![]() | This article is rated C-class on Wikipedia's
content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects: | |||||||||||||||||
|
![]() | Find sources: Google ( books · news · scholar · free images · WP refs) · FENS · JSTOR · TWL |
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 13 January 2022 and 16 April 2022. Further details are available
on the course page. Student editor(s):
Yuanting Wang 03 (
article contribs). Peer reviewers:
Hadis07,
Ywan1031.
Request for expansion on this article would be appreciated. (As of May 13, 2006) More general information would be appreciated.
The phrase 'junk food' seems particularly uninformative and not based on sound science. Is the claim that the health risk is that 'junk food' tastes so good and is so convenient that it encourages overeating and resultant obesity? That seems plausible. Or is the claim that 'junk food' diets will result in poor health due to lack of vitamins, minerals, etc? Is there any evidence of of the latter argument? And couldn't a simple daily vitamin remove any risk of that? Scotchex 18:43, 23 October 2006 (UTC)
This article says fruit juice is "healthy"; from reading the nutrition facts on most juices though, they seem pretty much like sugar water. What are the benefits of drinking juice, aside from the fact that some have vitamin C (a nutrient pretty much no one in developed countries is lacking in)? Ralphael 17:57, 2 April 2006 (UTC)
Why is the
CamBottom footer on this page? --
Diberri |
Talk 04:26, Jun 10, 2004 (UTC)
Junk food is a 100% alternative medicine term just like wellness cleaarly is. -- [[User:Mr-Natural-Health|John Gohde | Talk]] 01:33, 11 Jun 2004 (UTC)
Removed apparent vandalism (for lack of a better term) I removed the following few lines from the article: "A Modern-day teenager at home love to gorgr on burgers and pizzas, puppy fat makes him look cute, he hates physical activity and is addicted to junk food. he is the perfect host for "sweet killer" diabetes to strike. And sadly, more and more youngsters are falling prey to this disease." Though the increasing rates of diabetes is disheartening, this is not the format inorder to state that. ( D.c.camero ( talk) 18:47, 5 May 2008 (UTC))
This does not strike me as much of an argument. Geni
There is no such thing as the "alternative health movement". Sure there are a number of separate advocating groups but no universal alternative health groups. You are completely excluding environmental campaigners and a large area of conventional public health.
I'm a little bemused to be arguing with someone who seriously (I think?) contends that junk food is healthy and those who say otherwise are practicing "quackery", but such is the internet I suppose. Hey, Mr-Natural-Health, I have a bridge I think you'll be very interested in...
Peer-reviewed research I found in a 10-minute web search supporting the various risks associated with consumption of "junk food":
Specific Patterns of Food Consumption and Preparation Are Associated with Diabetes and Obesity in a Native Canadian Community [
1
The Journal of Nutrition Vol. 128 No. 3 March 1998, pp. 541-547
"High consumption of junk foods and the bread and butter group was associated with substantial increases in risk for diabetes (OR = 2.40, CI = 1.13-5. 10; OR = 2.22, CI = 1.22-4.41, respectively)."
QSource quality initiative. Reversing the diabetes epidemic in Tennessee
Tenn Med. 2003 Dec;96(12):559-63.
"This paper summarizes the results of a recent report on diabetes in Tennessee. Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in Tennessee. In 2001, an estimated 7.7% of the population was diabetic, an increase from 5.8% a decade earlier. This increase is largely due to widespread unhealthy eating habits, physical inactivity, and associated obesity. The majority of diabetes is preventable and can be effectively treated through daily exercise and a healthy diet. Diabetes prevention efforts in Tennessee schools and communities, however, are grossly inadequate. Providers and payers underemphasize prevention. Since the causes of diabetes can be traced to childhood habits, early prevention is the key to reversing the diabetes epidemic. Immediate statewide action must be taken to promote daily exercise and decrease access to high-calorie, high-fat "junk" food in our schools and communities. Physicians, health professional organizations, health plans, government, churches, schools, and employers must work together to battle the diabetes epidemic through public education, community-wide health promotion programs, and efforts to improve quality of diabetes care for all Tennesseans"
Heart and liver lipid fatty acid and behavior changes in mice after a diet change.
Life Sci. 1984 Apr 23;34(17):1613-20
"Comparison of the controls with the experimental mice revealed the " junk food" mice differed in lipid fatty acid profiles of the heart and liver and in percentage of lipid palmitic and oleic acids in these organs and also in plasma. Appearance was altered in the experimental mice which had dull, greasy coats. In addition, the experimental animals were less active, slept singly, and were slower in negotiating a three-choice maze than their comparably housed counterparts, indicating altered activity/curiosity behavior."
--
Bk0 18:48, 12 Jun 2004 (UTC)
I removed the statement that the crackdown on junkfood advertising has resulted in an increase in eating disorders. It had no reference, and although both may have happened more or less simultaneously a correlation would be difficult to prove. The subsequent info on eating disorders now seems out of place without the misleading opening sentence.
The dispute clearly is about putting a link to category:alternative medicine in an article that is clearly about a well known alternative position on health. You guys have just argued that alternative positions on health both exist and are valid. Therefore, I want a link to category:alternative medicine in this article as well as in scores of other articles. The only people talking about junk food are the health nuts. Conventional medicine says that there is no such thing as junk food.
