Editing Junk food

{{short description|Unhealthy food high in salt, sugar or fat}}
[[File:USMC-100629-M-3215R-002.jpg|thumb|A poster at [[Camp Pendleton]]'s 21-Area Health Promotion Center describes the effects of junk food that many [[US marines|Marines]] and [[US sailor|sailors]] consume.]]
"'''Junk food'''" is a term used to describe food that is high in [[calorie#Nutrition|calories]] from [[macronutrient]]s such as [[sugar]] and [[fat]], and often also high in [[sodium]], making it [[hyperpalatable]], and low in [[dietary fiber]], [[Protein (nutrient)|protein]], or [[micronutrient]]s such as [[vitamin]]s and [[dietary element|minerals]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/junk%20food | title=junk food | publisher=Merriam-Webster Dictionary | access-date=13 March 2015 | archive-date=30 September 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930083107/http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/junk%20food | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="m">{{cite news|last=O'Neill|first=Brendon|title=Is this what you call junk food?|work=[[BBC News]]|date=November 30, 2006|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6187234.stm|access-date=June 29, 2010|archive-date=October 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191010164339/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6187234.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> It is also known as "high in fat, salt and sugar food" ('''HFSS food''').<ref name="ama-who">{{Cite web|last=Parks|first=Troy|date=16 Dec 2016|title=WHO warns on kids' digital exposure to junk-food ads|url=https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/population-care/who-warns-kids-digital-exposure-junk-food-ads|website=American Medical Association|access-date=30 December 2018|archive-date=5 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705012247/https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/population-care/who-warns-kids-digital-exposure-junk-food-ads|url-status=live}}</ref> The term ''junk food'' is a [[pejorative]] dating back to the 1950s.<ref>{{cite news|author=Zimmer, Ben|date=30 Dec 2010|title=On Language: Junk|newspaper=New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/magazine/02FOB-onlanguage-t.html?_r=0|access-date=19 March 2015|archive-date=19 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619084158/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/magazine/02FOB-onlanguage-t.html?_r=0|url-status=live}}</ref>

Precise definitions vary by purpose and over time. Some high-protein foods, like meat prepared with [[saturated fat]], may be considered junk food.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Scott|first=Caitlin|date=May 2018|title=Sustainably Sourced Junk Food? Big Food and the Challenge of Sustainable Diets|journal=Global Environmental Politics|language=en|volume=18|issue=2|pages=93–113|doi=10.1162/glep_a_00458|s2cid=57559050|issn=1526-3800|doi-access=free}}</ref> [[Fast food]] and [[fast-food restaurant]]s are often equated with junk food, although fast foods cannot be categorically described as junk food.<ref name="smithencyclo" /><ref name="newyorker">{{Cite web |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/11/02/freedom-from-fries |title=Freedom from Fries |last=Specter |first=Michael |date=2 November 2015 |website=New Yorker |access-date=2019-01-01 |archive-date=2023-09-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230903145841/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/11/02/freedom-from-fries |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="sciencekids">{{Cite web |url=http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/food/fastfood.html |title=Fast Food Facts |last=Smith |first=Rene |website=Science Kids |access-date=2019-01-01 |archive-date=2022-08-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802010251/https://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/food/fastfood.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Candy]], [[Soft drink|soft drinks]], and [[Food processing#Processing levels|highly processed foods]] such as certain [[Breakfast cereal|breakfast cereals]], are generally included in the junk food category;<ref name="smithencyclo" /><ref name=":0" /> much of it is [[ultra-processed food]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Law |first=Tara |date=January 9, 2023 |title=Why Ultra-Processed Foods Are So Bad for You |url=https://time.com/6245237/ultra-processed-foods-diet-bad/ |access-date=Sep 14, 2024 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |quote=Ultra-processed foods tend to be junk food: low in fiber and high in sugar and calories, says [Fang Fang] Zhang. But because ultra-processed foods are defined by the types of ingredients they contain, not by their nutrition content, this category can also include foods with beneficial nutrients, like breads high in fiber.}}</ref>

