Unhealthy eating can dramatically affect your quality of life. A poor diet can affect your mood, level of energy, self-esteem and physical and mental well-being. Unhealthy eating increases an individual's chances of becoming overweight or obese, thus, increasing his or her risk for a number of serious illnesses.
Obesity
Obesity increases an individual's risk of developing a wide range of potentially fatal diseases. If you eat more calories than you burn, your body stores that food in the form of fat, which leads to weight gain. Consuming foods that are highly processed and high in unhealthy fats, sodium and sugars decreases the amount of nutrients individuals take in. Unhealthy eating is often perpetuated convenience, cost and a seemingly better taste and, thus, rapidly spirals into steady and detrimental weight gain.
Heart Disease
Individuals who follow a poor diet are at a greater risk of developing heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. A diet that is high in unhealthy fats like saturated fats causes cholesterol to build up in your blood vessels, putting you at higher risk for serious heart conditions. Foods that are high in saturated fats include fatty meats like bacon and other animal products like butter, cream, lard and sour cream.
Cancer
Diet has been associated with up to 40 percent of cancers. Obesity and unhealthy eating predisposes individuals to cancers like breast cancer. For example, breast cancer is less prevalent in countries that consume diets that are more plant-based and, thus, lower in saturated and polyunsaturated fats. Furthermore, foods without pesticides reduce the risk of consuming carcinogenic agents that may cause destructive cell changes.
Diabetes
Obesity, often caused by a poor diet, is the number one risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Excess fatty tissue makes the body more resistant to insulin. Consuming more calories than you burn and excess fat causes the body to raise glucose levels. When these levels are constantly out of balance, several complications may arise that are associated with diabetes including kidney and heart damage.
