitely have to change this. I don’t want my kids coming into this world and having to face the idea that it is normal to be overweight. Do you want your kids to grow up with you not being able to run around in the backyard with them and go to the beach with them? It is going to happen if we continue to be lazy and eat these foods that are something you can just pick up and run back to work and eat. It has consequences.

Ray Morgan did a survey and found out that 84.5% of Aussies over 14, eat junk food regularly. Research also illuminated the fact that most obese people are those who are poor. This means that the price of certain foods affects the consumption of foods eaten by families. Have you ever thought that eating healthy food is more expensive, then you’re not the only one! But if you look closely at your foods, sometimes processed foods are actually more expensive. Junk foods are becoming more expensive whether we want to admit it or not. Furthermore, we need to educate others that you don’t need a lot of money to create healthy and substantial meals. There are many websites and fruits and vegetables are starting to become cheaper. The average price of a fast food meal is between 5$ and $7. Why are we being lazy when there is perfectly good healthy food supplied at your grocery stores?

When I was younger, my mum would teach me the family recipes and teach me how to use kitchen utensils with music on, and we would write in the family recipe books. Will this be what you do with your children or will it be taking your kids to fast food drive-throughs? The fact is junk food over time becomes addictive. The high content-saturated fat and sugar become addictive, and scientists have experimented that if you have junk foods for a certain amount of days and take it away, it causes high levels of anxiety. Junk food for families isn’t sustainable. There aren’t enough nutritional values so there are several, risks of nutrient deficiency, such as problems with digestion, defective bone growth, anemia, and skin problems. Is it worth putting your child and yourself at risk of these diseases? Everything is ok to eat in moderation, but when you decide to overeat particular foods, it has consequences.

Thus, why would you spend the same amount of money on junk food when you can prepare healthier and more substantial meals that last longer and are not prepared with preservatives? Live your happiest healthiest lifestyle. You only have one shot at life, do you want to waste it?

Do yourself ever conceive that why are we taking food also whatever does the benefit from it? Considerable amount of the population in the world getting their meals without any awareness of the gain of it. Just because of a repetition that they have practiced for a longer period. However, a healthy plate offers you plenty of benefits to your own life similar to the family as well as to society.

It gives roots to develop a healthy society while assisting for better functioning of the human body. Good nutrition is an important part of leading a healthy life-pattern. Combined with bodily movement, your diet will assist you to reach moreover maintain a healthful weight, lessen the risk from chronic diseases also promote human entire well-being. Therefore this article aims to discuss such incredible advantages over consuming healthy food.

Healthy food cuts obesity

Possibilities exist that you’re not moving to have much luck losing weight if you’re not consuming a healthful nutrition and supporting your physique that nutrients it requires. Sacrificing yourself implies a risky way to fall weight because yourself suffer tissue, slow down metabolism, consume yourself of essential nutrients moreover ultimately begin all sorts of stress compensatory systems in the body that make yourself pile the weight back on. Consuming a healthful food consisting of regular good meals does the most useful consistent plan to drop weight also put it off. Plus, when fall weight yourself also slowly start to mislay every of the dangerous risks that come with being overweight plus obese, especially if you succumb weight just by having a healthful diet

Save yourself from food poisoning

Instead of always fretting whenever you feel uncomfortable after dining in the eatery, y’all can depend on homemade meals for your peace of mind. Many people suffer from food poisoning every day due to the constant eating of different ingredients at some fast foods including restaurants. So instead of increasing have infinite handmade healthy foods.

Longitude your life

Eating a well-balanced food will decrease your risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers and much more. We also know that in population samples that have a culture of eating well, it is not uncommon to live to over 100 years old. Want to start eating healthier but don’t understand where to start? If you live in the town area you can now get healthy meals delivered to your home or workplace. It means less worrying to you also a peace of mind knowing that some diet you are feeding is continuing to be doing your frame any good.

Evading illnesses

If you cook and consume healthy meals at home you can be assured that the kitchen stays clean to prevent germs plus bacteria from passing into you through the foods y’all have. Sometimes, the roadside food vendors you patronize may not follow the proper regulations about their cooking environment. So rather of exposing life to diseases, spend time at home and prepare your foods.

Aid to enhance concentration

Eating a healthy well-balanced menu does great things for persons’ minds and can ensure concentration levels remain high and maintained during the prime. Processed foods will impair concentration will cause ups also downs in energy levels. Children on the other hand, who have missed out on breakfast for whatever reason, suffer all sorts of consequences when concentration is poor. They don’t do as well at school, and sometimes they are given disease labels that could have been prevented by daily good nutrition.

Last word

Now you may have some idea on the advantages of better healthy foods. Then getting on to consume notorious intakes in each meal moreover enjoy your life. Be with us for incredible news on a healthy life.

The vision of the Swiss Nutrition Strategy 2017 – 2024 is that all of people can choose what favor of a balanced and varied diet. They should have a framework which can help them to maintain their healthy lifestyle by their own way without regard of their background, socio-economic status or age (FSVO, 2017). However, Switzerland has nutrition of policy in their country to decrease NCD diseases. (NCD diseases are a financial instrument that is used by companies to raise long-term capital. This is done through a public issue. NCDs are a debt instrument with a fixed tenure and people who invest in these receive regular interest at a certain rate) (Edelweiss, 2017)) The updating and implementation of the Swiss Nutrition Policy are also guided by the European Union’s Action Plan on Childhood Obesity.