The article is quoting anonymous sources of information with its use of weasespeak. The alternative health community cited in this article is obviously category:alternative medicine. -- [[User:Mr-Natural-Health|John Gohde | Talk]] 19:03, 12 Jun 2004 (UTC)
So a catogry is now a comunity? I don't recall sayiong that the alt med postion on anything was valid. I would love to see some back up for the stament "conventional medcine says there is no such thing a junk food" you must be using a slightly strange defintion of conventional medcine Geniand juan munis se la come by: a cigarroa student
I have more important things to do with my time than to waste it on this issue. In short, I am working on editing other pages. -- [[User:Mr-Natural-Health|John Gohde | Talk]] 04:53, 20 Jun 2004 (UTC)
I took a look at the references to see if they supported the lead, and they don't. Firstly, the FSA specifically say that they don't use the phrase junk food:
Secondly, that BBC article says that OFCOM got their definition of junk food from the FSA. Doubly odd since not only do the FSA not use the phrase, neither do OFCOM; the only places it appears are in feedback to their consultation on food advertising, and once quoted in minutes, but they do not use it in their statement:
Perhaps this stuff should be rephrased to say that the press describe the FSA/Ofcom's "foods that are high in fat, salt or sugar" as junk food? I'm also going to remove the US-centric tag since all the refs are for the UK. However, better references are needed for the lead, especially all the claims in the second paragraph. Bazzargh ( talk) 16:29, 2 April 2008 (UTC)
I'm shocked quite frankly, as I expected a rather lengthy and scholarly article the likes of which you'd see about religion, abortion, or gun ownership. I have already made a bunch of changes and will make many more. I am also considering removing the images of Twinkies and Cheetos and whatever that donut burger thing is that I've never seen before. I believe that the very basis of the term Junk Food relies on the public's view, as a result of unscrupulous marketing, that it truly is FOOD that can be safely relied upon for sustenance.
Cheetos (1948) and Twinkies (1930) do not fall into that category any more than Crème brûlée (1691) or Ice Cream (1718).
BillyTFried ( talk) 02:48, 23 September 2008 (UTC)
I've removed the following section. The article does not say why the first statement, regarding anorexia in children, is in an article about junk food. The second statement, regarding teenage girls avoiding junk food, is sourced to a primary source and the web page in the link doesn't contain any statement linking avoidance of junk food with nutritional deficiencies. Regarding the quote about meat and milk, I am at a loss to explain what this is doing in an article about junk food. I agree with the above sentiments that the article needs a rewrite. Clayoquot ( talk | contribs) 06:42, 15 March 2010 (UTC)
Eating disorders have increased five-fold among children 8-13, one clinic noting that one child as young as five developing anorexia. [1] According to NHANES III, two-thirds of teenage girls who are trying to eat "healthy" by avoiding junk foods are deficient in iron, calcium and other important nutrients. [2]
Many teenage girls, already the most poorly nourished of any group in America, have stopped drinking milk or eating meat in their extreme fear of fat. -Frances Berg, MS, author of Women Afraid to Eat
I'm also shocked that the positive well-known harmfulness to health of the saturated fats, salt, and excessive calories common to junk foods is not mentioned. I believe it is well established that these cause heart and circulation problems, strokes, high blood pressure, and the dangers from obesity including raised rates of cancer. Is this article being controlled by the junk food industry? 78.149.173.243 ( talk) 11:20, 7 April 2010 (UTC)
"Foods more likely to be considered junk food generally are those that are more convenient and easy to obtain in a ready-to-eat form, though being such does not automatically define the food as 'junk food'."
That definition would include for example apples. I propose "Junk food is ready to eat food which is thought to be unhealthy due to containing high levels of saturated fats, salt, or sugar; and little or no fruit or vegetables." 89.242.97.110 ( talk) 12:39, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
The current list of "junk foods" contains several sweeping generalizations, is misleading and is essentially useless. Read: Junk food includes foods such as hamburgers, hot dogs, chocolate, ice cream, cake, French fries (if oil-baked) and pizza. Contrast a burger made of a sensible portion of lean beef on a whole-grain bun with lettuce, tomato and onion vs. a Big Mac; a home-made carrot, raisin/cranberry/currant and ginger cake with light cream cheese icing vs. a Hi-Ho, Ding-Dong or Twinkie; hand-cut skin-on french fries cooked at proper temperature in peanut oil vs. typical processed, over-salted fast-food fries; and pizza.. there are so many different possibilities as to make its inclusion laughable. Hamburgers, cakes and pizzas can all be of a very high nutritional quality - it is absurd to label these foods as "junk". And why single out poor old chocolate from the pantheon of candy? Drlegendre ( talk) 17:17, 2 July 2010 (UTC)
I've replaced the list with a more sensible list, from a reasonable source. I really don't know how to do the citation properly, so maybe some nice person will fix it up a bit. Drlegendre ( talk) 00:26, 21 December 2010 (UTC)
Most people have never eaten, or even heard of the Luther burger. If we're going to have an emblem, or poster child for junk food, it should be something that many people are familiar with. To this end, I've retired Luther in favor of a bag of Pork Rinds. Pork rinds are pretty much total crap - mostly fat and a low-quality protein. They are also extremely high in sodium, and to the best of my knowledge, contain no significant quantities of vitamins or minerals. If you can think of another common, generic junk food item (NOT a specific brand/product) that's more worthless than pork rinds, please feel free to change it. Drlegendre ( talk) 18:06, 27 January 2011 (UTC)
Hi all, I deleted text that cites a children's book: (Currie, Stephen. 2008. Junk Food: Health at Risk. Ann Arbor, MI: Cherry Lake Publisher). Though it is a non-fiction book for children, information in this section could be better supported by studies produced in academic journals. Particularly if the text is speculative. If there is better source material that can be added to that section, feel free to edit. KatCray ( talk) 21:16, 4 April 2011 (UTC)KatCray
Our current description holds that junk food is "an informal term applied to some foods that are perceived to have little or no nutritional value". An editor changed this to read "an informal term applied to foods that are low in micronutrients".