Concerns about the negative health effects resulting from a junk food-heavy diet, especially [[obesity]], have resulted in [[public health]] [[awareness campaigns]], and restrictions on [[advertising]] and sale in several countries.<ref name="WHO">{{cite web | url=http://publichealthlawcenter.org/topics/healthy-eating/food-marketing-kids | title=Food Marketing to Kids | publisher=Public Health Law Center (William Mitchell College of Law) | date=2010 | access-date=13 March 2015 | archive-date=28 October 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151028124519/http://publichealthlawcenter.org/topics/healthy-eating/food-marketing-kids | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.who.int/features/2014/uk-food-drink-marketing/en/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140920211847/http://www.who.int/features/2014/uk-food-drink-marketing/en/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 20, 2014 | title=Protecting children from the harmful effects of food and drink marketing | publisher=World Health Organization | date=September 2014 | access-date=13 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/foodmarketing_abroad.pdf | title=Food Marketing in Other Countries | access-date=2015-03-13 | archive-date=2016-03-03 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212320/http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/foodmarketing_abroad.pdf | url-status=live }}</ref> Current studies indicate that a diet high in junk food can increase the risk of depression, digestive issues, [[heart disease]] and [[stroke]], [[type 2 diabetes]], cancer, and early death.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brissette |first=Christy |date=March 1, 2018 |title=this is your body on fast food |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/sneaking-a-little-junk-food-doesnt-mean-all-is-lost/2018/02/26/828b75fa-1b36-11e8-9de1-147dd2df3829_story.html |access-date=October 3, 2022 |archive-date=March 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301013557/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/sneaking-a-little-junk-food-doesnt-mean-all-is-lost/2018/02/26/828b75fa-1b36-11e8-9de1-147dd2df3829_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Etymology==
The term ''junk food'' dates back at least to the early 1950s, although its coinage has been credited to [[Michael F. Jacobson]] of the [[Center for Science in the Public Interest]], in 1972.<ref name="m"/> In 1952, the phrase appeared in a headline in the [[Lima, Ohio]], ''News'', {{" '}}Junk Foods' Cause Serious Malnutrition", over a reprint of a 1948 article from the [[Ogden, Utah]], ''Standard-Examiner'', originally titled, "Dr. Brady's [[Health]] Column: More Junk Than Food". In the article, Dr. Brady writes, "What Mrs. H calls 'junk' I call cheat food. That is anything made principally of (1) [[white flour]] and or (2) [[refined sugar|refined white sugar]] or syrup. For example, [[white bread]], crackers, cake, candy, [[ice cream soda]], [[milkshake|chocolate malted]], [[sundae]]s, [[soft drink|sweetened carbonated beverages]]."<ref name="popik">{{cite web |url=http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/junk_food/ |title=Junk Food |publisher=Barry Popik |date=26 December 2008 |access-date=19 March 2015 |author=Popik, Barry |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318161358/http://barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/junk_food |archive-date=18 March 2015 |url-status=live }} "[[Barry Popik]] is a contributor to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', ''Dictionary of American Regional English'', ''Historical Dictionary of American Slang'', ''Yale Book of Quotations'' and ''Dictionary of Modern Proverbs''. Since 1990 he has also been a regular contributor to Gerald Cohen's ''Comments on Etymology''. He is recognized as an expert on the origins of the terms Big Apple, Windy City, hot dog,  hamburger, and many other food terms, and he is an editor of the ''Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink''." – [https://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/comments/about_the_site_editor/ The Big Apple: About] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231092309/https://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/comments/about_the_site_editor/ |date=2018-12-31 }}</ref> The term ''cheat food'' can be traced back in newspaper mentions to at least 1916.<ref name="grammarphobia">{{Cite web |url=https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2011/02/junk-food.html |title=Don't touch my junk food  |last=O'Conner |first=Patricia T. and [[Stewart Kellerman]] |date=15 February 2011 |website=Grammaphobia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924023422/http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2011/02/junk-food.html  |url-status=live |archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref>

==Definitions==
In Andrew F. Smith's ''Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food'', junk food is defined as "those commercial products, including [[candy]], bakery goods, [[ice cream]], [[snack food|salty snacks]] and [[soft drinks]], which have little or no [[nutritional value]] but do have plenty of calories, salt, and fats. While not all fast foods are junk foods, many of them are. Fast foods are ready-to-eat foods served promptly after ordering. Some fast foods are high in calories and low in nutritional value, while other fast foods, such as salads, may be low in calories and high in nutritional value."<ref name="smithencyclo">{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Andrew F. |date=5 September 2000 |title=Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food |publisher=Greenwood Press |page=x |isbn=978-0313335273 }}</ref>

Junk food provides [[empty calories]], supplying little or none of the protein, vitamins, or minerals required for a nutritious diet.<ref name="larsen">{{Cite web |url=https://www.dietitian.com/eating-healthy/junk-food/can-you-give-me-a-list-of-junk-foods/ |title=Can you give me a list of junk foods? |last=Larsen |first=Joanne |website=Ask the Dietitian |date=22 September 2016 |access-date=2019-02-12 |archive-date=2019-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190213072706/https://www.dietitian.com/eating-healthy/junk-food/can-you-give-me-a-list-of-junk-foods/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Some foods, such as [[hamburgers]], and [[taco]]s, can be considered either healthy or junk food, depending on their ingredients and preparation methods. The more highly [[food processing|processed]] items usually fall under the junk food category,<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-larrowe-bergersen/what-makes-a-food-ijunki_b_663571.html | work=Huffington Post | title=What Makes a Food Junk? | date=4 August 2010 | access-date=23 December 2012 | archive-date=23 March 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323235909/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-larrowe-bergersen/what-makes-a-food-ijunki_b_663571.html | url-status=live }}</ref> including breakfast cereals that are mostly sugar or [[high fructose corn syrup]] and white flour or milled corn.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last1=Magee|first1=Elaine|title=Junk-Food Facts|url=http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/junk-food-facts|website=WebMD|access-date=2012-12-23|archive-date=2012-12-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121221074715/http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/junk-food-facts?|url-status=live}}</ref>

Junk food can be defined through [[nutrient profiling]]. The United Kingdom's [[Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom)|Advertising Standards Authority]], the [[self-regulatory organisation|self-regulatory agency]] for the UK ad industry, takes this approach. Foods are scored for "A" nutrients (energy, saturated fat, total sugar, and sodium) and "C" nutrients (fruit, vegetable, and nut content, fiber, and protein). The difference between A and C scores determines whether a food or beverage is categorized as HFSS (high in fat, salt and sugar; a term synonymous with ''junk food'').<ref name="ama-who" /><ref name="asa">{{Cite web |url=https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/food-hfss-nutrient-profiling.html |title=Food: HFSS Nutrient Profiling |date=29 Jun 2017 |website=ASA |access-date=2019-02-10 |archive-date=2019-02-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212013310/https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/food-hfss-nutrient-profiling.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Defining junk food as [[Food processing#Processing levels|highly processed]] or [[Ultra-processed food|ultra-processed]] food mainly considers the level of processing rather than nutrient profiles.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lockyer |first1=Stacey |last2=Spiro |first2=Ayela |last3=Berry |first3=Sarah |last4=He |first4=Jibin |last5=Loth |first5=Shefalee |last6=Martinez-Inchausti |first6=Andrea |last7=Mellor |first7=Duane |last8=Raats |first8=Monique |last9=Sokolović |first9=Milka |last10=Vijaykumar |first10=Santosh |last11=Stanner |first11=Sara |date=Jun 2023 |title=How do we differentiate not demonise – Is there a role for healthier processed foods in an age of food insecurity? Proceedings of a roundtable event |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nbu.12617 |journal=Nutrition Bulletin |language=en |volume=48 |issue=2 |pages=278–295 |doi=10.1111/nbu.12617 |issn=1471-9827}}</ref>