The target for this policy is business and politics that involved in food and health sectors, the reason why this 2 sectors is they can encourage their members of parliament, cantonal authorities, consumer protection organizations to eat health food by promoting it and inform how important nutrition which exist in foods with easily than other sector can do. This is because in this sector can reach out all of relevant area, for example, school, restaurant and etc. In addition, by this both of sectors government do not need to waste much money and times. As a result, citizen can get information faster and more clearly. (Office, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary, 2017)

To sum up, Switzerland’s government try to decrease NCDs diseases by making the policy for business and politics sectors because by this sector government can socialize health to citizen without speed much money and time.

There are several ways that government should do to achieve good level of nutrition in a country is government has to increase the tax of junk food restaurant with this kind of rule, it can bring down the level of consumption of junk food in a country. Mexico is one of a country who apply this idea, Mexico’s government push up the tax of junk food with around 8%. As a result, the percentage of junk food which had consumed come down 5% (The Economic Times, 2016). On the other hand, government should socialize about the effect of nutrition to human body this because a lot of people still do not know why nutrition indeed for their health. For example, Brazil is one of the nations that has predicate the best nutrition guidelines in whole wide world, the reason this predicate can gotten by brazil is the union encourage their citizen to cook whole foods at home rather than buy a food from restaurant. Also, the government made the golden rules who focus about citizen must always prefer natural or minimally processed foods and freshly made dishes and meals to ultra-processed foods.

In addition, the other way government have to act are tris to monitor and do research about how to disenchant their civilian in reverse nutrition because a lot of method that government had done but did not responded well by citizen. This is because of the way they advise is not right (Belluz, 2015)

Government can do many things to improve the nutrition of a country. Such as, sharing how nutrition can really impact to human body. Also, government should enact higher tac for unhealthy food policy. Lastly, government should do some research and monitoring about consumption of junk food and healthy food.

Nepal is a one of the poor countries in a world where it stands at 144th rank of 188. as a result, average income of Nepal citizen is only $US 0.50/person. The impact of the low income of citizen in a country can cause the level of nutrition and well-being in lower lever than the average the reason why this issue can happen are the agricultural in Nepal still poor and impact to economics in there. The way Nepal’s government try to tackle this problem is invite the volunteers around the world who want to help them in health and food. for example, giving food for children because a lot of child starving in there. The reason why this issue can happen is their parents hard to give them food because of the limitations of money and food sources. Also, volunteers provide medical health to them without collect any amount of money.

There are several factors that make many countries hard to reach excellent nutrition. First, citizen hard to change their habit because a lot of people used to eat unhealthy food and they like to assume if healthy food is not tasty than unsanitary one. In addition, the reason why the unsanitary food can be so delicious is the food comprise a lot of sugar and other artificial additives. Also, healthy food is usually a bit pricy. this is because of healthy food uses organic vegetables. The last one is citizen often thinks that if cook unhealthy food is hard because of they should estimate the calories and nutrition good enough or not.

Nepal is one of a country that have problem with nutrition this is because the limitations of income in its citizen to tackle this issue their government try to invite volunteers around the world to help them. On the other hand, challenges to reach good nutrition every country are the bad habit of citizen hard to change, healthy food usually pricy and do not tasty as junk food

Poor nutrition can cause by habits of human who like to consume food without any limitation either it too low & high of fiber, all the food that had consumed by human can affects human’s nutrient intake.

There are many diseases that caused by bad nutrition. Strokes are one of the most frequent diseases that ever happen to human because stroke can afflict to anybody without looking at age, stroke can happen for those who like to eat unhealthy food. For example, junk food, fried food, salt, sugar, dairy products, caffeine and refined food can cause hypertension. In addition, around 62.5% American adults sustain to have obesity. The reason why this issue can happen is due to poor nutrition and ignorance about their health (Ajmera, 2017). Lastly, tooth decay also the impact of the bad nutrition of human’s body because if food consist too much of sugar and carbohydrates can caused the high risk of tooth decay (Robbins, n.d.).

The common illness that human body can get if they have bad nutrition is tooth decay, stokes and obesity, this issue can happen because of ignorance to consumption of food that come into their body.

In a country that has low percentage of nutrition among their citizen can impact the productivity and cognitive for the nation (The Healthline Editorial Team, 2016). This is because if human do not have enough nutrition in can cause the creativity tends to be low and also can impact their performance, it can cause human’s mood and energy in poor level than the other that have good nutrition. In addition, the stage of stresses and restlessness are high and produce bad impact for the quality of achievement to a nation, the reason why this can impact the whole nation is advancement of a country depend on the citizen. On the other hand, unproductivity among citizen can impact poor quality of work result that they were had done.

The good level of nutrition can impact to human body because without good nutrition they can’t reach good level of health for themselves. On the other hand, health can also impact to economic growth, there are several affects to economic from this both of aspect can related to one. Firstly, investor from oversea incline to avoid for invest to a country that do not fulfill the average health standard because the investors assume, they will lose if this issue happen to a country it can impact the income. In addition, health can also influence gross domestic product or all called GNP and life expectancy (Bloom, 2018) cause if the health of nutrition are in the low level that can sigh if the economy in a country and the citizen’s skill are poor. As a result, GDP percentage will low for the average and life expectancy will hard to reach.

Nutrition is really important not only for human body but can also impact to economy in a country.

We live in a world where food is very easy to access. Stores and restaurants are in all towns and cities. Super markets and fast food restaurants provide unhealthy, processed foods that are quick and require little clean up. After a long work day or week, it’s easier to buy these foods for more time to relax. Taking the easy way out can start a habit which can turn into a problem. Following a strict healthy diet is a habit that will lead to positive results. The environment would experience positive effects with reduced pollutants, physical and mental health risks would be reduced and positively impacted, and children would experience beneficial outcomes from eating healthy. Although it can be difficult to stick to a healthy diet, dedicating to one has beneficial outcomes. If everybody stuck to a healthy diet, it would have positive effects.

