Typical High Calorie Diet

Nowadays, many people are fond of eating a high-calorie diet, filled with fatty, fast food items, soft drinks, bagels and doughnuts. Due to the convenience of such foods, a typical diet tends more towards high calories with less nutrition. This style of eating, although common for both the young and old, can eventually lead to significant damage to your health and well-being.

History

Long before we had commercial production of foods designed for a long shelf life, food was whole, nutrient-rich and balanced in all the macro- and micro-nutrients necessary for optimal health and long life. As the populations increased and technology developed, family farms sold out to commercial interests, and large companies learned the fastest and most affordable ways to alter foods through heating, canning, adding preservatives and other fillers. These processes, although resulting in easy accessibility for consumers and cost-effectiveness for manufacturers, add significant calories to everyday food items, as well as harmful additives that hinder health.

Types

The cheapest and most readily available foods include the typical high-calorie fast food items, including burgers, fries, soft drinks and desserts. With the busy schedules that most people face everyday, fast food is exactly what they are looking for. Hamburger that is used by commercial fast food restaurants is often full of saturated fat, sodium, nitrates and sulfates, which can be harmful to your heart and waistline, suggests The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. French fries begin as carbohydrate rich potatoes that are then dipped in grease. Acrylamide is formed in a high heat reaction of sugars and asparagine, an amino acid, that is naturally present in certain foods such as potatoes, and is a synthetic, potentially dangerous chemical used for various industrial purposes. The risks are still being studied, suggests Michael Lam, doctor and editor with DrLam.com.

Effects

Eating a typical high-calorie diet has many effects on the body. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that the population compared with 20 years ago shows a marked increase in obesity and weight gain. If you look at kids in school, there's also a marked increase in obesity. The recommendation is to eat the calories your body needs to sustain a healthy weight and energy levels, through a balanced diet rich in nutrients that support a healthy body, suggests Bruce N. Ames, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, University of California, Berkeley.

Misconceptions

A common misconception in the diet world is that a calorie is a calorie -- yet the facts prove otherwise. Although a banana is relatively high in calories and natural sugars, when compared to its size, the nutritional value that is carried in the banana, from potassium to B6 and vitamin C, is essential to immune strength, digestion and metabolism. In contradiction, a doughnut or bowl of cereal might have a similar calorie count, but no nutritional substance, plus include processed sugars, bleached flour, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup and more. These additives compromise the body's natural ability to digest them properly and can create other adverse effects, suggests Donna Gates with BodyEcology.com

Considerations

Consider balance when designing a typical diet for yourself. If you currently consume the foods listed above, begin to incorporate healthier food choices that are lower in calories, such as fruits, nuts, seeds and meal replacement bars and shakes, as these treats are sweet and fortified with nutritional compounds. Also, begin to eliminate harmful, calorie-dense foods from your daily diet. Over time you can fully adjust to a new way of eating.