When you eat healthy foods often, your body gets the protein, vitamins, minerals and good carbohydrates and fats that it needs for life functions. When you don't, the consequences of a poor diet bring nutritional disorders, fitness-related health problems and risks for diseases.
Many risks stem from weight gained by eating high-calorie foods full of fat and sugar. Others come from unhealthy amounts of salt and cholesterol. The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans note that getting more of these less-desirable nutrients means that you get less of the good stuff that keeps you healthy.
Obesity
Failing to remove excess pounds that accumulate when you don't eat healthy can lead to obesity. The American Heart Association defines obesity as a body mass index of 30 or more, calculated by your weight-to-height ratio.
Obesity brought on by a poor diet restricts mobility, affecting your fitness level and increasing your chances of getting heart disease. Other health problems associated with obesity include osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease and type 2 diabetes.
Cardiovascular Disease
As you eat healthy, you automatically limit fatty and salty foods that have too many detrimental nutrients. A poor diet of fast foods or processed foods high in saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol may cause you to develop clogged arteries or high blood pressure, which makes the heart work harder than normal.
The AHA reports that these cardiovascular health problems, termed atherosclerosis and hypertension, can progress and cause medical emergencies, such as heart attack and stroke. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in America.
Type 2 Diabetes
While anyone can contract type 2 diabetes, becoming overweight raises your risk for it. If you don't eat healthy, you are less likely to exercise regularly, another risk factor for type 2 illness, according to the American Diabetes Association. This incurable disease of the endocrine system affects blood sugar regulation and requires medication management for life.
Diabetics are prone to high blood pressure, eye degeneration, skin infections and neurological and vascular disorders of the legs and feet. Diabetics can suffer serious health problems, including hypoglycemia, kidney disease, diabetic coma and stroke.
Cancer
The Office of the Surgeon General reports that becoming overweight or obese increases your risk for some types of cancer. For instance, women who gain more than 20 lbs. between ages 18 and 40 have twice the risk for postmenopausal breast cancer as those who do not. Poor diets low in fiber and other nutrients may also contribute to colon cancer, according to the CDC.
Member Comments