Healthy eating positively affects the planet. Consuming too much food has negative repercussions. 20% to 30% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions is from food production. This includes livestock raised, crops grown, fishing, and transportation of all food to our plates. To grow our food on Earth, 33% of “ice-free” land is used. Greenhouse emissions can be reduced between 13% to 25% if citizens follow their governments dietary recommendations. The land that is used can be reduced by 17% (Netburn, 2017). Protein is the largest type of food consumed but causes the most harm. Livestock emissions for the high, upper-middle, and lower-middle income nations total to 70%, 65%, and 22%. Reducing American beef consumption to half the amount will environmentally sustain the beef industry (Pereira, 2017). With the high emissions, people have removed protein from their diets. Mike Tidwell was raised in the South and loves his barbeque foods. After learning meats bought from local farmers or from far away use many resources, he decided to become a vegetarian. After 10 years, his only exception of being a vegetarian is having an American Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings (Cohn, 2009). Large amounts of protein are still ingested and require a lot of water. In 2017, 26.5 billion pounds of beef was consumed. ABC News indicated that one quarter-pound hamburger needs 14.6 gallons of water to be made. Vegetables, like broccoli, need¬ less than 13 times of resources than beef to be grown and harvested (Ortiz, 2019). Plants use less resources and provide the same nutrients in a carnivorous diet. Gidon Eshel, a research professor of environmental and urban studies at Bard College, studied crops that provide the same nutritional value if meat was removed or lowered from people’s diets. Then, Eshel and his colleagues calculated how the environment is impacted from those crops. The algorithm they built analyzed 73 plant and animal-based foods that could replace poultry, pork, and/or beef. The results showed squash, green pepper, soy, and asparagus can provide the same proteins, vitamins, and fatty acids in a carnivorous diet. The professors were thrilled that the results also showed this change can clean the waterways. The plants need a much smaller amount of nitrogen fertilizer compared to crops for livestock. 4.5 billion kilograms of nitrogen can be prevented from being washed into the U.S. waterways by using the plants. In the Mississippi River currently, there is less than 4.5 billion kilograms of nitrogen within the water (Hall, 2019). It is possible to benefit the environment. The large amounts of protein ingested creates a higher need for livestock and resources. Emissions can be reduced, and nutrients needed can be received by eating the correct amount of healthy foods.

Besides the environment, eating healthy benefits human health physically. Like protein, people are ingesting too much unhealthy food. 70% of all sodium that is consumed is from processed and packaged store-bought food and restaurants. Consuming too much sodium leads to high blood pressure causing heart disease. American guidelines recommend less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, but Americans eat more than 3,400 milligrams per day on average (Poor Nutrition, 2019). Many people are dying from these health risks. Unhealthy diets contribute to health issues and cause millions of deaths. In 2017, 10.4 million people died from high blood pressure and 11 million people died from Type 2 diabetes (Galvin, 2019). It’s not only ingesting high amounts of unhealthy foods that are causing health problems. Dr. Ashkan Afshin, an assistant professor at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics, explained why the cause for diet related health problem. Majority of the top dietary issues is because there is a lower intake of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and healthy fats and high intake of sugar, salt, and saturated fats (Ducharme, 2019). People are changing their diets before illnesses get worse. Eric Adams was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at a health checkup. Doctors were surprised Adams wasn’t in a coma because his blood glucose levels were triple the amount they should have been. Adams adapted to a vegan diet and reduced his levels to the normal range in three months. He lost 30 pounds and reversed his diabetes. With the new diet, he also reversed a pancreatic disorder which could have led to strokes, heart attacks, kidney disease, and nerve damage (Brody, 2017). Not only do healthy foods impact organs in the torso but also in the skull. Meike Vernooji is a professor in the Netherlands at Erasmus University. She studies epidemiology and radiology. Vernooji and her colleagues studied how products that people ate affect the brain. Their results come from over 10 years of analyzing 4,000 geriatric brain scans. The scans show individuals diets high in healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables have higher total brain volume. The hippocampus, the part processing memories in the brain, is bigger and the white and grey matter have a higher nerve density (Park, 2018). Millions of people are dying because of their diet. Large amounts of unhealthy food and small quantities of healthy food cause health risks and diseases. Eating the correct nutrients can not only benefit organs, but the nutrients can reverse illnesses as well.

Eating healthy positively affects physical health as well as mental health. With the proper nutrients, the brain can function correctly. CBS News medical contributor Dr. Tara Narula said, “The idea that food plays an essential role in our mental health {should be} the same way that we think about it playing a role in cardiovascular disease, in our blood sugar management, in our gastrointestinal health.” She also indicates a healthy diet relates to a reduction of mental health problems like anxiety and depression. She explains the building blocks for neurotransmitters, enzymes, and cellular structures need the correct vitamins, sources of protein, and nutrients. If they are incorrect, the brain will not function as sufficient (Welch, 2017). With brains working how they need to, self-esteem is boosted. Heather Francis, Australia’s Macquarie University’s neuropsychologist, conducted a study with teenagers and what they ate. It lasted three weeks and the teenagers could continue for three months if they desired. Participants reduced their intake on sugar, soft drinks, carbohydrates, and process or fatty meats. They were asked to eat two or three fruits, five servings of vegetables, three servings of lean meat, and three servings of grains each day. After the three week and month study, depression symptoms were improved and outlook on life was enhanced (LaMotte, 2019). A temporary diet can decrease depression, but a healthy permanent intake can change a life. Shannon Drenick suffered from anxiety and depression for years. Her healthy diet of rich greens, healthy fats, and proteins has helped her mental health and kept her off medication. Drenick says when there is no depression, there is more energy, happiness, and more positivity. With her healthy new diet, she hasn’t had a panic attack in years (CBS News, 2018). Shannon Drenick is not the only person whose mental health has been benefited. 33% of 36,556 adults who ate a Mediterranean diet were less likely to become depressed. The diet contains vegetables, fish, fruits, nuts, and whole grains (Gander, 2018). Instead of medications, patients are prescribed to eat fish to help minimize their negative thoughts. Assistant clinical professor Dr. Drew Ramsey of psychiatry at Columbia University prescribes his patients to eat 3 dozen oysters. Dr. Ramsey is a huge fan of them because they are high in vitamin B. He prescribes them because they make him feel better and the vitamin B connects to the deficiency of depression and suicide (Schiffman, 2019). Healthy nutrients work wonders on the brain. Structures are built, moods are lifted, and lives are changed from healthy eating. With diets working on the mind and boosting confidence, people are sharing their own food knowledge to help others.