As an informal term, it certainly seems to be applied based on perception. As a test case, we certainly have foods that are "low in micronutrients" that are, to my knowledge, never called "junk food". Iceberg lettuce tops out at 7% DV of one nutrient per serving (all others are 3% or less). A "good source" of a nutrient is 10% or more, making this a good source of nothing (except, perhaps, water. While I've certainly heard iceberg lettuce disparaged by foodies, armchair nutritionists, vegetarians, etc., I've never heard it called "junk food"
On the other side, a McDonald's double cheeseburger, certainly called "junk food" somewhere, provides 10% of the DV of vitamin A and 25% of calcium (along with 54% DV of saturated fat). We probably need a broader/vaguer definition than we have, but the one I reverted clearly wasn't it. I'll look for something sourced. - SummerPhD ( talk) 21:31, 15 July 2011 (UTC)
It's hard to define what is junk food. I suggest the term junk food is like the term cult, a label whose meaning depends on the viewpoint of the person applying it. "Cult" means a religion which is regarded as spurious, so it depends on who's doing the regarding. The (mostly secular) anti-cult movement and Christian countercult movement have different outlooks, obviously.
I'm basically getting that junk food is opposed on the grounds of lacking genuine nutritional value. Unfortunately, I see no definition of "nutritional value" at Wikipedia. I wonder if the problem is that there are campaigns by groups like Greenpeace against certain types of processed food distributed by those seeking profit at the expense of the poor.
Can we at least get a scholarly or scientific definition of junk food in terms of what is and is not good for an individual human being's health? -- Uncle Ed ( talk) 21:41, 10 February 2015 (UTC)
Why does the "See also" section have a reference to health food, but not a reference to fast food? I would have thought that fast food would have had more to do with junk food than health food. In fact, if you look at the "See also" section of fast food, you will see a reference to junk food, suggesting that the terms are linked in people's minds. ACEOREVIVED ( talk) 16:39, 19 November 2012 (UTC)
A new version of the lead was just reverted to what is in my opinion a much more poorly written and supported version. I'm not clear why reversion rather than further development of the newer version was the chosen course. None of the content from the older version was removed, it was repositioned in the article body. And better sourcing is rather easy; give it a little time.
I see even as I'm writing this, the newer version was reinstated. This seems like a good point to pull back and discuss and edit, rather than edit war? -- Tsavage ( talk) 13:14, 13 March 2015 (UTC)
Taken from a BBC article, the statement (from the old lead), "It is widely believed that the term was coined by Michael F. Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, in 1972." is challenged here: "There are 'junk food' citations starting from at least 1952"; the article has citations and excerpts dating back to the 1940s. (This source is cited in "Junk", an On Language column in the New York Times)-- Tsavage ( talk) 13:41, 13 March 2015 (UTC)
I have removed this from the text. Excessive calories whether from eating superfoods or junk foods is the problem. Your body doesn't care if you eat 3,000 calories from Whole Foods or 3,000 calories from Twinkies. You can eat 1,000 calories of potato chips or have 1,000 calories of artisanal, fair-trade, locally sourced, organic, cholesterol free, gluten free, seasoned with ginger and kale and sea salt, fried purple Peruvian potato slices. -- Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) ( talk) 21:19, 25 March 2015 (UTC)
I had to read this three times: "From the nutritional point of view, some of the materials sold as food don't merit the term, and in that case there is no need to refer to them as any particular type of food." Maybe it can be eliminated completely. -- Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) ( talk) 01:42, 29 March 2015 (UTC)
This is WP:Undue: "A study by Paul Johnson and Paul Kenny at the Scripps Research Institute in 2008 suggested that junk food consumption alters brain activity in a manner similar to addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin." Everything you do that is pleasurable "alters brain activity", that is how pleasure is registered in the brain. How would this differ from eating any delicious food? How would the response differ from a Hostess Twinkie versus a hand crafted, artisinal bread pudding made from fairtrade chocolate from Madagascar, and bread baked in a wood burning stove using only year old apple wood then topped with whipped cream infused with small-batch maple syrup from Vermont. Food craving and opiate addiction are very different. There is a rebound effect for opiate withdrawal and other addictive pharmaceuticals. A food craving can be ignored. -- Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) ( talk) 20:13, 29 March 2015 (UTC) The choice of the meals humans consume largely contributes to their optimal health and wellbeing. The 21st century has had health care organizations across the globe create awareness against the consumption of junk foods. Junk foods have key implications to myriads of spheres in human life. Restoring the balance of human emotional, physical and financial health, demands breaking the habit of consuming unhealthy foods. The aspect of junk food as the genesis of obesity, mood and financial cancer forms the foundational fabric of this discourse. Junk food disrupts physical health by predisposing human body to obesity and other health ailments. Searcey, Dionne, and Matt Richtel presents a case study on Ghana (1). As such Searcey, Dionne, and Matt Richtel argues that consumption of fast foods in Ghana resulted to a direct correlational proportionality as consumption of junk food led to an escalation of obesity of rates (1). The report asserts that obesity resulted to related complex health concerns such upsurge of heart attack rates. Searcey, Dionne, and Matt Richtel argues that consumption of French fries and fried chicken further led to diabetes and death. As such, it is evident that to eradicate these health challenges from the chain of healthcare in most states there is need to curb consumption of junk foods. Junk foods have adverse effects on moods. Bullen, James argues that the meals that we consume have a high impact on the endocrine system (1). Bullen, James justifies that foods that contain high sugar level content predispose variant emotions of depressions, drowsiness, and irritability. According to the report, the endocrine system and moods are closely linked, and that disruption of the system directly affects human emotions (1). The report adds that processed foods such as junk foods results in negativity and instant loss of energy (Bullen, James). As such, it is evident that consumption of junk foods creates a valid disruption of emotional health. To create a sound emotional balance, it is thus inevitable to eradicate the habit of consuming fast foods. Junk foods are extremely expensive. Kohut, Tania tables a price correlational study of health and junk foods (1). Kohut, Tania reports that junk foods are not only expensive on the shelves but also health wise (1). As such, Kohut, Tania adds that despite being overpriced compared to health foods, buyers end up contracting health diseases such as obesity and cancer and this attract financial burdens (1). It is this evident that consumers of junk foods pay a double price for purchasing junk foods. To create a solid financial health, it is imperative to purchase health foods and shun junk foods at all cost.
