The effects of a poor diet range from having minor to severe consequences. It is vital to eat a wide variety of foods when possible for optimal digestion and absorption of essential nutrients. Nutrients play crucial roles in health and longevity and have been researched and proven to prevent disease and sickness.
Vitamin Deficiencies
Having a poor diet can lead to vitamin deficiencies. The body needs more than 13 vitamins to stay healthy. The B vitamins play important roles in maintaining energy levels. Vitamin B-12 and folate deficiencies can lead to anemia, which causes fatigue due to the decreased availability of red blood cells to carry oxygen to the body. Vitamin C improves immune functioning to prevent sickness. Vitamin A assists in vision functioning and acts as an antioxidant to protect cells from free radicals that can cause cancer.
Mineral Deficiencies
A poor diet often lacks essential minerals, which are important for making hormones, keeping bones healthy and regulating heart beat. Calcium and phosphorus play pivotal roles in bone and teeth development. Potassium and sodium work together to regulate water balance within the cells. Iron is essential in preventing anemia.
Weight Gain
Poor diets often consist of unhealthy foods, such as fried foods, sweets and processed foods. These foods lack satiety characteristics and contain too many calories. Excess calories eaten in any form will lead to weight gain; moreover, a poor diet does not include nutritious and satisfying food groups such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. Being overweight causes increased risk for sleep apnea, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases.
Weight Loss/Failure to Thrive
A poor diet can lead to inadequate calorie intake in less common cases. This causes weight loss due to severe calorie restriction, decreased appetite or clinical depression. Children with poor diets may have failure to thrive. Failure to thrive is indicative of inadequate growth during critical years of development. Failure to thrive may be caused from medically based problems, such as digestive or metabolic disorders, that limit the child's tolerable food choices.
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