The increasing prevalence of junk food has ignited a contentious debate over its negativities in individuals and humankind as a whole. Personally, I fully agree with this viewpoint as I contend that this type of food could leave behind adverse impacts on individual wellbeing, family relationship, and social economy.
On the individual level, it is important to be aware that excessive intake of ultra-processed food is closely associated with a broad range of health issues that occur in individuals of all ages. Fast foods comprise high levels of calories, saturated fats, and sodium, which contribute towards greater odds of such chronic illnesses as obesity or diabete in the developed and hard-to-heal body of the mature adults. The serious lack of nutrients essential for cell membranes and the brain, commonly found in less processed dishes, also leads to serious malnourishment in adolescence, which might lead to impaired academics and physical performances in their later life.
Regarding families, the replacement of home-cooked meals with processed ones would inherently form a shift in family meal patterns, in which fast foods are treated as the main courses. Granted, this habitual tradition excludes the traditional preparation and cooking step, which should involve the family member sharing the chores and interacting with one another. On the other hand, the conventional homemade meals are the time for everyone in the family to have meaningful collaboration and conversations, creating a foundation of support and strengthening the family bond.
On a broader perspective on society, the proliferation of fast food outlets and takeout services are gradually taking over traditional cuisine businesses. In urban areas, young adults, who account for the majority of the population, tend to opt for ready-made meals instead of the home-cooked ones. This is predicated on the fact that these people tend to invest more time in working rather than other recreational and health-related aspects, such as cooking and wellbeing, in order to optimize earnings and secure career prospects. Similarly, ultra-processed food is a time-saving solution for the married individuals to remain productive at work. As a result, this shift leads to higher density of convenient, ready-made food services, potentially jeopardizing food chains that sell and promote the healthy, nutritious traditional cuisines.
In conclusion, I firmly believe the influences of high-processed food are detrimental, since it is closely involved with higher risk of obstinate health issues, diminished kinship and the loss of conventional meal patterns, which consequently results in the dynamic local cuisines. As such, it is of utmost importance for the authority to implement urgent measures that curbs the intake of junk food and preserve traditional cookery.