According to the Center for Disease Control’s National Health and Nutrition Education Survey, in 1959, 13% of adult Americans were overweight or obese. In 2010 that figure had climbed to 69.9% (CDC/NHANES, 2011). Obesity, a risk factor for diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and stroke has reached epidemic proportion in the United States. It continues to increase across the population regardless of age, education, or socioeconomic level.
In 1972 Michael Jacobson, the director of the American Center for Science in the Public Interest, coined the term “junk food” in reference to food that was high in calories and low in nutritional value (Fadhillah, 2011). Today fast food and junk food are synonymous; both are highly palatable foods that …show more content…
Serotonin is known as the feel good chemical, and tryptophan is its amino acid precursor. Tryptophan competes with other amino acids to cross the blood brain barrier, and as it is rare in food, rarely wins the competition. However, the ingestion of carbohydrates, which are broken down into sugar, and the subsequent insulin release chase away the competing amino acids allowing tryptophan to enter the brain (Fortuna, 2010). Many traditional comfort foods such as ice cream, cake, and chocolate, are high in carbohydrates and or sugar therefor their ingestion stimulates a serotonin high. Unfortunately because of the lack of protein and fibrous carbohydrates in junk food, the insulin that allows tryptophan to enter the brain, also causes an abrupt drop in blood glucose levels resulting in fatigue, irritability, and a craving for more …show more content…
The “why” is much more complicated. If the growth rate of obesity goes unchecked, by the year 2030, almost 90% of the adult population of the United States will meet the definition of overweight or obese. By current estimate, obesity and it’s complications are responsible for 10% of the medical costs in the United States (Apovian & Gordon, 2014). The problem is serious enough that in 2011, the National Institute on Drug Abuse allocated six million dollars for research into food addiction (Beil, 2012). In addition federal agencies, trade groups, and watchdog organizations are asking hospitals across the country to commit to promoting a healthier environment for employees, visitors, and patients by removing junk food items from vending machines and cafeterias (Lee, 2012). In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that hospitals have an opportunity to be “role models” for the community by offering the healthiest menu options possible. And in 2012, the American Hospital Association (AHA) recommended hospitals incorporate the elimination of junk food and smoking cessation to create “a culture of health” (Lee, 2012, p. 7). Maulik Joshi, senior vice president of research for the AHA refers to these initiatives as a thoughtful approach that should be embraced, as wellness and prevention play a major role in the new model of
In 1972 Michael Jacobson, the director of the American Center for Science in the Public Interest, coined the term “junk food” in reference to food that was high in calories and low in nutritional value (Fadhillah, 2011). Today fast food and junk food are synonymous; both are highly palatable foods that …show more content…
Serotonin is known as the feel good chemical, and tryptophan is its amino acid precursor. Tryptophan competes with other amino acids to cross the blood brain barrier, and as it is rare in food, rarely wins the competition. However, the ingestion of carbohydrates, which are broken down into sugar, and the subsequent insulin release chase away the competing amino acids allowing tryptophan to enter the brain (Fortuna, 2010). Many traditional comfort foods such as ice cream, cake, and chocolate, are high in carbohydrates and or sugar therefor their ingestion stimulates a serotonin high. Unfortunately because of the lack of protein and fibrous carbohydrates in junk food, the insulin that allows tryptophan to enter the brain, also causes an abrupt drop in blood glucose levels resulting in fatigue, irritability, and a craving for more …show more content…
The “why” is much more complicated. If the growth rate of obesity goes unchecked, by the year 2030, almost 90% of the adult population of the United States will meet the definition of overweight or obese. By current estimate, obesity and it’s complications are responsible for 10% of the medical costs in the United States (Apovian & Gordon, 2014). The problem is serious enough that in 2011, the National Institute on Drug Abuse allocated six million dollars for research into food addiction (Beil, 2012). In addition federal agencies, trade groups, and watchdog organizations are asking hospitals across the country to commit to promoting a healthier environment for employees, visitors, and patients by removing junk food items from vending machines and cafeterias (Lee, 2012). In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that hospitals have an opportunity to be “role models” for the community by offering the healthiest menu options possible. And in 2012, the American Hospital Association (AHA) recommended hospitals incorporate the elimination of junk food and smoking cessation to create “a culture of health” (Lee, 2012, p. 7). Maulik Joshi, senior vice president of research for the AHA refers to these initiatives as a thoughtful approach that should be embraced, as wellness and prevention play a major role in the new model of