Hampering growth: Excessive junk food leading to unhealthy generation

Experts say mass consumption leads to obesity and other health complications among children

ISLAMABAD:

Children are being drawn towards highly processed food items all the more, with every new product adding up on racks in stores.

The fast food outlets have also added to a culture of mass consumption of processed food items, high in carbohydrates, wrecking havoc on digestive systems.

Picking up food items such as packed juice or chips has been normalised as part of a regular consumption pattern. Numerous researches and doctors frequently indicate the health complications among children due to consumption of food high in carbohydrates.

“One of the most obvious outcomes of junk food consumption on regular basis is obesity among children, leading to diabetes and joints problem at a very young age,” said Dr Mohsin Butt, a paediatrician.

Dr Jamshed Gulzar, a child specialist in Rawalpindi, shared that over the years he has noticed more kids coming up with obesity-related complications, which should not be there given their young age.

“A child usually gains weight by consuming unhealthy fats and added sugars but lacks in essential nutrients, resulting in a chubby or healthy outlook, but can hardly do extensive physical activities,” he said.

There was no evidence of unhealthy foods directly affecting development or performance of children as a student, said Gulzar. “But naturally, adopting a lifestyle which lacks basic nutrients certainly affects normal growth of a child,” he added. “An unbalanced diet fails in maintaining haemoglobin levels, leaving the child anaemic,” he said.



“Ideally half of the balanced diet must consist of vegetables and fruits,” said Dr Raja Tariq, a child specialist.

Doctors say junk food does lead to many health complications but developing stomach ulcers is uncommon. “Stomach ulcers among kids are rare and only one out of thousand patients develop serious gastric ulcers due to careless eating,” said Gulzar. “Mothers should also stop feeding their kids with broiler chicken as it does not help in maintaining nutrients or haemoglobin levels,” he added.

“Likewise, fizzy drinks act in reducing calcium level in bones, making them weaker. I am afraid next generation would not even be able to lift a brick, if this trend continues,” he warned.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 1^st, 2015.