In addition to mental health, positive changes in dieting would especially help children. From eating unhealthy, kids are at higher risk for developing ADD or ADHD. Maria Izquierdo-Pulido – PhD and PharmD from the University of Barcelona’s department of food science, nutrition, and gastronomy – conducted a study how children were affected after they ate unhealthy food. In the 120 children study, those who consumed foods high in saturated fats and sugary soft drinks showed a higher risk of being diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, ADD or ADHD. The study also showed the children who consumed fewer fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and beans were more likely to have symptoms of ADHD (Clay, 2017). All the sugar and saturated fats are impacting children’s weights also. In the last 25 years, American youths’ obesity rate has tripled. About 18% of youths are overweight and the amount of obese preschool aged children is increasing at a frightening speed (“Promoting Healthy Behaviors”, 2009). The repercussions for children who are obese impact them later in life. Children who are obese are 10 times more likely than children not obese to be overweight adults. Serious health consequences like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and chronic diseases are health risks of adult obesity (Haynes-Maslow, 2015). With the risks, children are working on their diets to benefit them now and later. 14-year-old Paris Woods was overweight. Classmates called her fat and it lowered her self-esteem. Woods, her family, and doctors were worried about her higher risk for the potential development of diseases once as an adult if she remained overweight. For a year, Woods met with a nutritionist and an exercise trainer to decrease her size. With dedication, she reduced her weight and the inches around her waist (“Teen Battles Obesity,” 2010). Children’s weight is not the only thing affected by their diets though. Osteoporosis, from the National Institutes of Health, is a pediatric disease that has consequences for the geriatric. The bone mass established in childhood and adolescence is an important element for lifelong skeletal health. Without the proper nutrients and minerals, like protein, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and potassium, the bones are not constructed to have the proper strength in elder years (Seidenberg, 2018). Unhealthy diets are impacting children and their health as they become adults. Proper nutrients need to be ingested in aid to reduce health risks and increase lifespans.

Along with the importance of children eating healthy, dedicating yourself to a healthy diet has positive effects. Sticking to a healthy diet can be difficult though. 40% of people quit a diet within the first week, 20% quit after a month, and only 20% of people stick to their diet for three months (Sass, 2013). To make it more likely to commit to the diet, it helps to focus on a few things at a time instead of everything at once. PhD and MPH Nicole Bereoles is a certified educator for diabetes and clinical health psychologist. She helps her patients make dietary modifications that address chronic illnesses and psychological issues. The patients stick with the changes because they are small and achievable. For one of Bereoles patients, she was instructed to monitor her own steps, calories ingested, over a dozen micro and macronutrients, exercise, and water intake from a dietitian. Bereoles discussed with the patient to focus on two instead of all of them. She was able to achieve her goal for both items and her confidence was increased (Greenbaum, 2018). One gentleman found it easier to focus on his cravings instead of planning every meal out. Daniel J. Green dedicated himself to the federal dietary guidelines and started to plan his meals out each day on an Excel spreadsheet. He realized instead of planned meals, he wanted to eat the foods he was familiar with, craved, and that were on his healthy foods list. Green also found a healthier substitute for the treats he wanted, like the ice cream sandwich he has each night (Green, 2017). Others find planning treats out will represent small rewards and make adapting to the new diet easier. At Simmons College, professor of nutrition Teresa Fung understands in order to stick with a diet, the treats are vital. Fung explains it is important to limit and plan when the treats can be eaten. When the time to have a treat is set during the week, it is easier to stick to the diet because it is known for when the treat is coming.

Overtime slowly reduce the amounts of treats or stretch out the time between each treat. Fung explains the slow reduction or stretch of the sweets won’t feel so sudden and the dieter is more likely to reach the goal (Chodosh, 2018). Over time, dedication to a diet can turn into a lifestyle and expand your lifespan. Nancy Stohs talked with her Aunt Glady how she got to be 94 years-old and is healthy as she is. Glady explained she ate healthy and stayed away from greasy junk food. Oatmeal with nuts and fruit for breakfast, vegetables with potatoes for lunch, and soup with fresh fruit for dinner are Glady’s go-to meals. Her treats she limits herself to are Fritos or Dove Dark chocolate with green tea after dinner. Aunt Glady explained there are large amounts of preservatives in so many products and instructed Stohs to cook her own food (Stohs, 2018). The beginning can be the most difficult part with the change to a new diet. It can be easier to cook healthier recipes that are familiar then to expand to other healthy recipes or foods. Also, treats can make it easier by representing as small rewards for eating healthy. After the dedication, it can pay off and get you to be almost 100 years-old.

