Junk food

Junk food is a pejorative term for cheap food containing high levels of calories from sugar or fat with little fiber, protein, vitamins or minerals. Junk food can also refer to high protein food like meat prepared with saturated fat - which some believe may be unhealthy, although some studies have shown no correlation between saturated fat and cardiovascular diseases. Many hamburger outlets, fried chicken outlets and the like supply food considered as junk food.

Despite being labeled as "junk", such foods usually do not pose any immediate health concerns and are generally safe when integrated into a well balanced diet. However, concerns about the negative health effects resulting from the consumption of a "junk food"-heavy diet, especially obesity, have resulted in public health awareness campaigns, and restrictions on advertising and sale in several countries.

The term junk food dates back at least to the early 1950s, although it has been reported that it was coined in 1972 by Michael F. Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In 1952, it appeared in a headline in the Lima, Ohio, News, "Candy, Cake, 'Junk Foods' Cause Serious Malnutrition", for a reprint of a 1948 article from the Ogden, Utah, Standard-Examiner, originally headlined, "Dr. Brady’s Health Column: More Junk Than Food". In it, Dr. Brady writes, "What Mrs. H calls 'junk' I call cheat food. That is anything made principally of (1) white flour and or (2) refined white sugar or syrup. For example, white bread, crackers, cake, candy, ice cream soda, chocolate malted, sundaes, sweetened carbonated beverages." The term cheat food can be traced back in newspaper mentions to at least 1916.

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