YAISHWARYAJ: {Awareness} JUNK SHOULD BE BUNKED

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Junk Should Be Bunked

by MARIAM KHAN

14 - 20 Mar, 2015

24 1 0

Have you heard of killer burgers? The recently surfaced tragedy of a young girl who died eating a poisonous burger from a renowned sweets joint illustrates that the burger, or if you would like to refer to it as an eastern delight – the juicy, fat-driven, yes, you pictured it correctly – a bun-kabab – both belong to the junk food genre which is known to be a slow killer. Sadly and unfortunately, in Kinza's case, a teenager who died eating a burger allegedly had poisonous constituents. What we need to keep our eyes fixed on is whether to opt for junk or gradually, yet determinedly shift towards the age-old healthy eating trends.
Firstly, you need to be lucid on foods that carry a red-tag to them. According to dictionary.com, 'junk' is 'anything that is regarded as worthless, meaningless, or trash.' Food and trash – how can the two go along hand-in-hand?
Are you unsure of what falls under the unhealthy food category? Well, the most common food items which are classified to be harmful include burgers, French fries, pizzas, fizzy drinks, candies, salted snack foods, fried fast food to name a few from the list of processed foods. What we're missing out is that any edible product which has a high content of salt, sugar, fat or calories, and has minimal nutrients is one which falls under this category. Intake of these unhealthy dishes is what constitutes 'empty calories'. Instead of benefitting the body, they are an imminent threat which eventually leads up to causing cancers or major health issues.
Despite of overly protective individuals who give preference to their diet intake, many fail to stop their cravings for convenient foods.

What goes into making it
Why do we fancy such food items despite knowing their grave consequences?
Steven Witherly, a prominent food scientist explains the factors which makes one enjoy unhealthy food items. According to him, the satisfaction one gets, in let's say, the level of crunch in a potato crisp with the perfect smell and texture it carries is what food companies spend millions of dollars upon and is known as 'orosensation'. A soda factory will similarly study the perfect fizzle its consumers want, while sipping down the fizzy drink and they will work on achieving the right amount to sate their buyers.
Another aspect which the corporate sector keeps in mind is the macronutrient makeup of the food – junk food makers will want the ideal combination of salt, sugar and fat which appeases the brain so that the consumer always looks up for more of that product.
The creators of junk food spend billions annually to research on how to keep their consumers hooked onto their products. Studying the brain tells us that it wants variety. Keeping in mind the food one eats, the brain always wants innovation. Eating the same meal on a daily basis simply is monotonous; in scientific terms the sensitivity of that specific sensor will decrease over time.
What's so special about junk food that we keep craving for more? They are processed in a way that avoids them to uplift this sensory-specific response. The brain never gets tired of eating them, resulting in us gobbling an entire bag of potato crisps, yet desiring for more.

The psychobiology of junk food
Can you recall instances when your mouth watered at the thought or sight or smell of an earlier eating experience? Well, that's where the psychobiology of junk food steps in – yes, put the blame on it!
Eating a pack of your favourite crackers or your most-desired chocolate flavoured cookies helps the brain register the feeling which arises whenever next your eyes get to see that packet – be it on television or a billboard or any form of marketing of that product – it will prompt the brain to make you desire for that edible item. Mouth-watering moments are generated by the brain only, so it's mystery solved for now.
Regarding the increase in the consumption of junk food, MAG spoke to Dr. Moti Khan, a nutritionist at the Aga Khan Hospital.
"Junk food contains lots of oil and we are well-aware of the quality of oil they use. Consumption of unhealthy snacks since a young age is proof as we can see young children lunching in school cafeterias," she says, adding that at times outdoor food is made from artificial ingredients.
"The effects surface later in life in the form of obesity, diabetes, cholesterol, and in worst cases, cancer," she notes.
Dr. Khan says all this happens because of a person's metabolism which is "forced to adapt to constant changes as we have become lazy and inactive."
"One major cause of chronic diseases is junk food. Two out of three patients are diabetic, and the root cause? Junk food. In recent years, 30 to 40 per cent deaths are associated with the heavy intake of processed foods," she points out.

The flip-side to your cravings
Thinking of ways to stop or prevent your heart (read brain) to stop desiring? Don't bother. Food manufacturers all over the world are spending hefty sums to design foods in ways that can produce addictive results, leaving the consumer with no option, but to keep wanting for more.
Nevertheless, there is a flip side to countering the junk food menace. The simplest being, don't eat junk food. Think it's too arduous a task? Take a U-turn. The more you control your diet, the less you crave for it – 'gene programming' is what science calls it.
The next time you go grocery shopping, try to avoid opting for processed or packaged food items. If you don't buy junk, you can't eat it. If you can't think about it, your brain will fail to register the feeling associated with that product. Seems simple? Oh yes! Try it out for yourself.

The '5 ingredient rule'
Look up the additives of the product at hand, if the list goes beyond five, leave it, thump your heart's desires and move on to look up for alternatives. The more the ingredients, the more chances there are for it to contain artificial constituents. Spend more time in the fresh fruits and vegetables section which is usually at the 'outer-ring' of the stores, and treat yourself in bagging as many natural edibles as you want.

Keeping a balance
A mistaken belief amongst the populace is that all fast food is junk. Any food item with little nutrients can be found almost anywhere, apart from fast food outlets. What should be focused upon, especially in the diet of young, growing bodies is the need to provide them with food from all food groups. Many a times young ones can be seen rolling on the floors of supermarkets, begging their parents to buy candies. Some succumb to the tantrums, while others either shun their childs' wants or scold them in public. Is there a way out to a no-candy-world? Not a possibility. Is there an option to limit the candy intake? Yes. Those guardians who tackle such scenarios, while keeping a balance are the ones who provide their kids with neither too much of anything, nor too less.
How does one adapt, keeping in mind the ever-changing eating trends and routines of people in our part of the world? Dr. Khan rightfully puts it, "mothers need to take preventive measures and provide their families with homemade food along with restricting dine-outs to once a week. We, as individuals need to create awareness. Lifestyle modification is necessary and individuals need to include exercises in their daily routine along with consulting dieticians to understand ways and means to eat and stay healthy."