Have you ever tried to reduce your junk intake? If you haven´t, then please do so as it is highly beneficial for you. Many kids in Apex High School frequently consume junk foods such as, fried chips, Cheetos, M&Ms, Talkies, cold fish and cupcakes, which negatively affects them through increasing obesity and reducing their energy. Reducing junk foods has a lot of perks, such as improved physical health, enhanced mental well-being, natural weight loss and increased energy. These perks are interconnected as improvements in one area positively influence others by generating a cycle of healthier living, which would have a positive impact on your lifestyle and would be helpful in shaping you to be healthier individuals. 

                  Excessive junk food consumption poses significant health risks to teenagers, primarily increasing their susceptibility to obesity and various chronic diseases. Nutrition.org says ¨the increasing percentage of calories from fast foods among adolescents over the past three decades has been paralleled by a dramatic rise in obesity prevalence.¨ Eating too much junk food increases the chances of various chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, type two diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Regularly eating fast food can increase the chances of acquiring these diseases, as fast food is typically low in fiber, which is essential for good bacteria in the gut. Scientific studies have proven that reducing junk food can help you breathe better, improve digestion, improve sleep and can give you clearer skin. Apex High School students consume a lot of junk food, as teenagers usually tend to prioritize taste, price, convenience and eye-catching appeal when choosing to eat foods, they always are quick in decision making, which also affects their decision to opt for junk foods more often than healthy foods.

                   Reducing the consumption of junk food also helps enhance your mental health and overall well being. Pmc.ncbi.nim.nih.gov says it can enhance your mental health ¨primarily by improving mood regulation, reducing the risk of depression and anxiety and fostering well-being.¨ Junk foods can disrupt the signaling of neurotransmitters and rapid spikes, or crashes in blood sugar levels, which might cause mood swings that could be improved through less consumption of it. Reducing junk food can also cause a decrease in inflammation caused by a diet high in junk food and might prompt people to consume foods with a higher nutrient intake, which helps reduce anxiety and depression. It would definitely be good for Apex High Schoolers to reduce overconsumption of junk foods, as it impairs the ability to think, learn, remember and control impulsive behaviors for everyone, although teenagers are generally more affected by this. It plays a role in making teenagers irrational, via its effects on their brain development and function, as it impacts cognitive control, reward processing, and impulsivity, all of which contribute to irrational behaviors. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for making responsible, thoughtful decisions in the brain, which isn’t fully developed in teenagers until they’re in their twenties, so it makes them prone to making impulsive and rash decisions, which is further enhanced by the overconsumption of junk food.

                   Reducing junk food will definitely help natural weight loss and increased energy levels. This comes as reducing it will increase a person’s intake of nutrient rich foods: whole grains, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, that provide the body with sustained energy. According to medicinewstoday.org, ¨Reducing junk food will help reduce a person’s overall caloric intake, which is essential for weight loss.¨ It would be better for Apex High School Students to reduce their junk intake, ¨as high sugar intake from junk food leaves energy fluctuations that can significantly impact concentration and academic performances of teenagers, by leaving them more tired than before, because of rapid spikes and crashes of sugar in the bloodstream,¨ as said by Today.usc.edu. These energy crashes are really disruptive during adolescence when consistent energy is needed for growth, development, and academic success.

                     It is hard to reduce the consumption of junk food for everyone, especially teenagers, as their brains get more rewarding behaviors like eating junk food compared to adult brains. The adolescents are more sensitive to foods high in sugar and fats, which leads to changes in the prefrontal cortex´s shape and function, which negatively cognitive control and increases impulsivity. Although this is the case, Apex High School students must work hard to resist their temptation and prevent from gulping junk food the first moment they lay their eyes on a sugary delight. All students must try their best to not give in to their sweet tooth, as reducing junk food has improved perks such as better mental and physical health, enhanced energy and reduced body weight. When you start reducing junk food in your diet, you will experience all the perks of leading a healthy lifestyle.