by Erin Doherty

Created on: November 10, 2009

Most people understand the fundamentals of a healthy diet, which includes plenty of whole grains, fruit, fish, and limited meat. Unfortunately, many people who need to improve their diets continue to eat junk food, or food high in simple carbohydrates, preservatives, fat and salt, even though they know it is most likely harming their health. This self-sabotage happens for three reasons convenience, habit or comfort, and cost.

Junk food is widely available in vending machines, convenience stores, cafeterias, and grocery stores. Most of it is already prepared and portable. Many people pick up a small bag of chips or a candy bar as an afternoon snack and eat it at their desk without thinking about the consequences. Others may run errands and stop at a drive-through for a meal that is primarily junk food. Comparatively, a healthy meal may take an hour or more to shop for, prepare, and clean up.

Lifelong habits and traditions surrounding a variety of junk foods can be hard to recognize and break. Many people associate a trip to the movies with a bucket of buttered popcorn and a box of candy. Most people eat chips with sandwiches without questioning the nutritional value of deep-fried potatoes. Thanksgiving, Halloween, birthdays, and Christmas are all excuses to overindulge. The typical western diet has dozens of examples of associating unhealthy food with a healthier food or a social event. Without healthy options, most people will continue to eat what is available.

Comfort is another reason people continue to eat junk food. Foods high in carbohydrates, salt, sugar, or fat taste good and can be soothing. After a hard day, many people settle down with a bag of chips, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, or tub of ice cream. All of these foods taste good and can make people feel better in the short term, but the long-term effects can be severe. Sometimes people are able to avoid comfort food, but this is extremely unlikely unless the healthy alternative is already prepared in an appetizing or comforting way.

Finally, prepackaged snack food and fast food producers have driven down their costs to the point that most value meals are less expensive than healthier options. It would be difficult to prepare a complete, healthy meal with plenty of organic vegetables, low-fat dairy and lean meat for less than the cost of a burger, fries, and soft drink. Although healthy fast food options are improving, without planning, it is difficult to bring the cost of healthy eating down to the cost of eating fast food.

Encouraging people to adopt a healthier diet is not enough. Most people will not change their diets unless the underlying reasons for eating junk are addressed.

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