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Junk Food and Its Impact on Health

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Junk Food and Its Impact on Health
Pamela Gambrell
DeVry University

Junk Food and Its Impact on Health Michael was a man in his 30’s when I first met him. He had everything to live for: a beautiful wife and two gorgeous children. He was also morbidly obese and had a multitude of health problems. His biggest health problem? He had diabetes mellitus and was very noncompliant with his diet. He often came into the hospital with blood glucose levels way over 600. The last time Michael came into the hospital his blood sugar was over 1200 and he was in a diabetic coma from which he never recovered. Michael could have lived a much longer life had he chosen to eat healthier and refrain from junk food.
Michael’s story is just one of many that happen every day. In a country such as ours this should not be the norm. Junk food is a major industry in this country. It is much easier and often, less expensive for someone to obtain and consume junk food then it is to create healthy meals. The ramifications of junk food consumption are not widely known and these ramifications are beginning at an earlier age. Therefore, education needs to begin early in life and children should be able to have healthy food selections in schools. As an experienced registered nurse, I have seen many health problems that begin with obesity. These include heart disease, metabolic diseases, high blood pressure, stroke, cavities, and even some forms of cancer. The best way to avoid the majority of these health problems is to eat healthy and exercise. Even though I am an experienced registered nurse, I am a novice scholar, therefore I will utilize several sources that will establish my credibility regarding the health ramifications of consuming junk food on a regular basis. The concepts of Ashakiran, S., and Deepthi, R. (2012), Bains, A., and Rashid, M. (2013) and Kruger, D. J., Greenberg, E.,

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