In ''[[Panic Nation|Panic Nation: Unpicking the Myths We're Told About Food and Health]]'', the junk food label is described as nutritionally meaningless: food is food, and if there is zero nutritional value, then it is not a food.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ISBN9781844541225 | title=Panic Nation: Unpicking the Myths We're Told About Food and Health | publisher=John Blake Publishing | author1=Feldman, Stanely | author2=Vincent Marks | year=2005 | location=London | isbn=9781844541225 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Co-editor Vincent Marks explains, "To label a food as 'junk' is just another way of saying, 'I disapprove of it.' There are bad diets – that is, bad mixtures and quantities of food – but there are no 'bad foods' except those that have become bad through contamination or deterioration."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4304118.stm |title=Is junk food a myth? |first=Brendan |last=O'Neill |work=[[BBC News]] |date=3 October 2005 |publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] |location=[[London, England|London]] |access-date=10 February 2015 |archive-date=24 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824094829/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4304118.stm |url-status=live }} Vincent Marks is an Emeritus Professor of Clinical Biochemistry at the University of Surrey.</ref>

==History==
According to an article in the ''New York Times'', "Let Us Now Praise the Great Men of Junk Food", "The history of junk food is a largely American tale: It has been around for hundreds of years, in many parts of the world, but no one has done a better job inventing so many varieties of it, branding it, mass-producing it, making people rich off it and, of course, eating it."<ref name="nyt-history">{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/weekinreview/08manny.html |title=Let Us Now Praise the Great Men of Junk Food |last=Frenandez |first=Manny |date=7 Aug 2010 |website=New York Times |access-date=2018-12-31 |archive-date=2018-12-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231125310/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/weekinreview/08manny.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Cracker Jack]], the candy-coated popcorn-and-peanuts confection, is credited as the first popular name-brand junk food; it was created in Chicago, registered in 1896, and became the best-selling candy in the world 20 years later.<ref name="dailymeal">{{Cite web |url=https://www.thedailymeal.com/travel/where-did-junk-food-come |title=Where Did Junk Food Come From? |last=Petri |first=Alexandra E. |date=February 17, 2015 |website=The Daily Meal |access-date=2019-04-23 |archive-date=2019-04-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423062433/https://www.thedailymeal.com/travel/where-did-junk-food-come |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="latimes">{{Cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-cracker-jack-updated-new-flavors-20130604-story.html |title=Cracker Jack: 120-year-old junk food gets new flavors, 'enhanced' prizes |last=Parsons |first=Russ |date=Jun 4, 2013 |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=2019-04-23 |archive-date=2019-04-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423062433/https://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-cracker-jack-updated-new-flavors-20130604-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Popularity and appeal==
Junk food in its various forms is an integral part of modern popular culture. In the US, annual fast food sales are in the area of $160 billion,<ref>{{cite web | title=Fast Food Industry Analysis 2015 – Cost & Trends | url=https://www.franchisehelp.com/industry-reports/fast-food-industry-report/ | publisher=FranchiseHelp | access-date=27 March 2015 | author=Sena, Matt | archive-date=17 March 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317103508/https://www.franchisehelp.com/industry-reports/fast-food-industry-report/ | url-status=live }}</ref> compared to supermarket sales of $620 billion<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.fmi.org/research-resources/supermarket-facts | title=Supermarket Facts | publisher=Food Marketing Institute | access-date=27 March 2015 | archive-date=26 March 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326183532/http://www.fmi.org//research-resources/supermarket-facts | url-status=live }}</ref> (a figure which also includes junk food in the form of [[convenience food]]s, snack foods, and candy). In 1976, "[[Junk Food Junkie]]", a US top 10 pop song, described a junk food addict who pretends to follow a healthy diet by day, while at night gorging on [[Hostess Twinkies]] and [[Fritos]] corn chips, [[McDonald's]] and [[Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)|KFC]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ktel.com/licensing2/_licensing_search.php?searchby=type&for=larry%20groce&in=Artist&info=3481 | title=Larry Groce "Junk Food Junkie" | publisher=K-tel International | access-date=20 March 2015 | archive-date=2 April 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402123507/http://www.ktel.com/licensing2/_licensing_search.php?searchby=type&for=larry%20groce&in=Artist&info=3481 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Thirty-six years later, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' placed the Twinkie at #1 in an article titled, "Top 10 Iconic Junk Foods": "Not only...a mainstay on our supermarket shelves and in our bellies, they've been a staple in our popular culture and, above all, in our hearts. Often criticized for its lack of any nutritional value whatsoever, the Twinkie has managed to persevere as a cultural and gastronomical icon."<ref name="timetop10">{{cite magazine | url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2104472_2104473_2104484,00.html | title=Top 10 Iconic Junk Foods | magazine=Time | date=16 Nov 2012 | access-date=28 March 2015 | author=Grossman, Samantha | archive-date=2 April 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402155609/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2104472_2104473_2104484,00.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