Positive effects occur if everybody stuck to a healthy diet. The greenhouse gas emissions would decrease, resources won’t be used on large amounts of livestock, and water would be cleaner. Health risks would be reduced physically in addition to deaths. With the correct nutrients, building blocks can be made for the brain to function properly. Children eating healthy prevents obesity, adult health risks connected to obesity, and increases their bone strength. Dedication of sticking to a diet with healthier substitutes and treat planning can bring positive benefits. With stores and restaurants providing foods harmful to humans and the environment, more people need to eat healthy. We live in a world with access to processed foods, but nobody said we must eat it.

It is generally realized that an absence of access to crisp, sound nourishments can add to horrible eating routines and larger amounts of eating regimen related infections. On account of cerebrum wellbeing, we realize that everybody who has a mind is in danger of building up Alzheimer’s infection, with the most serious hazard elements being maturing and hereditary qualities.

Be that as it may, there is developing proof that other hazard elements may likewise bring about declining mind wellbeing. The absence of a sound eating regimen improves the probability of interminable ailments like hypertension, stoutness, and diabetes, and these illnesses improve the probability of psychological debilitation.

About half (45 percent) of all Americans experience the ill effects of in any event one interminable infection, and more than 1 of every 4 Americans have various ceaseless conditions. For huge numbers of these wellbeing conditions, dark individuals have higher hazard factors, events, horribleness, and death rates than whites.

As the country’s populace ages, we should quit seeing incessant illness as essentially a typical piece of becoming more seasoned. Our condition impacts our wellbeing. In my job as a pioneer of the National Working Group on Food and Health Equity at the Food Trust, a not-for-profit association attempting to build access to solid and reasonable sustenances, I’m especially keen on diminishing racial and ethnic wellbeing inconsistencies and concentrating on seeing how other social components converge with nourishment and impact our wellbeing.

Proof demonstrates that an eating routine wealthy in vegetables, particularly green verdant vegetables, is related to better wellbeing and a diminished pace of intellectual decrease. Studies (pdf) likewise demonstrate that individuals who ate a Mediterranean eating regimen (crisp foods grown from the ground, nuts, fish and olive oil) had a 28 percent lower danger of creating gentle subjective disability and a 48 percent lower danger of such hindrance advancing to real Alzheimer’s ailment.

Basically, the better the sustenance an individual eats, the lower their hazard for eating routine related interminable sicknesses and the improved probability for a solid cerebrum. What’s more, then again, an eating regimen comprising of undesirable sustenances can be inconvenient not exclusively to our physical wellbeing yet in addition to our subjective wellbeing.

As per the U.S. Division of Agriculture, an expected 40 million Americans live in neighborhoods without simple access to crisp, moderate and nutritious sustenance alternatives. This issue impacts the occupants of both urban and country and inborn zones—particularly those living in lower-pay regions and networks of shading.

All in all, less fortunate regions and networks of shading have less leafy foods markets, leaving African-American and Hispanic individuals more uncertain than whites to eat products of the soil every day. Furthermore, therefore, lower-pay and African-American and Hispanic individuals have higher scenes of eating regimen related ailments, for example, stoutness, hypertension, and diabetes. The proof is demonstrating that whenever left unchecked, these illnesses can likewise expand an individual’s danger of creating and expanding the movement of dementia.

At each level—neighborhood, local, state and government—there are instances of network occupants, entrepreneurs, supporters, and policymakers meeting up to discover inventive answers for fortifying access to sound nourishment. One program to help the improvement of new nourishment retail, Healthy Food Financing Initiatives (pdf), has a demonstrated reputation of developing supermarkets and other solid sustenance retail in underserved networks the nation over while making occupations and improving wellbeing.

Associations like the Food Trust, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the American Heart Association have collaborated with nearby local gatherings the country over to help advance strategies that decrease wellbeing differences and advance wellbeing value through the Voices for Healthy Kids activity. We are joining forces with gatherings like the NAACP, Safe Routes to School National Partnership, MomsRising, Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Balm in Gilead and numerous others to handle different social determinants of wellbeing since neighborhoods with access to sound nourishment and safe spots for physical movement ought to be a right, not a benefit.

The nation over, there are twelve states with dynamic crusades to make solid nourishment fund activities. If you don’t mind ask your chosen authorities to organize the issue of unjust nourishment access in low-salary, underserved regions and embrace projects and approaches that have been demonstrated to bring new, sound and reasonable sustenance to underserved neighborhoods.

As one investigation illustrates, produce utilization for African Americans expanded by 32 percent when African Americans lived close to a general store. How about we urge individuals to receive more beneficial ways of life and comprehend the association between their physical wellbeing, cerebrum wellbeing and in general prosperity. What’s more, simultaneously, how about we urge our legislators to underwrite brilliant general wellbeing arrangements like Healthy Food Finance Initiatives that offer everybody the chance to access better nourishment and have a sound existence.

The Food Culture Trend

One of the many trends that international influencers began was of clicking pictures of one’s food and uploading it on social media. Sure enough, just one would have to start, the rest of them would follow the mob. This ensured that the trend evolved into a full blown social media activity from just clicking pictures of really good looking food to influencers ‘blogging’ about these foods and giving out information to their followers. The hashtags commonly used – #Food and #FoodPorn – are now extremely popular and have more than 360 million and 200 million posts respectively on Instagram!

If one thought the trend included just pictures, they should think again. Written blogs, video blogs or vlogs, food recipe videos, food hacks and much more visual plus written information is also a part of this. This has reached such heights that today the most liked picture on the internet is that of an egg!

