Some things are basically irresistible to some humans and no matter how many warnings you give them against those things, they will definitely go back to it.
I remember during a comedy show, a comedian went on the street to ask people why they can not quit smoking. Everyone has a different reason behind their actions but a particular guy made me laugh a lot. He said, "smoking gives him the courage to do the things he won't do on a usual day".
He was reminded of the health consequences of smoking and he said "I know everything but I can't quit it because I can't survive 6hrs without it and he believes it won't kill him.
The addiction has blinded his vision towards the effect of his action, many of us do not smoke or drink but the things we put in our mouths are as dangerous as the things we condemn every day.
Should I call it an addiction?
I will leave that for you to answer, it takes a lot of discipline for us to quit some habit as humans especially when we are addicted to it. Amongst the things I observed that are killing humans slowly and they can't do without is junk meal, the temptation towards it is hard to conquer.
I can personally count the number of times I have made up my mind to stay away from junk food, I make the decision today and break it the following day. That's why I mentioned earlier that it takes lots of discipline to do away with junk.
Recently I wrote a post on the platform about how staying healthy can be so cheap (read here) but I still personally embrace the expensive unhealthy meal just because of the pleasure I derive from eating them.
The prices of this food vary depending on your country, junk food is expensive here in Nigeria and it is the most consumed food in the country by people who can afford it, you will agree with me that it is not for everyone.
You can eat junk food worth $10 here in Nigeria at a go but trying that with homemade meals would mean you are either sharing or planning to waste the food.
Junk meals for me can be categorized into two parts, many of us today often classify snacks and various drinks as junk food.
That's right but there is more to that word junk when referring to food.
I do classify foods that are not prepared well or lack proper hygiene as junk food because they are not healthy.
A food that is meant to be healthy for consumption can become unhealthy if prepared poorly or in an unhygienic environment, that's why I encourage people to ensure that 80% of their meal should be prepared themselves so that it can be done properly.
Do you agree with me?
A food vendor was exposed recently in Nigeria, people discovered that she doesn't boil her meat before cooking it in her soup. She just pours the meat after washing which is very unhygienic and causes different kinds of diseases or illnesses for us.
A lot of customers wouldn't have known that they were eating junk food if she wasn't exposed, I am sure that there are still many of her kind who cooks such rubbish for people all in the name of earning a living.
I know many people would say, they don't eat from roadside food vendors so they can't fall victim to such a thing. You are deceiving yourself because there are times people will even vouch for a roadside vendor than a big brand you don't know what their kitchen looks like.
Do you know how those big vendors prepare their meals?
We are been fooled by the packaging and brand name, we have been blinded by the taste and many don't bother to verify how the food they can't do without is been prepared by a vendor they can't stop patronizing.
This generation of ours can be very stubborn and it cool to know that we always want physical facts before accepting caution against someone or something but can we still boast of a healthy life because the facts are verified?
For instance, there is a particular food thousands of Nigerians can't do without daily.
It is called Suya, it is mostly sold at night by the roadside. Although there are good shops where you can get it but many prefer to purchase it by the roadside at night.
Despite warnings about how unhygienic the food can be due to its exposure to dirt and not knowing where it was prepared, people still walk a long distance at night just to have a taste of it.
We are not confused enough by the warning and despite the proof of how dangerous it could be, we still want to eat it.
Have you ever wondered why junk foods remain the number one choice for many people?
There are lots of things associated with why people choose junk food over healthy meals, they include laziness to make good food, a busy life schedule that doesn't give time for us to make our meal, the delicious melting taste we get from junk food, addiction to it, and many others but whichever reason is it doesn't worth damaging our health.
Some people see junk food as a means of flaunting their wealth, they go on eating expensive rubbish just to prove that they have the cash. What they are doing is automatically preparing how to spend their money when they are old paying medical bills every day just to stay alive.
I saw one of Cristiano Ronaldo videos lately where he rejected the coke drink he was offered during a press meeting, he could have just gulped the drink due to the sweetness but he knew the effect of what the drink could cause him. Many of us would go on to consume 2-3 of these drinks daily which is very dangerous for us.
We don't need to search too far for the effect of these junk foods we consume daily, the health conditions of many people across the world are horrible. The hospitals have become home to many just as a result of just eating anything to quench their hunger. Most of the tedious works our parent does, we kids can't attempt it because of our unhealthy lifestyle.
Some parent has taught their kids to live on junk foods alone, they go jumping from one unhealthy meal to another all in the name of not being able to make meals at home due to stress at work. These kids grow up to start struggling with their health.
Do I have to stay away completely from junk food?
That would be your choice to make because it is a very difficult thing to do and I don't believe that staying away from it is the real deal but been disciplined around junk food.
Very true. We need to discipline ourselves with some things we are eating causing damage to our health. I am someone that doesn't like junk foods or eating outside because I am always afraid not to eat rubbish. I prefer to cook my meal at home and save my money for something else.
We may think we are enjoying ourselves today by flaunting our money on things that could kill us instantly, but we are only wasting our resources for the future and by then, it will be too late to regret your steps.
We need to discipline ourselves even if we find it difficult to stop such thing. I think we can actually put a stop to some of the things we know are causing harm to us than good.