How the Easy Junk Food Fix Can Be Bad for Kids

“Mummy, I’m hungry!” Some parents may jump with excitement that their kids are finally feeling hungry, but there are others who sigh, wondering how those tiny tummies are able to digest food faster than they can mutter ‘ABC’ If your child loves his or her junk food, it will be hard, but try as much as possible to resist the temptation to head to the nearest McDonald’s or KFC and get them a serving of French fries or fried chicken! Instead, try to feed them healthier options such as apple slices or some walnuts for a quick snack. The consequences of feeding them such fast food will negate the advantage of keeping their bellies filled.

Junk Food’s Effect on Health

It is so easy to keep cravings at bay with a simple candy bar or a soft drink that will definitely cause a spike in the sugar levels within kids. However, this sudden spike in sugar level in children is detrimental for them. Such food products, commonly termed as ‘junk food’ while seeming to solve a short-term problem, may cause unwanted and unnecessary health issues in future.

The lack of nutrition in junk food is astounding. Potato chips, soft drinks, and even French fries may seem to be filling, but they are essentially made of hollow calories. There are no nutrients in them, hence the child only absorbs unhealthy fat and carbohydrates from them. Continuous intake of junk food will inevitably cause kids to gain in the long run.

Food & The Associated Obesity

Physical appearance is just one of the undesirable consequences of our kids snacking on junk food. The concentration level of kids, together with the amount of energy that they have, will also be affected as a result. The sudden spike and crash in sugar level caused by the sudden influx of innutritious food, will result in children being even more tired than before.

Filled with lethargy due to the excess sugar, kids may then find it difficult to sit down and study, let alone release their excess energy by going outside to play!
Instead of creating this unwanted spiral of junk food leading to such negative health issues, we should focus on how we can create opportunities for kids to move around  and get active whenever they feel tired of sitting down. The few minutes spent outdoors just moving around is enough to get their energy levels going, and to induce endorphins, which will be more than beneficial to help them last for the day.

 

Having a similar effect to junk food, why not let our kids be ‘addicted’ to the healthier alternative of endorphins to help them (instead of harm them) in the long run?

 

 

 

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