Junk food

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Cheetos

The Luther Burger, a bacon cheeseburger which employs a glazed donut in place of each bun.

Junk food is food that is unhealthy and/or has little or no nutritional value. The term is believed to have been coined by Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, in 1972.^[1] The term has since come into common usage.

Junk food contains high levels of refined sugar, white flour, trans fat and polyunsaturated fat, salt, and numerous food additives such as monosodium glutamate and tartrazine; at the same time, it is lacking in proteins, vitamins and fiber, among other healthy attributes. It is popular with suppliers because it is relatively cheap to manufacture, has a long shelf life and may not require refrigeration. It is popular with American consumers, as well as other consumers from all over the world, because it is easy to purchase, requires little or no preparation, is convenient to consume and has lots of flavor. Consumption of junk food in America has been associated with obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and dental cavities. There is also concern about the targeting of marketing to children.

1 Classification
2 Marketing
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Classification

What constitutes unhealthy food may be confusing and, according to critics, includes elements of class snobbery, cultural influence and moral judgement. For example, fast food in North America, such as hamburgers and french fries supplied by companies like McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut, are often perceived as junk food, whereas the same meals supplied by more up-market outlets such as California Pizza Kitchen or Nando's are not, despite often having the same or worse nutritional content.^[1] Some foods that are considered ethnic or traditional are not generally considered junk food, such as falafel, gyro, pakora, gyoza or chicharron, though all of these foods have little nutritional value and are usually high in fat from being fried in oil. Other foods such as white rice, roast potatoes and processed white bread are not considered junk food despite having limited nutritional content compared to wholegrain foods. Similarly, breakfast cereals are often regarded as healthy but may have high levels of sugar, salt and fat.^[2]

Hostess Twinkies

Some types of chips that are said to be "junk food" may actually be partially harmful because they may contain polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. It should also be understood that the detrimental effects of the empty calories may outweigh the benefits of the unsaturated fats^{[citation needed]}. These foods tend to be high in sodium, which may contribute in causing hypertension (high blood pressure) in some people.

In the United Kingdom, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) do not use the term "junk food", and describe food as "HFSS" (high fat, sugar or salt) instead, based on a nutrient profiling model^[3]. They state that "HFSS foods can form part of a balanced diet, but research shows that children's diets contain too much fat (especially saturated fat), salt and sugar, and not enough fruit and vegetables."^[4]

[edit] Marketing

During 2006, in the United Kingdom, following a high profile media campaign by the chef Jamie Oliver and a threat of court action from the National Heart Forum^[5], the UK advertising regulator and competition authority, Ofcom, launched a consultation on advertising of foods to children.^[6] The Food Standards Agency was one of many respondents.^[7] As a result, a ban on advertising during children's television programs and programs aimed at young people was announced.^[8] The ban also includes marketing using celebrities, cartoon characters and health or nutrition claims.