The Negative Effects of Processed Foods
Food is one of life’s main essentials to sustain viability. The ongoing growth, maintenance and repair of the body depends deeply on the energy and nutrients supplied to the body through foods. The nutrients that food delivers to the human body is an amazingly, dynamic process that keeps people alive and well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that over 25 million people in America have diabetes; 215,000 of those are children and over 69 percent of all Americans are overweight and obese. This includes childhood obesity, which has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years. There is also the deadly threat of food intolerances, which according to the CDC, has increased approximately 50 percent between 1997 and 2011. That means 1 in every 13 children under the age of 18 have a food allergy, according to statistics. These diseases cause many complications and are responsible for a reduced quality of life. These startling statistics reveal that Americans, especially children, are not getting the proper nutrients their body needs. America has taken technological innovations in food production to the next level and has an abundant food supply. So why are so many Americans sick with food related diseases? Taking a closer look at America’s diet holds the answer. A typical American diet consists of 70 percent processed foods. This includes packaged foods, fast foods, and foods that could not be prepared with simple ingredients in a home kitchen. Processed foods can broadly be defined at food that is changed from its natural, raw state. Joseph Hyder, a dietician at the Mayo Clinic, defines food processing as:
Methods used to transform raw ingredients into different forms of food. Food processing often produces foods that have extended shelf lives and contain