What are the effective strategies to reduce junk food intake?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have been seeing a ton of fast food ads everywhere I look, and it is really hard to resist the temptation. I know these foods are not the healthiest, but I keep getting drawn in by the ads. Can you explain the relationship between junk food consumption and obesity? What are some practical ways to reduce my intake of junk food and develop healthier eating habits? Are there any specific triggers I should watch out for or tips to help me manage my cravings better?

Kindly help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern.

If you ingest a lot of calories, especially fat and sugar, but do not expend them through physical activity, the body will store a large portion of the excess calories as fat. Obesity has been identified as an epidemic that affects people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities.

To urgently control the non-communicable diseases (NCD) crisis, the government needs to bring in a public health bill to reduce the consumption of foods high in added sugar, sodium, and fat (HFSS) and ultra-processed foods (UPF), popularly called junk food,

Try snacking on a piece of fresh fruit or veggie sticks with hummus. Identify foods that you enjoy but are lower-calorie foods that are also low in fat, salt, or sugar. Pick foods you enjoy eating so you do not end up craving junk food. Our stomach and brain need to be satisfied with food consumed at meals and in-between.

I hope this information helps.

Thank you.