Social media makes sure one has all the information they need even miles away from a restaurant. And it’s changing the way people eat.

Today, almost everyone steps out to eat at a restaurant after checking pictures, reviews and videos online. While taste is an important aspect, dishes also need to look extremely appealing. And not just the dishes, the ambience of the place has to be visually good, too. No one wants to settle for mediocre looking food dishes. Food has to appeal to all the 5 senses – sight, taste, smell, touch and even sound. Wouldn’t one want to hear the crackling of a sizzler or watch the smoke coming out of a nitrogen cooled ice cream? It’s interesting to note, what started as just beautiful visual representation of food, irrespective of taste, has turned into a full blown competition to see who gets to try foods that have almost everything on offer – awesome looks, mind-blowing taste and quirky ingredients.

But it’s not just about the external senses, it’s about internal ones too. More and more, awareness about eating healthy is being spread through social media. It has undoubtedly made ‘super’ foods popular. Almost everyone active on social media knows what an avocado toast or acai bowl is and notwithstanding how good or bad it tastes, all of the herd wants a taste of it.

There’s a widespread movement, arising out of this increasing awareness of healthy food, and introduction of ingredients that one never even knew existed, such as avocado, chia, kale, quinoa, broccoli and matcha.

Acai Bowls Avocado on Toast

Alongside healthy foods, social media has introduced other new, albeit not so healthy foods like freakshakes, rainbow bagels or doughnuts and multicoloured smoothie bowls that look so good, one just can’t say no. Banking on the ability of the ‘millennial’ generation to turn anything into a trend, creators or propagators of these foods just need to post one single picture and wait for just a few days, sometimes mere hours to become viral.

Starbucks’ Unicorn Frappuccino became so famous, it has more than 100,000 posts on Instagram itself, and has inspired a whole new culture – from creating similar themed dishes to wearing a unicorn frappuccino outfit for Halloween!

Cloud Eggs Unicorn Frappuccino

Other than opening up the world of healthy and unhealthy foods, social media has also brought world cuisines, home. Pizza, sushi and steak are the most Instagrammed today. (Forbes: January 2019)

While the consumer part of it has been looked into, let’s see how restaurants are affected by social media. Over time, this information sharing has come to make or break a restaurant’s business. If one’s restaurant isn’t online or active on social media and blogged about, it is invisible or may even be considered non-existent. Today, one can get all the information they need about a restaurant or an eatery not just from food apps but also from social media. What’s more, they also get to look at visually aesthetic pictures, food videos and maybe even get to interact with the chef cooking their food.

Take the case of a London based cafe called Grind (Lee, Sarah: 2017). Sensing a change in the way people eat because of the rise of social media, they hired a creative director and spent 5 whole years making their cafe ‘instagrammable’. Now, beautiful food and beverages are out front and center and even the menus and interiors have been redesigned to be social media worthy.

Grind Cafe, London, UK

Just like Grind, restaurant businesses are becoming increasingly aware of the impact social media is having on their performance, given its information sharing ability with a large number of people at a time. Dining out isn’t just an eating experience anymore, restaurants are going all out to also make it a creative experience, one that will keep their customers coming back for more.

The USA is perhaps the hub of up and coming restaurants that have social media worthiness at their core. Appealing, not just visually but also with their outrageous dishes.

One could even say that this trend has inspired innovation in cooking techniques and the introduction of several new dishes.

The Indian Scene

Internet was a highly priced service in India until very recently. In the last 2 years, with the introduction of competitive pricing by India’s network carriers and internet data packs offering up to as high as 2 GB of data each day, India’s urban population is almost always online. In fact, a recent report by Statista states that India has nearly 230 million active mobile social media users in 2018. It has given Indians a solid opportunity of catching up with the rest of the world quickly, leading to international trends getting introduced in India within hours of being launched. One of these many trends adopted, is of course the one this report talks about – blogging and following trends on food.

Indians have happily followed the herd mentality and climbed onto the bandwagon of the #FoodPorn trend. There are a number of food bloggers who not only blog about places to eat at but also about food they prepare themselves. This is of course, extremely social media worthy food. Eatopian Chronicles, The Great Indian Foodie and Mumbai Foodie are just some of the lot. Not only individuals, there are publishers posting articles and creating videos about the top places to eat at and recipes that one can try out. And a dish only makes it to the top, if it is a unique (and good-looking) offering. Buzzfeed’s Tasty and Gobble are just some of the many players in this space.

This is the social media side to it, but what do consumer insights say? Let’s look at some statistics that will both help arrive at the target group and maybe throw some light on the way the target group eats out.

According to a 2017 report by the International Food Information Service (IFIS), India has one of the youngest populations in the world with more than 50% of it, being less than 30 years of age, inclusive of 440 million millennials and 390 million GenZ members. And according to Bloomberg Quint, it was estimated that roughly 46% of the urban population having internet access were in the age range of 18-34 years in 2018. From these statistics, it can be observed that the young urban population of 18 to 30 years of age is more active on social media and therefore, more likely to follow the trend mentioned above, making it the target age group for this survey.

Further, the NRAI IFSR report released by National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) in association with Technopak states that Indians no longer reserve eating out for special occasions and now eat out way more on casual outings with friends, family or when shopping. It also mentions that in the metros, the share of western cuisines compared to Indian food is on the rise. In another report by Nielsen published in December 2017, it’s stated that trends in eating out among urban millennials especially have evolved and they now prefer eating out rather than cooking their own food. In fact, they spend about three times as much on eating out when compared to entertainment. (Nielsen Report: 2017)

So is it social media that has contributed to these changing trends and resulting in more people eating out? Also, does it provide for opportunities to give customers a wholesome, aesthetic, creative eating experience?

