Editorial | Say No to Junk Foods

With the easy availability of different kinds of foods in markets, junk food(s) off late nonetheless top the chart when it comes to the actual consumption of any sort of foods’ worldwide and Kashmir remains no exception to this spiking trend. The minors and adolescents as expected have been soft targets of the companies manufacturing these foods which otherwise are bereft of any nutrients, vitamins, minerals and instead high in kilojoules (energy), salts, sugars and fats. One must understand that junk food is so called because it doesn’t play a role in healthy eating, especially if it’s eaten to excess. It has to be an optional food, but once the habit develops among the consumers, it takes over as staple food for such a person. These types of foods then become a major reason for different types of diseases including cardiovascular, type-2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease besides a number of cancers. Such foods are also a reason for increased stress levels, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, decreased energy levels, concentration difficulties, feeling down or tooth decay. Coming in a complete disdain to the scientific researches regarding the complications these foods may have on one’s health, the parents gloat about letting their children consume these unhealthy foods, thereby unwittingly putting the health of their loved ones at stake. We as conscious beings should rise to the situation and try to educate the people over the vulnerabilities that such types of foods expose us to. To achieve this pursuit, educational institutions nonetheless have an important role to play and one does hope somewhere someone will take heed towards the facts to actually make a difference on ground and more so to set a precedent for others.