America also celebrates an annual National Junk Food Day on July 21. Origins are unclear; it is one of around 175 US food and drink days, most created by "people who want to sell more food", at times aided by elected officials at the request of a trade association or commodity group.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/30/dining/30holi.html | title=Having a Snack? Make It a Holiday | newspaper=New York Times | date=30 May 2007 | access-date=8 April 2015 | author=Severson, Kim | archive-date=19 April 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150419224932/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/30/dining/30holi.html | url-status=live }}</ref> "In honor of the day," ''Time'' in 2014 published, "5 Crazy Junk Food Combinations". Headlines from other national and local media coverage include: "Celebrate National Junk Food Day With... Beer-Flavored Oreos?" ([[MTV]]);<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1874160/national-junk-food-day-oreos/ | title=Celebrate National Junk Food Day With... Beer-Flavored Oreos? | publisher=MTV (Viacom) | date=21 July 2014 | access-date=8 April 2015 | author=Valia, Anu | archive-date=7 April 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407042546/http://www.mtv.com/news/1874160/national-junk-food-day-oreos/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> "National Junk Food Day: Pick your favorite unhealthy treats in this poll" (Baltimore);<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.abc2news.com/news/health/national-junk-food-day-pick-your-favorite-unhealthy-treats-in-this-poll | title=National Junk Food Day: Pick your favorite unhealthy treats in this poll | publisher=WMAR-TV ABC 2 News (Scripps TV Station Group) | date=21 July 2014 | access-date=8 April 2015 | author=Pfahler, Eric | archive-date=26 July 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726102201/http://www.abc2news.com/news/health/national-junk-food-day-pick-your-favorite-unhealthy-treats-in-this-poll | url-status=dead }}</ref> "Celebrities' favorite junk food" (Los Angeles);<ref>{{cite web | url=http://abc7.com/food/its-national-junk-food-day/205215/#gallery-6 | title=Celebrities' favorite junk food | publisher=ABC Inc., KABC-TV | date=21 July 2014 | access-date=8 April 2015 | archive-date=4 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073441/http://abc7.com/food/its-national-junk-food-day/205215/#gallery-6 | url-status=dead }}</ref> "A Nutritionist's Guide to National Junk Food Day" with "Rules for Splurging" (''[[Huffington Post]]'');<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/monica-reinagel-ms-ldn-cns/a-nutritionists-guide-to-_b_5595723.html | title=A Nutritionist's Guide to National Junk Food Day | work=The Huffington Post | date=21 July 2014 | access-date=8 April 2015 | author=Reinagel, Monica | archive-date=15 April 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415165059/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/monica-reinagel-ms-ldn-cns/a-nutritionists-guide-to-_b_5595723.html | url-status=live }}</ref> and "It's National Junk Food Day: Got snacks?" (Kansas City).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/water-cooler/its-national-junk-food-day-got-snacks- | title=It's National Junk Food Day: Got snacks? | publisher=KSHB (Scripps TV Station Group) | date=21 July 2014 | access-date=8 April 2015 | author=Thompson, Jadiann | archive-date=14 April 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414061436/http://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/water-cooler/its-national-junk-food-day-got-snacks- | url-status=dead }}</ref>

As for the source of junk food's appeal, there is no definitive scientific answer; both physiological and psychological factors are cited. Food manufacturers spend billions of dollars on [[research and development]] to create flavor profiles that trigger the human affinity for sugar, salt, and fat. Consumption results in pleasurable, likely addictive, effects on the brain. At the same time, massive marketing efforts are deployed, creating powerful brand loyalties that studies have shown can trump taste.<ref name="smithsonian">{{Cite web |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ask-smithsonian-why-do-we-love-junk-food-so-much-180954689/ |title=Ask Smithsonian: Why Do We Love Junk Food So Much? |last=Ault |first=Alicia |date=26 Mar 2015 |website=Smithsonian.com |access-date=2018-12-30 |archive-date=2018-12-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231092936/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ask-smithsonian-why-do-we-love-junk-food-so-much-180954689/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

