Want To Lose Weight, Stop Eating Fast Food

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I’m just going to come out and say it: The truth is, many of us get too many calories and not enough nutrients from fast food, candy, prepackaged goods, and sodas. Even if you’re not overweight, don’t be too quick to write off your junk-food habit as acceptable. Outwardly thin people aren’t necessarily healthy, as it’s possible to be skinny and in poor metabolic health, thanks to bad nutrition and lack of exercise.

Many of us feel compelled to eat junk food (after all, it can taste so good), but is a diet high in fat, sugar, and salt worth the trade-off of the elevated risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancers? Kicking the junk-food habit — coupled with regular, heart-pumping exercise — will tip the scales of healthy living in your favor.

Don’t know where to start? These simple guidelines will help you get over the hump in no time:

Knowledge is power — and in the case of junk food, it can also be downright scary. While grocery aisles may seem fairly benign, they’re actually packed with misinformation and techniques employed by manufacturers to lure consumers into making unhealthy purchases. “They are doing everything they can to get you to make a spontaneous decision,” explains Michael Moss, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter for The New York Times and author of Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us. “Typically, in the middle part of the aisle on eye level is where they put the most alluring foods,” Moss says, of items like high-sugar cereals and salt-laden chips. The healthier alternatives, such as whole-grain cereal, are often located near your ankles or way up high. Another issue? Many consumers take it for granted that labels and packaging tell the whole truth, when in reality, misleading nutritional claims (think: “low-fat,” “all-natural,” “added calcium”) are often made. “This is where they’re going after you to distract you [with] positive messages, in hopes that you’re not going to turn the package over and look at the fine print,” says Moss. And we’re not just talking about cookies and candy here, either: “Wholesome” items like bread and pasta sauces are frequently infused with a ton of added sugar. So do your homework and be a discerning shopper. You might (read: likely will) be shocked by what you find.

Many consumers take it for granted that labels and packaging tell the whole truth, when in reality, misleading nutritional claims (think: “low-fat,” “all-natural,” “added calcium”) are often made. “This is where they’re going after you to distract you [with] positive messages, in hopes that you’re not going to turn the package over and look at the fine print,” says Moss. And we’re not just talking about cookies and candy here, either: “Wholesome” items like bread and pasta sauces are frequently infused with a ton of added sugar. So do your homework and be a discerning shopper. You might be shocked by what you find.

You’re probably wondering why do grocery stores encourage you to buy unhealthy food? Don’t be naive, follow the money. Stores put a price on shelf space. Manufacturers pay for a prime location on the shelf. And unhealthy foods are more profitable than healthy food. So be careful when you shop. Just because you don’t die from eating that frozen pizza doesn’t mean it,s good for you. It's the chemicals in food that cause health problems.



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