The choice of balancing physical, emotional and financial health largely depends on the choice of foods we consume. Junk foods predispose the human body to myriads of health complexities such as obesity that disrupts physical health. Fast foods further create a clear disruption to the endocrine system and largely determine human perceptions and moods. Lastly, junk foods are overpriced and burden consumers with health ailments that attract financial bills and death. To evade these complexities, it is important to shun junk foods.
Works Cited
Bullen, James. "The Foods Making You Feel Sad, Mad Or 'High On Life'." ABC News, 2017, www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-06-10/your-experiences-with-food-and- mood/8590710. Accessed 18 Oct 2017. Kohut, Tania. "Healthy Food Is Cheaper Than Junk Food, New Study Says." Global News, 2017, www.globalnews.ca/news/3290064/healthy-eating-food-prices/. Accessed 18 Oct 2017. Searcey, Dionne, and Matt Richtel. "Obesity Was Rising As Ghana Embraced Fast Food. Then Came KFC.." Nytimes.Com, 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/10/02/health/ghana-kfc-obesity.html. Accessed 18 Oct 2017. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Kimwits ( talk • contribs) 15:37, 19 October 2017 (UTC)
After careful consideration, I removed the following section (which was added as a single edit) for a variety of reasons discussed below:
This section is about fast food, which is not synonymous with junk food. In addition, it consists of unsourced and poorly sourced information, and items that are already covered in existing sections (e.g. "Health effects"). Except for the statements that a third of Americans eat fast food daily, and that fast food consumption has increased five-fold since 1970, both unsourced, there is nothing new. It is also poorly written, making arguments like, "alarming figures are not alarming given..." Deletion seems the best course. -- Tsavage ( talk) 02:19, 3 December 2015 (UTC)
References
The comment(s) below were originally left at Talk:Junk food/Comments, and are posted here for posterity. Following several discussions in past years, these subpages are now deprecated. The comments may be irrelevant or outdated; if so, please feel free to remove this section.
Good article but maybe go into depth on the effects on junk food on ones health, examples, etc. -- Warfreak 03:26, 16 June 2007 (UTC) |
Last edited at 03:26, 16 June 2007 (UTC). Substituted at 20:44, 29 April 2016 (UTC)
The statement that "Despite being labeled as "junk," such foods usually do not pose any immediate health concerns and are generally safe" is misleading. Junk refers to quality, not health hazards. (No timestamp, no signature found)
BUMP You see, I have a question. Instant noodles - do those count as junk food? Or should those stay in Comfort food category? I'm asking this, because there is a Wikipedian, who keeps claiming instant noodles to be one of the comfort foods of USA, yet the reference... letcs say, it is not American. They're attaching a link to British Broadcast Channel, e.g. the BBC. 2A00:1FA0:4287:F671:0:1A:9D24:CD01 ( talk) 12:43, 1 November 2023 (UTC)
The most recent edit to this article is one which contains information on potential negatives of junk food in essay format. It is formatted fairly incorrectly for wikipedia, from the sentence structure to citation format to even just indentations. It honestly looks as if someone wrote an assignment for school on junk food and then copy/pasted it here. I have edited it down to correct formatting and attempt to better integrate the information into the "Health effects" section, but further edits are likely needed. The information that had been added was somewhat helpful, just written with too much opinion and bias and cited incorrectly. I tried to save what seemed salvageable but in general the section could just use further support. — Preceding unsigned comment added by WellRehearsedWhale ( talk • contribs) 16:08, 19 October 2017 (UTC)
I noticed this strange error. The test was divided into 5 sections: Hyperactivity, peer problems, emotional symptoms and pro-social behavior. There's actually four listed, but it says five! Fix it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Braden1127 ( talk • contribs) 04:27, 13 March 2018 (UTC)
I fixed it. いくら Braden1127 イクラ Let's Discuss It! ꅇ 16:16, 13 March 2018 (UTC)
![]() | This article is rated C-class on Wikipedia's
content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects: | |||||||||||||||||
|
![]() | Find sources: Google ( books · news · scholar · free images · WP refs) · FENS · JSTOR · TWL |
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 13 January 2022 and 16 April 2022. Further details are available
on the course page. Student editor(s):
Yuanting Wang 03 (
article contribs). Peer reviewers:
Hadis07,
Ywan1031.
