How Fast Food Affects Children’s Health?
Your children’s doctor must have often told you to avoid giving junk food also known as fast food to your kids. Though junk foods are rich in energy but they are relatively low in providing other important nutrients such as protein, fiber and essential vitamins required for the healthy development of your child. Most of the kids take an instant liking towards fast foods such as burgers, chips or a cheese laden pizza. Some parents often allow children to have junk food without realizing the negative impact of such food on their child’s overall health. In this blog we will discuss some of the reasons why you should avoid giving fast food to your children.
- Risk of obesity: Regular intake of junk food can give rise to problems such as obesity in young kids as a single fast food meal could add 160-310 extra kilocalories in your child’s daily diet. Obesity can later result into lower self-esteem and may even result into depression. It can hamper your child’s social skills as well as academic performance.
- Constipation: A diet consisting of high fat, sugar and other carbohydrates will make your child skip healthy food options such as fruits and vegetables that are rich in fiber. This can increase the chances of constipation.
- Risk of dental problems: Higher sugar intake can result in dental problems at a young age like dental caries.
- Risk of deficiency diseases: As mentioned earlier, junk foods lack essential vitamins such as Vitamin A and C as well as minerals like calcium and magnesium, this can cause deficiency diseases as well as there are chances that your child may have weaker bones. Consult your pediatrician if you see any symptoms of deficiency diseases.
- Lack of concentration: Essential fatty acids including Omega-3 and Omega-6 are missing in fast foods. They are essential for manufacturing cell membranes and are required for high concentration. Poor concentration levels can lead to difficulty in achieving tasks that need extended focus, hence this may also result in poor academic performance of your child.
If you feel your child is addicted to junk food you may consult your pediatrician and seek help.