People know that it's wise to eat a healthy, balanced diet that is high in vitamins and minerals and low in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar. However, it's not always clear what the potential consequences are of not meeting nutritional recommendations or eating unhealthy foods. While proper nutrition promotes good long-term health, eating an unbalanced diet can result in nutrient deficiencies, obesity, disease and even depression.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Eating too little of any food group or type of nutrient has the potential to result in a deficiency, which can cause increasingly severe health effects over a long period of time. According to "Mayo Clinic Proceedings" author Robert P. Heaney, M.D., deficiencies of substances including vitamin D and calcium can result in osteoporosis or aggravate existing conditions of bone loss. The clinic also states that not getting enough folate, vitamin B-12, iron or vitamin C can lead to vitamin deficiency anemias, which reduce red blood cell counts and the body's oxygen supply.
Obesity
People who do not follow nutritional guidelines and eat many foods that are high in fat or sugar suffer an increased risk of becoming overweight or obese. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, continued overeating leads to weight gain, even if foods in the regular diet are healthy and offer nutritional benefits. Following a balanced diet, conversely, can help counteract obesity, because meeting nutritional recommendations may produce natural signals of fullness and satiation and reduce cravings for unhealthy foods.
Depression
According to Mayo Clinic registered dietitian Katherine Zeratsky, eating a poor diet has the potential to lead to depression or exacerbate existing symptoms of depression. Zeratsky defines a poor diet as including high amounts of processed foods, desserts, fried foods, chocolate, high-fat dairy products, refined cereals and other refined products. The New York Times Health Guide notes that poor nutrition negatively affects brain and nervous system functions, as well as growth, development and body tissues.
Lack of Energy
While eating a healthy, varied diet has the power to boost daily energy levels and maintain them from meal to meal, eating an unbalanced diet can have the opposite effect. People who do not get sufficient supplies of vitamins, minerals and nutrients or eat a diet rich in high-fat and high-sugar foods may experience lethargy, fatigue, restlessness or sleeplessness. Such effects may result in cravings for more foods that are high in sugar, caffeine or simple carbohydrates, which offer few nutritional benefits and can worsen negative symptoms.
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