It is well-established that the poor eat more junk food overall than the more affluent, but the reasons for this are unclear.<ref name="ajcn">{{cite journal | title=Does social class predict diet quality? |author1=Darmon, Nicole |author2=Adam Drewnowski | journal=American Journal of Clinical Nutrition |date=May 2008  | volume=87 | issue=5 | pages=1107–1117| doi=10.1093/ajcn/87.5.1107 | pmid=18469226 | doi-access=free }} "A large body of epidemiologic data show that diet quality follows a socioeconomic gradient. Whereas higher-quality diets are associated with greater affluence, energy-dense, nutrient-poor diets are preferentially consumed by persons of lower socioeconomic status (SES) and of more limited economic means. ... However, a convincing causal relation between SES indicators and diet quality still remains to be established."</ref> Few studies have focused on variations in food perception according to socio-economic status ([[Socioeconomic status|SES]]); some studies that have differentiated based on SES suggest that the economically challenged do not perceive healthy food much differently than any other population segment.<ref>{{cite journal | url=http://journal.cpha.ca/index.php/cjph/article/view/1500 | title=Perceptions of healthy eating: state of knowledge and research gaps | author=Paquette, Marie-Claude | journal=Canadian Journal of Public Health | date=July–August 2005 | volume=96 | issue=Supplement 3 | pages=S15-9, S16-21 | pmid=16042159 | access-date=2015-04-04 | archive-date=2015-04-08 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408020353/http://journal.cpha.ca/index.php/cjph/article/view/1500 | url-status=dead }} "This article's aim is to review and summarize the literature on the perceptions of healthy eating ... Databases, the worldwide web, selected journals and reference lists were searched for relevant papers from the last 20 years. Reviewed articles suggest relative homogeneity in the perceptions of healthy eating despite the studies being conducted in different countries and involving different age groups, sexes, and socio-economic status." Also, "...the small number of studies that focused on variations in perceptions according to socio-economic status..."</ref> Recent research into scarcity, combining behavioral science and economics, suggests that, faced with extreme economic uncertainty, where even the next meal may not be a sure thing, judgment is impaired and the drive is to the instant gratification of junk food, rather than to make the necessary investment in the longer-term benefits of a healthier diet.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/07/scarcity-sendhil-mullainathan-shafir-review | title=Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much | publisher=The Guardian (Guardian News and Media) | date=7 September 2013 | access-date=3 April 2015 | author=Adams, Tim | archive-date=8 February 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208214929/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/07/scarcity-sendhil-mullainathan-shafir-review | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://psmag.com/social-justice/many-low-income-people-overweight-87379 | title=Why Are So Many Low-Income People So Overweight? | publisher=Pacific Standard (Miller-McCune Center for Research, Media and Public Policy) | date=4 Aug 2014 | access-date=3 April 2015 | author=McWilliams, James | archive-date=6 August 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806101854/https://psmag.com/social-justice/many-low-income-people-overweight-87379 | url-status=live }}</ref>

== Health effects ==
When junk food is consumed very often, the excess fat, simple [[Carbohydrate|carbohydrates]], and processed sugar found in junk food contribute to an increased risk of [[obesity]], [[cardiovascular disease]], and many other chronic health conditions.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/reasons-eating-junk-food-not-good-3364.html | title=Reasons Eating Junk Food Is Not Good | publisher=SFGate (Demand Media) | access-date=29 March 2015 | author=Roizman, Tracey | date=July 2012 | archive-date=7 April 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407140828/http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/reasons-eating-junk-food-not-good-3364.html | url-status=live }}</ref> A case study on the consumption of fast foods in Ghana suggested a direct correlation between consumption of junk food and obesity rates. The report asserts that obesity resulted in related complex health concerns such as an upsurge in the rate of heart attacks.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/02/health/ghana-kfc-obesity.html|title=Obesity Was Rising as Ghana Embraced Fast Food. Then Came KFC.|last1=Searcey|first1=Dionne|date=2017-10-02|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-10-19|last2=Richtel|first2=Matt|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=2017-10-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019044805/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/02/health/ghana-kfc-obesity.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Studies reveal that as early as the age of 30, arteries could begin clogging and lay the groundwork for future heart attacks.<ref>{{cite web|title=effects of junk food & Beverages on Adolescent's health-A review article |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257536304}}</ref> Consumers also tend to eat too much in one sitting,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Hall|first1=Kevin D.|last2=Ayuketah|first2=Alexis|last3=Brychta|first3=Robert|last4=Cai|first4=Hongyi|last5=Cassimatis|first5=Thomas|last6=Chen|first6=Kong Y.|last7=Chung|first7=Stephanie T.|last8=Costa|first8=Elise|last9=Courville|first9=Amber|last10=Darcey|first10=Valerie|last11=Fletcher|first11=Laura A.|date=2019-07-02|title=Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake|journal=Cell Metabolism|volume=30|issue=1|pages=67–77.e3|doi=10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008|issn=1932-7420|pmc=7946062|pmid=31105044}}</ref> and those who have satisfied their appetite with junk food are less likely to eat healthy foods like [[fruit]] or [[vegetables]].<ref name=":0" />

[[Animal testing on rodents|Testing on rats]] has indicated negative effects of junk food that may manifest likewise in people. A [[Scripps Research Institute]] study in 2008 suggested that junk food consumption alters brain activity in a manner similar to addictive drugs like [[cocaine]] and [[heroin]]. After many weeks with unlimited access to junk food, the pleasure centers of rat brains became desensitized, requiring more food for pleasure; after the junk food was taken away and replaced with a [[healthy diet]], the rats starved for two weeks instead of eating nutritious fare.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Johnson|first1=Paul M.|last2=Kenny|first2=Paul J.|title=Addiction-like reward dysfunction and compulsive eating in obese rats: Role for dopamine D2 receptors|journal=[[Nature Neuroscience]]|volume=13|pages=635–641|year=2010|doi=10.1038/nn.2519|pmid=20348917|issue=5|pmc=2947358}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Goodwin|first1=Jennifer|title=Junk Food 'Addiction' May Be Real|url=http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/637430.html|website=Bloomberg Business Week|publisher=BLOOMBERG L.P.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419100818/http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/637430.html|archive-date=19 April 2012|date=March 29, 2010}}</ref> A 2007 study in the ''[[British Journal of Nutrition]]'' found that female rats who eat junk food during pregnancy increased the likelihood of unhealthy eating habits in their offspring.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6940852.stm Craving for junk food 'inherited' Mothers who eat junk food during pregnancy may be condemning their children to crave the same diet, according to animal tests.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120803020653/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6940852.stm |date=2012-08-03 }} ''BBC News.'' 14 August 2007. Study title: "A maternal 'junk food' diet in pregnancy and lactation promotes an exacerbated taste for 'junk food' and a greater propensity for obesity in rat offspring."</ref>