It would be us insulting all of our intelligence if we were to explain to you what an apple is. Everybody knows it, and almost everybody loves apples too. Coming in two major variants worldwide, it is a preferred fruit in most parts of the world. Most people fancy themselves a piece of this delicious and juicy fruit for that heavenly taste. However, nobody will agree that it has not been appreciated for how health-beneficial it actually is. In my essay, I want to explore the amazing health benefits of apples in detail.

I think that each of us has at least once heard the saying ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’. Well, it exists because it’s actually true. Being the bomb of health benefits that an apple is, it can certainly be of great advantage to the human body. Following are what anybody who eats 100 grams worth of apples would get out of it: 218 kJ worth of energy, 13.81 g carbs, 0.17 g of fatty particles, various vitamins, including A, C, E, and K, 107 mg worth potassium, and 11 mg of phosphorus. So, the question arises of how these numbers translate into real-life benefits.

First of all, apples can help with heart disease. There are certain types of fiber that can be found inside them. Apples contain so-called soluble fiber, which is quite prominent for having such a positive effect on cholesterol levels. Apples are also equipped with polyphenols, which possess antioxidant qualities. These, in addition to reducing the risk of one getting a heart stroke by 20 percent, can help to lower the blood pressure. Furthermore, they reduce LDL oxidation, which will directly enhance the risk of a heart stroke. It should be noted that most of these fibers are contained in the apple peel itself.

Besides, apples can be useful for diabetes. Apples seem to be really effective against type 2 diabetes. It has been found out in a study that consuming an apple a day can reduce the risks of getting type 2 diabetes by 28 percent. Here also polyphenols come into play, as it has been exposed that polyphenols repair the beta cells in one’s pancreas. These are the ones that produce insulin. Even for people who already have diabetes, this can be of great help as it can force the pancreas to be as functional as possible.

And lastly, apples affect the integrity of bones. The consumption of apples, it would seem, can be directly correlated with the mass density of the bone structure of the body. Anti-inflammatory as well as antioxidants in apples are believed to strengthen bone structure.

Summing up, apples are held high among people for their taste as well as their amazing benefits for health. And it is rightfully so. An apple is genuinely a gift from God.

Introduction:

Obesity is a global issue that many countries are having difficulty addressing. There is no simple solution and no country has yet been successful in significantly reducing obesity.

The World Health Organization, also referred to as WHO, states that obesity is a chronic disease defined as a condition of abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health.’ [footnoteRef:1] [1: https://www.who.int/topics/obesity/en/]

In 2014 and 15, over one in four Australian adults were obese. This represents five million Australians aged 18 and over, more than two million men were obese, and close to 2.5 million women were obese. In comparison to 1995, the number of obese Australians calculated in 2015 has increased by over 49%. In 2017 and 2018 surveys gathered information displaying that two-thirds of Australian adults were overweight or obese a total of 12.5 million people. Australia is ranked fifth for obesity above countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland[footnoteRef:2]. People who are obese, in comparison to those with a normal or healthy weight, are at risk for many serious diseases and health conditions including, a higher risk of death, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and breathing problems along with body pain, difficulty with functioning and mental illnesses. [2: https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/Overweight-and-Obesity]

Obesity results from a combination of causes and contributing factors such as behavior and genetics. Behavior can include dietary patterns and inactivity. In addition, the food marketing and promotion of reduced prices of unhealthy food in our society largely contribute to obesity rates.

Argument 1: Healthy food costs more than unhealthy food.

Over time the cost of healthy food has increased more than unhealthy items which affect the food selection made by society. The more we spend on food, the healthier our diet is. In places such as supermarkets, the prices of junk food are rapidly reducing more frequently than those of healthy food. Research conducted by the Harvard University School of Public Health showed the daily cost of consuming a healthy 2,000-calorie diet is approximately $1.50 more per person compared to a 2,000-calorie unhealthy diet[footnoteRef:3]. This results in an estimate of $550 extra per person each year and for many low-income earners, it is a noticeably large amount. Overall, diets that include a lot of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish are significantly more expensive than unhealthy diets with heavily processed foods, refined grains, and meats. [3: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/healthy-vs-unhealthy-diet-costs-1-50-more/]

Argument 2: The availability of unhealthy food.

The type of food which is easily accessible and available plays an important role in our health. As time has progressed the popularity of unhealthy foods has increased the availability. The demand for more range of food by customers has encouraged manufacturers of big loveable companies such as Mcdonald’s and Hungry Jacks to expand their business. Many fast food restaurants are found all together in a big cluster or no more than ten minutes from each other. This has become an extremely convenient situation for many in our society. As humans, we have become progressively lazier and more dependent on those around us. Who would want to spend half an hour cooking a healthy meal and then go five minutes from their house and buy cheap unhealthy foods which taste irresistibly good?

Argument 3: The advertising and marketing used to promote them.

