Many experts object to junk food not merely for its low nutritional value but mainly because of the many hazards it poses to one’s health.

Junk foods are usually high in fat. The fat comes from hydrogenated oils which are considered less healthy than unhydrogenated oils. Hydrogenation converts unsaturated fats into saturated fatty acids which could clog arteries causing cardiovascular problems.

High levels of sodium salt or sugar or both reasons for concern. Increased intake of salt containing sodium is known to cause hypertension. On the other hand, sugar not only ruins the teeth, but it also plays a major part in the causation of obesity and diabetes.

Another cause of alarm is the widespread use of hazardous food additives. These include flavor enhancers, colors, artificial sweeteners and antioxidants.

Many of these additives such as BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene), BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole), saccharin and aspartame have been linked to cancer in laboratory animals.

BHT and BHA are antioxidants widely used in oils while saccharin and aspartame are artificial sweeteners.

Aspartame has also been implicated with other health problems. Another food additive, monosodium glutamate (locally known as vetsin), has also been very controversial. MSG originally gained a bad reputation as a causative agent of the “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”.