Other research has been done on the impact of sugary foods on human emotional health and has suggested that consuming junk food can negatively impact energy levels and emotional well-being.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-06-10/your-experiences-with-food-and-mood/8590710|title=The foods making you feel sad, mad or 'high on life'|last=Bullen|first=James|date=2017-06-10|work=ABC News|access-date=2017-10-19|language=en-AU|archive-date=2017-10-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025085737/http://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-06-10/your-experiences-with-food-and-mood/8590710|url-status=live}}</ref>

In a study published in the ''[[European Journal of Clinical Nutrition]]'', the frequency of consumption of 57 foods/drinks of 4,000 children at the age of four and a half were collected by maternal report. At age seven, the 4,000 children were given the [[Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire]] (SDQ), with five scales: [[Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder|hyperactivity]], conduct problems, peer problems, emotional symptoms, and pro-social behavior. A one [[standard deviation]] increase in junk food was then linked to excessive hyperactivity in 33% of the subjects, leading to the conclusion that children consuming excess junk food at the age of seven are more likely to be in the top third of the hyperactivity scale. There was no significant correlation between junk food and the other scales.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Wiles|first1=N.J.|last2=Northstone|first2=K.|last3=Emmett|first3=P.|last4=Lewis|first4=G.|date=2007-12-05|title='Junk food' diet and childhood behavioural problems: results from the ALSPAC cohort|journal=European Journal of Clinical Nutrition|language=en|volume=63|issue=4|pages=491–498|doi=10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602967|issn=0954-3007|pmc=2664919|pmid=18059416}}</ref>

==Anti-junk food measures==
Several countries have taken, or are considering, various forms of legislative action to curb junk food consumption. Eating habits can be influenced by the food environment around us.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WHO warns on kids' digital exposure to junk-food ads |url=https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/population-care/who-warns-kids-digital-exposure-junk-food-ads |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=American Medical Association |date=16 December 2016 |language=en |archive-date=2022-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705012247/https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/population-care/who-warns-kids-digital-exposure-junk-food-ads |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2014, [[United Nations Special Rapporteur]] on the [[right to health]], [[Anand Grover]], released his report, "Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health", and called for governments to "take measures, such as developing food and nutrition guidelines for healthy diets, regulating marketing and advertising of junk food, adopting consumer-friendly labeling of food products, and establishing [[accountability]] mechanisms for violations of the [[right to health]]."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ip-watch.org/2014/06/11/un-advisor-denounces-junk-food-as-culprit-in-rising-ncds-calls-for-change/ | title=UN Advisor Denounces Junk Food As 'Culprit' In Rising NCDs, Calls For Change | publisher=Intellectual Property Watch | date=11 June 2014 | access-date=27 March 2015 | author=Saez, Catherine | archive-date=18 March 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318071801/http://www.ip-watch.org/2014/06/11/un-advisor-denounces-junk-food-as-culprit-in-rising-ncds-calls-for-change/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

An early, high-profile, and controversial attempt to identify and curb junk food in the American diet was undertaken by the McGovern Committee ([[United States Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs]], chaired by Senator [[George McGovern]]) between 1968 and 1977. Initially formed to investigate malnutrition and hunger in the US, the committee's scope progressively expanded to include environmental conditions that affected eating habits, such as [[urban decay]],<ref name="anson">{{cite book | last=Anson | first=Robert Sam | title=McGovern: A Biography | location=New York | publisher=[[Holt, Rinehart and Winston]] | year=1972 | isbn=978-0-03-091345-7 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/mcgovernbiograph00anso/page/218 218–242] | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/mcgovernbiograph00anso/page/218 }}</ref> then focused on the diet and nutritional habits of the American public. The committee took issue with the use of salt, sugar, and fat in processed foods, noted problems with overeating and the high percentage of ads for junk food on TV, and stated that bad eating habits could be as deadly as smoking. The findings were heavily criticized and rebutted from many directions, including the food industry, the [[American Medical Association]], and the committee itself. In 1977, the committee issued public guidelines under the title, ''[[Dietary Goals for the United States]]'', which became the predecessor to ''[[Dietary Guidelines for Americans]]'', published every five years beginning in 1980 by the [[US Department of Health and Human Services]].<ref>Warren Belasco (1989) ''Appetite for Change: how the counterculture took on the food industry 1966–1988'', pp. 148–153, [[Pantheon Books]] {{ISBN|0394543998}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/history.htm | title=History of Dietary Guidelines for Americans | publisher=US Department of Health and Human Services | access-date=5 April 2015 | archive-date=27 March 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327132951/http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/history.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Comprehensive measures ===
In 2016, [[Chile]] became the first country to implement comprehensive nutritional quality measures aimed at consumers, with the Law of Food Labeling and Advertising. The statute mandated front-of-package warning labels, restricted marketing to children, and banned in-school sales of food and drink containing excessive sugar, salt, or saturated fat.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Taillie |first1=Lindsey Smith |last2=Reyes |first2=Marcela |last3=Colchero |first3=M. Arantxa |last4=Popkin |first4=Barry |last5=Corvalán |first5=Camila |date=February 2020 |title=An evaluation of Chile's Law of Food Labeling and Advertising on sugar-sweetened beverage purchases from 2015 to 2017: A before-and-after study |journal=PLOS Medicine |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=e1003015 |doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003015 |doi-access=free |issn=1549-1676 |pmc=7012389 |pmid=32045424}}</ref> 