Consumers are highly encouraged through marketing and promotions. Many highly processed foods sold at fast food restaurants are commonly advertised and marketed as healthy. Manufacturers use techniques in order to draw attention by using terms such as ‘light’ or ‘100 percent natural’ and create advertisements glamorizing the consumption of the food and the low prices. The constant exposure to images of unhealthy foods normalizes those choices in our everyday lives. We all know that they are foods we should eat on occasion, but that is hard to remember when we are constantly exposed to ads emotionally promoting cheap unhealthy food on trains, buses, television, media, roadside billboards even hospitals and health care facilities. These advertisements trick our minds into craving and later buying. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, an estimated 50 percent of ads we are exposed to are food related. Those 50 percent of ads exclude any fruits, vegetables, and other healthy choices[footnoteRef:4]. [4: https://www.kff.org/other/food-for-thought-television-food-advertising-to/]

Conclusion:

In conclusion, although the core problem of the rising obesity rates in our society is the cheap prices of unhealthy foods, marketing, and availability play a big part in affecting society in a negative way. An increased range of cheap unhealthy foods, which have become more accessible and convenient, along with well-planned and persuasive food marketing is contributing to society’s problem of obesity. In my opinion, the society we live in has become lazy and impatient, and we have found a quicker and cheaper way to obtain food. The lower the prices become the more attention it gains from the public. We tend to avoid the reality of eating unhealthy food and the negative impact it has both physically and mentally on us.

The food choices that people decide to eat have a direct impact on health which can either be positive or negative. However, we can’t deny that the food choices that people make are highly influenced by what is readily available within their environment. For example, that is where the closest supermarket is located along with where the closest fast-food restaurant is. The United States at this time is considered to have one of the highest rates of obesity and is at the top of the list in several chronic health issues which keep increasing as time goes on at alarming rates leading there to raise great concern for the future of several Americans. Of course, health begins with what people eat which is something that Americans have struggled with time and time again. Fast- food has been a constant issue that has been linked to the cause of obesity and chronic diseases. Healthy foods as well have become a popular trend that many fast-food companies have taken advantage of. This has led them to offer and advertise healthy foods that people assume are good for them in a convenient manner. However, there are pros and cons to those healthy foods that people are taking advantage of. Those advantages can be anywhere from being low in calories, easily accessible, and creating new behaviors when choosing foods, to disadvantages such as it being expensive over time, causing temptations to foods not being fresh or of good quality.

Although healthy food choices are constantly encouraged and advertised, it’s far too difficult to partake in due to the toxic food environments there are across the United States which appear to sabotage people from choosing healthy foods over unhealthy ones. Understanding the way in which this nation corrodes healthy lifestyles and promotes obesity and how that influences people’s weight can to a certain point lead policymakers to change the health outcomes of people. Doing more research and analyzing how healthy these fast food companies are really selling food would provide people with concrete information and proof of how unhealthy they really are. Although it appears that the changes that have been made such as providing healthy foods to consumers, it’s further from the truth and evidence shows due to the rates of obesity and diseases there are. It brings up a lot of questions and concerns if these fast-food companies are implementing such changes, in reality, to better human health or for personal financial gain. More efforts and preventive measures are needed to educate and guide people to partake in healthier food options which will enhance the quality of life and will lead to lessening the need and use of healthcare services for disease and health issues that could have been prevented.

Advantages (Pros)

1. With people always being on the go and running short on time and finding themselves struggling with cooking several fast-food chains can offer healthy options fast and convenient between 15-30 mins. (Gaille, 2018)
2. Fast-food chains are growing within our environment. It is providing more healthier options for the consumer that is low in calories, saturated fats, salts, and sugar which is what they are typically known for providing. (Miller, 2019)
3. Items on the menus and nutritional brochures now provide the number of calories that each meal has which can guide and make people more aware of what they are eating. (Gaille, 2018)
4. Encouraging fast-food restaurants to stop offering people sizing up their meals and rather allow them to choose for themselves. (Acharya, 2020)
5. Providing healthier meal options for children when dining out can keep them from consuming a high-caloric meal in one sitting. (Miller, 2019)
6. The food industry is making healthy foods available for people which positively promotes people to develop behaviors in choosing healthier options. ( Miller, 2019)
7. Trends in food have always been around but providing options such as gluten-free, sugar-free, etc allows all consumers to enjoy nutritious meals. (Acharya, 2020)

Disadvantages (Con’s)

1. Healthy food options provided to consumers by these fast food companies are very costly in time. ( Gaille, 2107)
2. The healthy food choices sold to consumers aren’t as fresh and are low quality which still prevents consumers from eating a nutritional meal. ( Gaille, 2018)
3. Although these several fast food chains are now selling healthy foods it’s difficult for consumers who lack the self-control to change their eating behaviors due to still having the temptations within their reach to junk food. (Zelman, 2019)
4. Healthy foods from these famous and well-known fast food companies are still considered to be unhealthy due to their high caloric content as well as high in saturated fats, salts, and sugar. ( Gaille, 2017)
5. Eating these healthy foods can still lead to health issues that within time can become serious and even life-threatening due to their nutritional content which has been found to still be high. ( CDC, 2021)
6. Opting out of the healthier food choices from these fast food chains can backfire due to the fact that they aren’t filling leading to increased snacking and overeating which can lead consumers to rack up more calories than what is recommended. (Dominko, 2021)

Position Statement

Personally, I don’t believe that the healthy food options that are being made available to consumers by these multi-million dollar fast food companies are the healthiest or most nutritious. Looking at the pros and cons of these healthy foods that a large number of people believe are healthy is alarming because of the way that fast food restaurants are bombarding our communities with their presence making it easily accessible and creating temptations. These foods have been seen to not be so healthy after all due to the fact that they are high in salt, sugar, saturated fat, and carbohydrates. It’s astonishing to see how governmental officials and fast-food companies have misrepresented what healthy eating really is to the public because of the fact that the rates of obesity and other health issues are higher than they have ever been. This lack of effort and responsibility has led there to 1 in 3 adults suffering from obesity along with having Americans suffer from more than two chronic diseases at a time which are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. The future health of Americans is undetermined but what appears is that if no change is implemented it will only change once governmental officials and public health take the health of Americans more seriously and place policies into place for fast food companies and to make healthy foods easily accessible to people.