Food consumption is one of the most important
aspects of human lives. Food, as they say is a fuel to the human body and it is relevant because of the nutrients it contains and its significance to the well-being of the body. However, not all foods contain nutrients; ironically, these are the kinds of food people consume more frequently not minding the health hazards or implications to the body system. These unhealthy foods are called junk food.
Junk foods have become part of our daily meals in Nigeria and studies have shown that people patronize junk food more than they do to organized and well prepared ones. On daily basis, more people find these junk foods appealing and easier to purchase. An individual can step out of the house and purchase junk food at the snap of his or her finger.
Industrialization, in particular, has not helped the situation as many companies spend their time to produce foods and drinks with very high calorie contents. Organisations also place adverts on these foods to lure people into buying them when they know fully well that the damages these food inflict on their consumers are numerous.
In as much as most people believe that junk foods are needed in the society and to individuals, I believe they do more damage to the body system than the benefits derived from them.
Most Nigerian mothers have formed the habit of giving junk foods to their children for school lunch without considering the health implications. Some of these junk foods are ice cream, biscuit, soft drinks, meat pie, candies, chips etc.
I think mothers could substitute most of the above junks with well prepared meals as lunch for their children. In most Nigerian schools, children are allowed to go to school with food flasks. Mothers should seize the opportunity to make their children healthy even with their busy sch
edules.
It is true that most schools discourage children from bringing home-made foods to school but this should not stop mothers from making snacks in their houses for their children.
People fail to understand that children are more exposed to higher risk than adults in consuming junk foods. Since they are still growing, they need foods that can make their brain function properly. Due to the much intake of junk foods, some of them suffer from tooth decay at tender ages, stunted growth and even develop other sicknesses. They also stand a higher change of getting addicted to these foods.
Sadly however, not only children find junk foods pleasing, some adults also do due to various factors such as time factor, inability to cook, lack of sufficient fund etc. Without criticism of such persons and the factors that influence their choices, I believe there are ways to limit the intake of junk foods even in the face of these challenges. Affordable and well prepared food can be gotten from local food vendors and those who do not know how to cook should aspire to learn how to cook.
Without doubt, these less nutritional food cause series of harm to the body and one of them is the negative impact it makes to the brain. Since the nutrients produced by junk foods are not sufficient, the brain finds it difficult to function effectively. This could result to poor mental alertness.
According to studies, this happens because vitamins and minerals that are essential for proper brain functioning are not present in junk foods.
Nowadays, many people suffer from obesity and the cause is not far-fetched. Too much intake of junk food often results to accumulation of calories in the body and thus causes obesity.
The daily calories consumed by in individual could be as high as 2500-3000 calories. For instance, a burger and a bottle of soft drink could sum up to a very high amount of calories or even more if they are consumed in larger proportions.
Many people are suffering from diabetes due to high sugar level. The sugar level gets high when calories are stored in the body for a very long time. This is also caused by excessive junk food intake. Junk foods increase cholesterol and add to the plaque build-up in the arteries, thus increasing stroke and heart diseases. These foods are also high in preservatives and processed food ingredients. This increases free radicals in the body, leading sometimes to cancer.
Although fast foods taste good and I am not condemning occasional intake of them, excessive intake may however result in health problems as mentioned earlier.
However, I believe that the high risk associated with these junk foods can be avoided if we, on our own, try to make home-made junk foods with lesser amount of sugar.
I also want to suggest that people should take less of junk foods and spend more on healthy foods. With the little money in our pockets, we can purchase more healthy food outside our houses and places of work.
Amangoli is a student of Federal University, Otuoke

Thessaloica Amangoli