===Taxation===
[[File:Walmart Wenatchee.jpg|alt=Junk food lines both sides of tall shelves at a grocery store|thumb|Some governments have considered taxes and limits on advertising or displaying junk food for sale.]]
{{See also|Fat tax|Soda tax}}
To reduce junk food consumption through price control, [[sin tax]]es have been implemented. Targeting [[saturated fat]] consumption, [[Denmark]] introduced the world's first fat-food tax in October 2011 by imposing a surcharge on all foods, including those made from natural ingredients, that contain more than 2.3 percent saturated fat, an unpopular measure that lasted a little over a year.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.euractiv.com/science-policymaking/denmark-scraps-infamous-fat-tax-news-516018 | title=Denmark scraps its infamous fat tax after only one year | publisher=EurActiv | date=14 November 2012 | access-date=27 March 2015 | archive-date=18 March 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318072344/http://www.euractiv.com/science-policymaking/denmark-scraps-infamous-fat-tax-news-516018 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/11/13/denmark-scraps-worlds-first-fat-tax/ | title=Denmark scraps world's first fat tax | newspaper=Washington Post | date=13 November 2012 | access-date=27 March 2015 | author=Kliff, Sarah | archive-date=9 June 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609185234/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/11/13/denmark-scraps-worlds-first-fat-tax/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="WSJ">{{cite news| url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323894704578113120622763136?KEYWORDS=denmark+fat+tax#articleTabs%3Darticle| title=Denmark Scraps Much-Maligned 'Fat Tax' After a Year| first=Clemens| last=Bomsdorf| access-date=2012-11-14| work=The Wall Street Journal|url-access=subscription}}</ref> [[Hungary]] has imposed taxes on foods and beverages high in [[added sugar]], fat, and salt.<ref name="bmc">{{Cite journal |last=Wright |first=Alexandra |date=19 Jun 2017 |title=Policy lessons from health taxes: a systematic review of empirical studies |journal=BMC Public Health |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=583 |pmc=5477308 |pmid=28629470 |doi=10.1186/s12889-017-4497-z |doi-access=free }}</ref> Norway taxes refined sugar, and Mexico has various excises on unhealthy food.<ref name="Aprueba Senado en lo general esquema de impuestos 2014">{{cite news|last=Figueroa-Alcantara|first=Héctor|title=Mexican Senate approves tax scheme for 2014, (in Spanish).|url=http://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/2013/10/28/925767|access-date=31 October 2013|newspaper=Excelsior|date=28 October 2013|archive-date=29 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191129130056/https://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/2013/10/28/925767|url-status=live}}</ref> On April 1, 2015, the first [[fat tax]] in the US, the [[Navajo Nation]]'s Healthy Diné Nation Act of 2014, mandating a 2% junk food tax, came into effect, covering the {{cvt|27000|sqmi||||}} Navajo reservation; the Act targeted problems with obesity and diabetes among the Navajo population.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://time.com/3762922/junk-food-tax-obesity-navajo-nation/ | title=This Place Just Became the First Part of the U.S. to Impose a Tax on Junk Food | magazine=Time | date=30 March 2015 | access-date=6 April 2015 | author=Toppa, Sabrina | archive-date=2 April 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402225744/http://time.com/3762922/junk-food-tax-obesity-navajo-nation/? | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Banning junk food advertisements===
In mid-2021, the government of the [[United Kingdom]] proposed policies that would call for a ban on online advertisements of foods high in [[fat]], [[salt]], and [[sugar]], in addition to an additional ban on advertising such foods on television before 9:00 pm local time. The bans would not affect advertisements that do not directly promote a junk food product, and promoting these products on company webpages and social media accounts would remain permitted. The bans were intended to come into force in 2023, but they will become effective from 1 October, 2025.<ref name="Sweney 2021">{{cite web |last=Sweney |first=Mark |date=2021-06-23 |title=UK to ban junk food advertising online and before 9 pm on TV from 2023 |url=http://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jun/23/uk-to-ban-junk-food-advertising-online-and-before-9pm-on-tv-from-2023 |access-date=2021-06-24 |website=the Guardian |archive-date=2021-06-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623223733/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jun/23/uk-to-ban-junk-food-advertising-online-and-before-9pm-on-tv-from-2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In October 2021, the [[Ministry of Consumer Affairs (Spain)|Ministry of Consumer Affairs]] of [[Spain]], under the leadership of minister [[Alberto Garzón]], announced a ban on the advertising of several categories of junk food to children under 16. Such advertising would be forbidden on television, radio, online, in [[movie theater]]s, and in newspapers. Affected foods include [[candy]], [[energy bar]]s, [[cookie]]s, [[cake]], [[juice]], [[energy drink]]s, and [[ice cream]]. The ban is to take effect in 2022.<ref name="Medina & Moncloa 2021">{{cite web |last1=Medina |first1=Miguel Ángel |last2=Moncloa Allison |first2=Gonzalo |date=October 29, 2021 |title=Spanish government to ban advertising aimed at children of unhealthy foods such as chocolate, juices and ice creams |url=https://english.elpais.com/society/2021-10-29/spanish-government-to-ban-advertising-aimed-at-children-of-unhealthy-foods-such-as-chocolate-juices-and-ice-creams.html |access-date=October 30, 2021 |website=El País |archive-date=October 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029215805/https://english.elpais.com/society/2021-10-29/spanish-government-to-ban-advertising-aimed-at-children-of-unhealthy-foods-such-as-chocolate-juices-and-ice-creams.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{needs update|date=December 2024}}

