Who knew junk foods can kill?

Who knew junk foods can kill?

Processed foods have been replacing the role of ravishing natural healthy foods. Times have changed, and companies will do whatever they can to get customer awareness. Processes, greasy, unhealthy foods are the new love of the twentieth century.

This atrocious trend is slowly killing young children. However, the main issue of processed foods is high cholesterol.

High cholesterol is the beginning stage of many health risks. According to the MNT (Medical News Today), high cholesterol is a lipid (fat) which is produced by the liver, and every cell in the human body has cholesterol in its outer layer.

Cholesterol is the worst factor to increase because the leading effects can be deadly. Heart risk, heart attacks, strokes, artery blockage, diabetes and heart disease are all dangers of high cholesterol levels. Habits of smoking, drinking alcohol, increase in bodyweight, nutrition and lack of exercise are all leading causes to high cholesterol.

However, healthy cholesterol levels can lead to lead to a longer and healthier life. According to Zetia (a medicine tablet which controls cholesterol levels) LDL stand for bad cholesterol and HDL stands for good cholesterol. If the cholesterol is less than 200 it is desirable, if it is 200-239, it is borderline high, and if it is 240 and above, the cholesterol levels are exteremly high.

“Most young teens and adults rarely worry about such conditions as high cholesterol until that one day they are lying in the hospital,” said freshman Brooke Jaynes from Gull Lake High School.

In the 1990’s there was a scare related to cholesterol levels in American children, says the CDC (Central for Disease Control and Prevention). Since that date those cholesterol levels in have worsened.

With the economy in a tough spot, many families look to fast food. Fast food restaurants are the leading cause of obesity in America today, says the GCOM website.

“Although there is the excuse of poor income, people truly do love and crave unhealthy foods,” said sophomore Jasmine Marane, from Gull Lake High School.

Schools are currently the leading provider for fatty foods in America. Pizzas, chips, chocolate, pops, fries and much more are served to young children every day during school lunches. Schools might hide unhealthy foods by adding a couple salads or fruit, but when a student walks into a cafeteria and has to choose between greasy hot foods or a salad, what would the majority choice be?

High cholesterol is easily triggered by miniscule choices people make daily. It comes down to what we are doing to ourselves. Intoxicating our bodies is not an good choice. The answer is simply to be healthy, because junk foods kill.

By Tanisha Jaynes

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