9781422270974

1 Chapter

What Are Unhealthy Eating Habits?

The Role of Food in Our Lives Eating is a necessary part of our survival. Food provides us with the nutrients that we need for our bodies to function. It not only provides us with energy, but eating can also be a pleasurable experience. It’s why we choose to eat certain foods over other foods. We frequently choose to eat things just because they taste good. The food choices that we make every day are also influenced by our budgets, sleep schedules, stress levels, social situations, and how much time we have to both prepare and eat our meals. While food is necessary for our survival, not all foods are good for us. In fact, eating specific foods in excess can negatively affect our health. We can see that in the rising obesity rates around the world, and specifically within the United States. About 42.5 percent of adults aged 20 and over were obese, according to results from the 2017–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Many had chronic health condition such as hypertension, heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, or cancer. Simply put, some foods that we eat are causing a serious negative impact on our health and could even be said to be killing us.

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