Request for expansion on this article would be appreciated. (As of May 13, 2006) More general information would be appreciated.
The phrase 'junk food' seems particularly uninformative and not based on sound science. Is the claim that the health risk is that 'junk food' tastes so good and is so convenient that it encourages overeating and resultant obesity? That seems plausible. Or is the claim that 'junk food' diets will result in poor health due to lack of vitamins, minerals, etc? Is there any evidence of of the latter argument? And couldn't a simple daily vitamin remove any risk of that? Scotchex 18:43, 23 October 2006 (UTC)
This article says fruit juice is "healthy"; from reading the nutrition facts on most juices though, they seem pretty much like sugar water. What are the benefits of drinking juice, aside from the fact that some have vitamin C (a nutrient pretty much no one in developed countries is lacking in)? Ralphael 17:57, 2 April 2006 (UTC)
Why is the
CamBottom footer on this page? --
Diberri |
Talk 04:26, Jun 10, 2004 (UTC)
Junk food is a 100% alternative medicine term just like wellness cleaarly is. -- [[User:Mr-Natural-Health|John Gohde | Talk]] 01:33, 11 Jun 2004 (UTC)
Removed apparent vandalism (for lack of a better term) I removed the following few lines from the article: "A Modern-day teenager at home love to gorgr on burgers and pizzas, puppy fat makes him look cute, he hates physical activity and is addicted to junk food. he is the perfect host for "sweet killer" diabetes to strike. And sadly, more and more youngsters are falling prey to this disease." Though the increasing rates of diabetes is disheartening, this is not the format inorder to state that. ( D.c.camero ( talk) 18:47, 5 May 2008 (UTC))
This does not strike me as much of an argument. Geni
There is no such thing as the "alternative health movement". Sure there are a number of separate advocating groups but no universal alternative health groups. You are completely excluding environmental campaigners and a large area of conventional public health.
I'm a little bemused to be arguing with someone who seriously (I think?) contends that junk food is healthy and those who say otherwise are practicing "quackery", but such is the internet I suppose. Hey, Mr-Natural-Health, I have a bridge I think you'll be very interested in...
Peer-reviewed research I found in a 10-minute web search supporting the various risks associated with consumption of "junk food":
Specific Patterns of Food Consumption and Preparation Are Associated with Diabetes and Obesity in a Native Canadian Community [
1
The Journal of Nutrition Vol. 128 No. 3 March 1998, pp. 541-547
"High consumption of junk foods and the bread and butter group was associated with substantial increases in risk for diabetes (OR = 2.40, CI = 1.13-5. 10; OR = 2.22, CI = 1.22-4.41, respectively)."
QSource quality initiative. Reversing the diabetes epidemic in Tennessee
Tenn Med. 2003 Dec;96(12):559-63.
"This paper summarizes the results of a recent report on diabetes in Tennessee. Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in Tennessee. In 2001, an estimated 7.7% of the population was diabetic, an increase from 5.8% a decade earlier. This increase is largely due to widespread unhealthy eating habits, physical inactivity, and associated obesity. The majority of diabetes is preventable and can be effectively treated through daily exercise and a healthy diet. Diabetes prevention efforts in Tennessee schools and communities, however, are grossly inadequate. Providers and payers underemphasize prevention. Since the causes of diabetes can be traced to childhood habits, early prevention is the key to reversing the diabetes epidemic. Immediate statewide action must be taken to promote daily exercise and decrease access to high-calorie, high-fat "junk" food in our schools and communities. Physicians, health professional organizations, health plans, government, churches, schools, and employers must work together to battle the diabetes epidemic through public education, community-wide health promotion programs, and efforts to improve quality of diabetes care for all Tennesseans"
Heart and liver lipid fatty acid and behavior changes in mice after a diet change.
Life Sci. 1984 Apr 23;34(17):1613-20
"Comparison of the controls with the experimental mice revealed the " junk food" mice differed in lipid fatty acid profiles of the heart and liver and in percentage of lipid palmitic and oleic acids in these organs and also in plasma. Appearance was altered in the experimental mice which had dull, greasy coats. In addition, the experimental animals were less active, slept singly, and were slower in negotiating a three-choice maze than their comparably housed counterparts, indicating altered activity/curiosity behavior."
--
Bk0 18:48, 12 Jun 2004 (UTC)
I removed the statement that the crackdown on junkfood advertising has resulted in an increase in eating disorders. It had no reference, and although both may have happened more or less simultaneously a correlation would be difficult to prove. The subsequent info on eating disorders now seems out of place without the misleading opening sentence.
The dispute clearly is about putting a link to category:alternative medicine in an article that is clearly about a well known alternative position on health. You guys have just argued that alternative positions on health both exist and are valid. Therefore, I want a link to category:alternative medicine in this article as well as in scores of other articles. The only people talking about junk food are the health nuts. Conventional medicine says that there is no such thing as junk food.
