Why processed foods are not helping obesity rates

This might be All American
but if you knew what was
really in it, you'd call
Homeland Security!

With the result of obesity increasing every year there are over 1.5 billion people overweight and 400 million are obese. Within these totals they bring many health problems that ultimately cause earlier deaths because their bodies break down. We have talked about healthy eating and portion sizes but I’m going to go more closely on how processed foods lead to obesity. The real question is what are processed foods? Processed foods are foods that have been altered from their natural state. Processed foods are in more foods the ever before. Some major ingredients that play a part in this role would be sweeteners, salts, artificial flavors, factory-created fats, colorings, chemicals that alter texture, and preservatives. Also it does not deal with everything that you put in, but also the nutrients that are taken out of foods. Processed foods are distorted out of their natural state for “safety” reasons and for feasibility reasons, but about 90% of the money we spend on food is to acquire processed items. People tend to acquire themselves to eating processed foods because it is convenient and does not take long to drive to get or make. That is why households have many of the obesity issues because of time and cheaper. Some things to consider when you eat processed foods would be color, emulsify, bleach, sweeten, and hide odors, flavors, and many more. Also another interesting fact is that most processed foods come with tons of ingredients, and to most people they cannot even be pronounced. This shows that we truly do not know what we are consuming into our bodies. Studies all over indicate when most families do not know or try to be healthy by cooking home cooked meals they are really not because they are not aware of ingredients’ that are mixed in. Manufactures do not show us all the facts about how the foods are processed because if they did we probably wouldn’t buy it.


Here are some more reasons you might want to consider when you’re putting jar of Vienna Sausages in your shopping cart:

•Chemical’s that are used in processed foods are known to carry carcinogenic properties. (Cancer agents)

•One study at the University of Hawaii concluded that almost 200,000 people that ate most processed meats (like hot dogs or bologna) 67 percent were at a higher risk of pancreatic cancer than people who ate very little or none at all.

•With the high amounts in sugar, fat and salt, and low nutrients and fiber that processed foods have it leads to obesity quick.

•The World Health Organization blames processed food for the high percentage in obesity and chronic diseases around the world.

•Tran’s fatty acids that we do not want to consume because TFA’s rise LDL and eliminates your HDL which leads to heart disease.


And If That's Not Enough To Make You Avoid Processed Foods, Try Swallowing This:

With your taste buds attracting to the strong flavors of processed foods it causes you to add more salt and sugar to the natural flavors of whole foods. Also some processed foods are contained with different animal parts that you do not want to eat, for instance snouts, ears, and esophagi. Does not sound appetizing to me, if you ask me! Lastly eating a diet that contains a large amount of processed foods leads to diabetes, and liver failure.

A study in Spain has found diets that are high in Tran’s fat (for example most that is found in fast foods) lead to a 50 percent increase in the risk of depression. The team evaluated 12,000 individuals in their diet and lifestyle over a 6 year period and concluded that 657 were diagnosed with this illness.

Also a study done recently at the University of Colorado School of Medicine cautioned the rise in child obesity will lead to a higher percentage in adulthood and obesity related metabolic and cardiovascular complications. Many show signs of these disorders such as hypertension, elevated cholesterol levels, and insulin resistance. In this issue it raises more issues on type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease.

In conclusion all of these facts and studies portray why people are becoming obese and what the major problems are. We cannot be sure that even if you ate really healthy you would not have consumed processed foods, but we can make it a smaller percent to what a person contains. Lastly, becoming more aware and practice healthier eating habits can lead to a smaller chance in obesity and years of health issues.

Here is a helpful video from CBN News!

Helpful links:
Body Ecology
Every Day Health

By:Lindsay Huff