===Restricting advertising to children===

Junk food that is [[Advertising to children|targeted at children]] is a contentious issue. In "The Impact of Advertising on [[Childhood obesity]]", the American Psychological Association reports: "Research has found strong associations between increases in advertising for non-nutritious foods and rates of childhood obesity."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.apa.org/topics/kids-media/food.aspx | title=The Impact of Advertising on Childhood Obesity | publisher=American Psychological Association | access-date=17 March 2015 | archive-date=16 March 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316054409/http://www.apa.org/topics/kids-media/food.aspx | url-status=live }}</ref> Advertising of unhealthy foods to children increases their consumption of the product<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Russell |first1=Simon J. |last2=Croker |first2=Helen |last3=Viner |first3=Russell M. |date=21 December 2018 |title=The effect of screen advertising on children's dietary intake: A systematic review and meta-analysis |journal=Obesity Reviews |language=en |volume=20 |issue=4 |pages=554–568 |doi=10.1111/obr.12812 |pmc=6446725 |pmid=30576057}}</ref> and positive attitudes (liking or wanting to buy) about the advertised product.<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal |last1=Packer |first1=Jessica |last2=Croker |first2=Helen |last3=Goddings |first3=Anne-Lise |last4=Boyland |first4=Emma J. |last5=Stansfield |first5=Claire |last6=Russell |first6=Simon J. |last7=Viner |first7=Russell M. |date=2022-12-01 |title=Advertising and Young People's Critical Reasoning Abilities: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis |journal=Pediatrics |language=en |volume=150 |issue=6 |pages=e2022057780 |doi=10.1542/peds.2022-057780 |issn=0031-4005 |pmc=9724173 |pmid=36377381 }}</ref> Children's [[Critical thinking|critical reasoning]] (the ability to understand what an advertisement is and the aim of advertising to buy the product) is not protective against the impact of advertising, and does not appear to be fully developed during adolescence.<ref name=":02" />

The [[World Health Organization]] recommends that governments take action to limit children's exposure to food marketing, stating, "Many advertisements promote foods high in fats, sugar, and salt, consumption of which should be limited as part of a healthy diet. ... Food advertising and other forms of marketing have been shown to influence children's food preferences, purchasing behaviour and overall dietary behaviour. Marketing has also been associated with an increased risk of overweight and obesity in children. The habits children develop early in life may encourage them to adopt unhealthy dietary practices which persist into adulthood, increasing the likelihood of overweight, obesity and associated health problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases."<ref name="WHO" />

In the United Kingdom, efforts to increasingly limit or eliminate advertising of foods high in sugar, salt, or fat at any time children may be viewing are ongoing.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/mar/21/children-bombarded-junk-food-ads | title=Children are being 'bombarded' by junk food ads, research has found | newspaper=The Guardian | date=21 March 2014 | access-date=17 March 2015 | first=Denis | last=Campbell | archive-date=2 April 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402092059/http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/mar/21/children-bombarded-junk-food-ads | url-status=live }}</ref>  The UK government has been criticized for failing to do enough to stop advertising and promotion of junk food aimed at children.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/mar/27/government-plan-on-childhood-obesity-very-disappointing-say-mps Supermarkets must stop discounting unhealthy foods to tackle child obesity, say MPs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021162725/https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/mar/27/government-plan-on-childhood-obesity-very-disappointing-say-mps |date=2017-10-21 }} ''[[The Guardian]]''</ref> A [[Select committee (United Kingdom)|UK parliamentary select committee]] recommended that cartoon characters advertising unhealthy food to children should be banned, supermarkets should have to remove unhealthy sweets and snacks from ends of aisles and checkout areas, local authorities should be able to limit the number of fast food outlets in their area, brands associated with unhealthy foods should be banned from sponsoring sports clubs, youth leagues and tournaments, and social media like [[Facebook]] should cut down junk food [[advertising to children]]{{snd}}all are currently just recommendations.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/health-44298135 'Ban cartoon characters' on unhealthy food, MPs say] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180530093420/https://www.bbc.com/news/health-44298135 |date=30 May 2018 }} ''[[BBC]]''</ref>

In Australia, a [[Wollongong University]] study in 2015 found that junk food sponsors were mentioned over 1,000 times in a single Australian [[cricket]] match broadcast, which included ads and branding worn on players' uniforms and on the scoreboard and pitch. A coalition of Australian obesity, cancer, and diabetes organizations called on [[Cricket Australia]], the sport's governing body, to "phase out sponsorships with unhealthy brands", emphasizing that cricket is a "healthy, family-oriented sport" with children in the audience.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hagan|first1=Kate|title=Junk food ads saturate cricket|url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/junk-food-ads-saturate-cricket-20150127-12zdpd.html|access-date=27 January 2015|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=27 January 2015|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924185507/http://www.smh.com.au/national/junk-food-ads-saturate-cricket-20150127-12zdpd.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Restricting sales to minors===
Several states in Mexico banned sales of junk food to minors, starting in August 2020.<ref>{{cite web|date=14 September 2020|title='We Had To Take Action': States In Mexico Move To Ban Junk Food Sales To Minors|website=NPR.org|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/09/14/912029399/we-had-to-take-action-states-in-mexico-move-to-ban-junk-food-sales-to-minors|access-date=15 February 2021|archive-date=15 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215232649/https://www.npr.org/2020/09/14/912029399/we-had-to-take-action-states-in-mexico-move-to-ban-junk-food-sales-to-minors|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Food}}
* [[Obesity]]
* [[Ultra-processed food]]
* [[Hyperpalatable food]]
* [[Bliss point (food)|Bliss point]]
* [[Comfort food]]
* [[Nutrient profiling]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Fast food}}
{{Diets}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1950s neologisms]]
[[Category:20th-century neologisms]]
[[Category:Criticism of fast food]]
[[Category:Fast food]]
[[Category:Human nutrition]]
[[Category:Snack foods]]