The article is quoting anonymous sources of information with its use of weasespeak. The alternative health community cited in this article is obviously category:alternative medicine. -- [[User:Mr-Natural-Health|John Gohde | Talk]] 19:03, 12 Jun 2004 (UTC)
So a catogry is now a comunity? I don't recall sayiong that the alt med postion on anything was valid. I would love to see some back up for the stament "conventional medcine says there is no such thing a junk food" you must be using a slightly strange defintion of conventional medcine Geniand juan munis se la come by: a cigarroa student
I have more important things to do with my time than to waste it on this issue. In short, I am working on editing other pages. -- [[User:Mr-Natural-Health|John Gohde | Talk]] 04:53, 20 Jun 2004 (UTC)
I took a look at the references to see if they supported the lead, and they don't. Firstly, the FSA specifically say that they don't use the phrase junk food:
Secondly, that BBC article says that OFCOM got their definition of junk food from the FSA. Doubly odd since not only do the FSA not use the phrase, neither do OFCOM; the only places it appears are in feedback to their consultation on food advertising, and once quoted in minutes, but they do not use it in their statement:
Perhaps this stuff should be rephrased to say that the press describe the FSA/Ofcom's "foods that are high in fat, salt or sugar" as junk food? I'm also going to remove the US-centric tag since all the refs are for the UK. However, better references are needed for the lead, especially all the claims in the second paragraph. Bazzargh ( talk) 16:29, 2 April 2008 (UTC)
I'm shocked quite frankly, as I expected a rather lengthy and scholarly article the likes of which you'd see about religion, abortion, or gun ownership. I have already made a bunch of changes and will make many more. I am also considering removing the images of Twinkies and Cheetos and whatever that donut burger thing is that I've never seen before. I believe that the very basis of the term Junk Food relies on the public's view, as a result of unscrupulous marketing, that it truly is FOOD that can be safely relied upon for sustenance.
Cheetos (1948) and Twinkies (1930) do not fall into that category any more than Crème brûlée (1691) or Ice Cream (1718).
BillyTFried ( talk) 02:48, 23 September 2008 (UTC)
I've removed the following section. The article does not say why the first statement, regarding anorexia in children, is in an article about junk food. The second statement, regarding teenage girls avoiding junk food, is sourced to a primary source and the web page in the link doesn't contain any statement linking avoidance of junk food with nutritional deficiencies. Regarding the quote about meat and milk, I am at a loss to explain what this is doing in an article about junk food. I agree with the above sentiments that the article needs a rewrite. Clayoquot ( talk | contribs) 06:42, 15 March 2010 (UTC)
Eating disorders have increased five-fold among children 8-13, one clinic noting that one child as young as five developing anorexia. [1] According to NHANES III, two-thirds of teenage girls who are trying to eat "healthy" by avoiding junk foods are deficient in iron, calcium and other important nutrients. [2]
Many teenage girls, already the most poorly nourished of any group in America, have stopped drinking milk or eating meat in their extreme fear of fat. -Frances Berg, MS, author of Women Afraid to Eat
I'm also shocked that the positive well-known harmfulness to health of the saturated fats, salt, and excessive calories common to junk foods is not mentioned. I believe it is well established that these cause heart and circulation problems, strokes, high blood pressure, and the dangers from obesity including raised rates of cancer. Is this article being controlled by the junk food industry? 78.149.173.243 ( talk) 11:20, 7 April 2010 (UTC)
"Foods more likely to be considered junk food generally are those that are more convenient and easy to obtain in a ready-to-eat form, though being such does not automatically define the food as 'junk food'."
That definition would include for example apples. I propose "Junk food is ready to eat food which is thought to be unhealthy due to containing high levels of saturated fats, salt, or sugar; and little or no fruit or vegetables." 89.242.97.110 ( talk) 12:39, 2 May 2010 (UTC)
The current list of "junk foods" contains several sweeping generalizations, is misleading and is essentially useless. Read: Junk food includes foods such as hamburgers, hot dogs, chocolate, ice cream, cake, French fries (if oil-baked) and pizza. Contrast a burger made of a sensible portion of lean beef on a whole-grain bun with lettuce, tomato and onion vs. a Big Mac; a home-made carrot, raisin/cranberry/currant and ginger cake with light cream cheese icing vs. a Hi-Ho, Ding-Dong or Twinkie; hand-cut skin-on french fries cooked at proper temperature in peanut oil vs. typical processed, over-salted fast-food fries; and pizza.. there are so many different possibilities as to make its inclusion laughable. Hamburgers, cakes and pizzas can all be of a very high nutritional quality - it is absurd to label these foods as "junk". And why single out poor old chocolate from the pantheon of candy? Drlegendre ( talk) 17:17, 2 July 2010 (UTC)
I've replaced the list with a more sensible list, from a reasonable source. I really don't know how to do the citation properly, so maybe some nice person will fix it up a bit. Drlegendre ( talk) 00:26, 21 December 2010 (UTC)
Most people have never eaten, or even heard of the Luther burger. If we're going to have an emblem, or poster child for junk food, it should be something that many people are familiar with. To this end, I've retired Luther in favor of a bag of Pork Rinds. Pork rinds are pretty much total crap - mostly fat and a low-quality protein. They are also extremely high in sodium, and to the best of my knowledge, contain no significant quantities of vitamins or minerals. If you can think of another common, generic junk food item (NOT a specific brand/product) that's more worthless than pork rinds, please feel free to change it. Drlegendre ( talk) 18:06, 27 January 2011 (UTC)
Hi all, I deleted text that cites a children's book: (Currie, Stephen. 2008. Junk Food: Health at Risk. Ann Arbor, MI: Cherry Lake Publisher). Though it is a non-fiction book for children, information in this section could be better supported by studies produced in academic journals. Particularly if the text is speculative. If there is better source material that can be added to that section, feel free to edit. KatCray ( talk) 21:16, 4 April 2011 (UTC)KatCray
Our current description holds that junk food is "an informal term applied to some foods that are perceived to have little or no nutritional value". An editor changed this to read "an informal term applied to foods that are low in micronutrients".
