Many manufacturers across America are adding vitamins and other nutrients to many foods and drinks, especially junk food. Americans love healthy food and beverages, so if food businesses add more nutrients to their food, they are most likely to have increased sales. Food products called “nutraceuticals” or “functional foods” can prevent health problems. Consumers who buy dressed-up junk foods are increasing; however, these foods are just a lie. These so-called functional foods may look healthier, but they really just consist of big amounts of calories and are still junk foods.
Though dressed-up junk foods consist of vitamins and nutrients, they still contain huge amounts of hidden fats and sugars. Adding nutrients to junk foods still does not lessen the amount of fat and calories inside the food product. Granola bars are said to contain fruits, oats, seeds, and grains, but they have big amounts of sugar and fats in them. 55% of American households have snacks, especially granola bars, in them. In every 100 grams of a granola bar, there are 20 grams of fat and 29 grams of sugar, but only 7.4 grams of protein. Medical director Yoni Freedhoff says: “I think the public perception is that if there is the word granola in it that it’s healthy for you. There’s a lot of things that sound healthy but then tend to get stuck together with lots of sugar and lots of high-calorie fats.” People say that because when one separates the lettuce, meat, and bread, it is healthy, a hamburger is healthy. But the two cases are quite different. Burgers also contain ketchup, cheese, mayo, and more. Burgers contain lots of cholesterol, saturated fat, sodium, and calories. A burger has a 57% total calorie diet per day. Manufacturers of soda, yogurt, ice cream, cereal, and lots more all talk about the healthy parts and proteins in the food product but exclude the number of unhealthy substances in them.
These dressed-up junk foods have the same function as normal junk food: to get people hooked on it and never stop eating it. Not only are these food products made from junk, but they also have the same definition as junk food. Dressed-up junk foods still make a lot of people get addicted to them and never stop eating them. It is the taste that makes people hooked. Granola bars are considered dressed-up junk food, as 55% of American households have granola bars within them. The annual sales for granola bars or other products are about 7 billion dollars. Cookies contain whole grain flour, protein, vitamins, fiber, and minerals. But 20% of Americans are addicted to cookies and other food products: that is exactly what a junk food does. Doctor Pam Peeke says: “The harsh reality with food addiction is that abstinence from all food is not an option. You must walk among your “drugs” every day of your life. You cannot escape them, no matter where you go.” Fast food includes fries, pizza, hot dogs, and sandwiches. These dressed-up junk foods are consumed by many people. 36.6% of adults in America eat fast every day! Most junk foods “just flat out taste good”, which is why granola bars, ice cream, fast foods, cereals and lots more are still considered a type of junk food.
Dressed-up junk foods can also make us eat too much of the food product and stop eating other foods. If we eat more of this food product and stop eating other foods, we will get unhealthy, so dressed-up junk foods are still junk food. Dressed-up junk foods have another similarity with junk foods: they make us crave to eat that specific food. Soon, we might even stop eating other foods. Our body and brain starts to get used to the junk food, especially because junk foods are easy to eat and tend to be cheaper than making healthy food ourselves. Junk foods are also tastier than a lot of healthy foods. Outside, there are only fast food restaurants, but fast food is considered a junk food. Dressed-up junk food products such as granola bars, cereal, yogurt, fast food, and more have the same effect as normal junk food. Vera Tarman says: “Is everyone who eats too much a food addict? No. But the question of where to draw the line between behavior that merely indicates the enjoyment of food at one end of the spectrum, and behavior that is symptomatic of someone suffering the persistent and annoying cravings spurred by addiction at the other end, is a difficult one to answer.” These dressed-up junk foods not only have junk and can cause food addiction, they can make us unhealthy too, just like normal junk food.
“Dressed-up junk foods” are just junk food with vitamins and nutrients. However, they are still considered a junk food. Dressed-up junk foods are just the same thing as normal junk foods: they have a ton of fat and calories within them, they can cause food addiction, and can also make us unhealthy. Even though they do have some nutrients, that does not mean the calories they contain are any less than normal junk food. Once we bite into these food products, most people can never stop eating them. That causes us to be unhealthy, as we might stop eating any other foods. So why do manufacturers say that these junk foods are healthy when they aren’t? Americans prefer healthy food, and if they think that these dressed-up junk foods are healthy, the annual sale of each brand would increase. Soon, the manufacturers an obtain more money by making this ‘dressed-up junk food trick.’
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