As an informal term, it certainly seems to be applied based on perception. As a test case, we certainly have foods that are "low in micronutrients" that are, to my knowledge, never called "junk food". Iceberg lettuce tops out at 7% DV of one nutrient per serving (all others are 3% or less). A "good source" of a nutrient is 10% or more, making this a good source of nothing (except, perhaps, water. While I've certainly heard iceberg lettuce disparaged by foodies, armchair nutritionists, vegetarians, etc., I've never heard it called "junk food"
On the other side, a McDonald's double cheeseburger, certainly called "junk food" somewhere, provides 10% of the DV of vitamin A and 25% of calcium (along with 54% DV of saturated fat). We probably need a broader/vaguer definition than we have, but the one I reverted clearly wasn't it. I'll look for something sourced. - SummerPhD ( talk) 21:31, 15 July 2011 (UTC)
It's hard to define what is junk food. I suggest the term junk food is like the term cult, a label whose meaning depends on the viewpoint of the person applying it. "Cult" means a religion which is regarded as spurious, so it depends on who's doing the regarding. The (mostly secular) anti-cult movement and Christian countercult movement have different outlooks, obviously.
I'm basically getting that junk food is opposed on the grounds of lacking genuine nutritional value. Unfortunately, I see no definition of "nutritional value" at Wikipedia. I wonder if the problem is that there are campaigns by groups like Greenpeace against certain types of processed food distributed by those seeking profit at the expense of the poor.
Can we at least get a scholarly or scientific definition of junk food in terms of what is and is not good for an individual human being's health? -- Uncle Ed ( talk) 21:41, 10 February 2015 (UTC)
Why does the "See also" section have a reference to health food, but not a reference to fast food? I would have thought that fast food would have had more to do with junk food than health food. In fact, if you look at the "See also" section of fast food, you will see a reference to junk food, suggesting that the terms are linked in people's minds. ACEOREVIVED ( talk) 16:39, 19 November 2012 (UTC)
A new version of the lead was just reverted to what is in my opinion a much more poorly written and supported version. I'm not clear why reversion rather than further development of the newer version was the chosen course. None of the content from the older version was removed, it was repositioned in the article body. And better sourcing is rather easy; give it a little time.
I see even as I'm writing this, the newer version was reinstated. This seems like a good point to pull back and discuss and edit, rather than edit war? -- Tsavage ( talk) 13:14, 13 March 2015 (UTC)
Taken from a BBC article, the statement (from the old lead), "It is widely believed that the term was coined by Michael F. Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, in 1972." is challenged here: "There are 'junk food' citations starting from at least 1952"; the article has citations and excerpts dating back to the 1940s. (This source is cited in "Junk", an On Language column in the New York Times)-- Tsavage ( talk) 13:41, 13 March 2015 (UTC)
I have removed this from the text. Excessive calories whether from eating superfoods or junk foods is the problem. Your body doesn't care if you eat 3,000 calories from Whole Foods or 3,000 calories from Twinkies. You can eat 1,000 calories of potato chips or have 1,000 calories of artisanal, fair-trade, locally sourced, organic, cholesterol free, gluten free, seasoned with ginger and kale and sea salt, fried purple Peruvian potato slices. -- Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) ( talk) 21:19, 25 March 2015 (UTC)
I had to read this three times: "From the nutritional point of view, some of the materials sold as food don't merit the term, and in that case there is no need to refer to them as any particular type of food." Maybe it can be eliminated completely. -- Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) ( talk) 01:42, 29 March 2015 (UTC)
This is WP:Undue: "A study by Paul Johnson and Paul Kenny at the Scripps Research Institute in 2008 suggested that junk food consumption alters brain activity in a manner similar to addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin." Everything you do that is pleasurable "alters brain activity", that is how pleasure is registered in the brain. How would this differ from eating any delicious food? How would the response differ from a Hostess Twinkie versus a hand crafted, artisinal bread pudding made from fairtrade chocolate from Madagascar, and bread baked in a wood burning stove using only year old apple wood then topped with whipped cream infused with small-batch maple syrup from Vermont. Food craving and opiate addiction are very different. There is a rebound effect for opiate withdrawal and other addictive pharmaceuticals. A food craving can be ignored. -- Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) ( talk) 20:13, 29 March 2015 (UTC) The choice of the meals humans consume largely contributes to their optimal health and wellbeing. The 21st century has had health care organizations across the globe create awareness against the consumption of junk foods. Junk foods have key implications to myriads of spheres in human life. Restoring the balance of human emotional, physical and financial health, demands breaking the habit of consuming unhealthy foods. The aspect of junk food as the genesis of obesity, mood and financial cancer forms the foundational fabric of this discourse. Junk food disrupts physical health by predisposing human body to obesity and other health ailments. Searcey, Dionne, and Matt Richtel presents a case study on Ghana (1). As such Searcey, Dionne, and Matt Richtel argues that consumption of fast foods in Ghana resulted to a direct correlational proportionality as consumption of junk food led to an escalation of obesity of rates (1). The report asserts that obesity resulted to related complex health concerns such upsurge of heart attack rates. Searcey, Dionne, and Matt Richtel argues that consumption of French fries and fried chicken further led to diabetes and death. As such, it is evident that to eradicate these health challenges from the chain of healthcare in most states there is need to curb consumption of junk foods. Junk foods have adverse effects on moods. Bullen, James argues that the meals that we consume have a high impact on the endocrine system (1). Bullen, James justifies that foods that contain high sugar level content predispose variant emotions of depressions, drowsiness, and irritability. According to the report, the endocrine system and moods are closely linked, and that disruption of the system directly affects human emotions (1). The report adds that processed foods such as junk foods results in negativity and instant loss of energy (Bullen, James). As such, it is evident that consumption of junk foods creates a valid disruption of emotional health. To create a sound emotional balance, it is thus inevitable to eradicate the habit of consuming fast foods. Junk foods are extremely expensive. Kohut, Tania tables a price correlational study of health and junk foods (1). Kohut, Tania reports that junk foods are not only expensive on the shelves but also health wise (1). As such, Kohut, Tania adds that despite being overpriced compared to health foods, buyers end up contracting health diseases such as obesity and cancer and this attract financial burdens (1). It is this evident that consumers of junk foods pay a double price for purchasing junk foods. To create a solid financial health, it is imperative to purchase health foods and shun junk foods at all cost.
The choice of balancing physical, emotional and financial health largely depends on the choice of foods we consume. Junk foods predispose the human body to myriads of health complexities such as obesity that disrupts physical health. Fast foods further create a clear disruption to the endocrine system and largely determine human perceptions and moods. Lastly, junk foods are overpriced and burden consumers with health ailments that attract financial bills and death. To evade these complexities, it is important to shun junk foods.
Works Cited
Bullen, James. "The Foods Making You Feel Sad, Mad Or 'High On Life'." ABC News, 2017, www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-06-10/your-experiences-with-food-and- mood/8590710. Accessed 18 Oct 2017. Kohut, Tania. "Healthy Food Is Cheaper Than Junk Food, New Study Says." Global News, 2017, www.globalnews.ca/news/3290064/healthy-eating-food-prices/. Accessed 18 Oct 2017. Searcey, Dionne, and Matt Richtel. "Obesity Was Rising As Ghana Embraced Fast Food. Then Came KFC.." Nytimes.Com, 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/10/02/health/ghana-kfc-obesity.html. Accessed 18 Oct 2017. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Kimwits ( talk • contribs) 15:37, 19 October 2017 (UTC)
After careful consideration, I removed the following section (which was added as a single edit) for a variety of reasons discussed below:
This section is about fast food, which is not synonymous with junk food. In addition, it consists of unsourced and poorly sourced information, and items that are already covered in existing sections (e.g. "Health effects"). Except for the statements that a third of Americans eat fast food daily, and that fast food consumption has increased five-fold since 1970, both unsourced, there is nothing new. It is also poorly written, making arguments like, "alarming figures are not alarming given..." Deletion seems the best course. -- Tsavage ( talk) 02:19, 3 December 2015 (UTC)
References
The comment(s) below were originally left at Talk:Junk food/Comments, and are posted here for posterity. Following several discussions in past years, these subpages are now deprecated. The comments may be irrelevant or outdated; if so, please feel free to remove this section.
Good article but maybe go into depth on the effects on junk food on ones health, examples, etc. -- Warfreak 03:26, 16 June 2007 (UTC) |
Last edited at 03:26, 16 June 2007 (UTC). Substituted at 20:44, 29 April 2016 (UTC)
The statement that "Despite being labeled as "junk," such foods usually do not pose any immediate health concerns and are generally safe" is misleading. Junk refers to quality, not health hazards. (No timestamp, no signature found)
BUMP You see, I have a question. Instant noodles - do those count as junk food? Or should those stay in Comfort food category? I'm asking this, because there is a Wikipedian, who keeps claiming instant noodles to be one of the comfort foods of USA, yet the reference... letcs say, it is not American. They're attaching a link to British Broadcast Channel, e.g. the BBC. 2A00:1FA0:4287:F671:0:1A:9D24:CD01 ( talk) 12:43, 1 November 2023 (UTC)
The most recent edit to this article is one which contains information on potential negatives of junk food in essay format. It is formatted fairly incorrectly for wikipedia, from the sentence structure to citation format to even just indentations. It honestly looks as if someone wrote an assignment for school on junk food and then copy/pasted it here. I have edited it down to correct formatting and attempt to better integrate the information into the "Health effects" section, but further edits are likely needed. The information that had been added was somewhat helpful, just written with too much opinion and bias and cited incorrectly. I tried to save what seemed salvageable but in general the section could just use further support. — Preceding unsigned comment added by WellRehearsedWhale ( talk • contribs) 16:08, 19 October 2017 (UTC)
I noticed this strange error. The test was divided into 5 sections: Hyperactivity, peer problems, emotional symptoms and pro-social behavior. There's actually four listed, but it says five! Fix it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Braden1127 ( talk • contribs) 04:27, 13 March 2018 (UTC)
I fixed it. いくら Braden1127 イクラ Let's Discuss It! ꅇ 16:16, 13 March 2018 (UTC)