Families have shifted from agriculture and cultivation of nutritious foods to quick ready-to-eat meals, resulting in poor eating habits especially among young people.

A study ‘Junk Food Consumption among Secondary Level Students’ conducted in the year 2017 in Nepal, reveals an alarming situation. All students consumed junk food on a regular basis. Among them, 90.1% of students preferred junk food for its taste, while only 54.2% of students were aware of the harmful effects of eating junk food on a regular basis.

“The human brain releases a chemical called dopamine, when sugary and junk food items are consumed. The release of dopamine provides pleasure to a person, which makes the experience associated with its release addictive. Adolescents who have a habit of consuming junk food regularly, experience mood changes and irritation if they are not served with their pleasure foods,” says adolescent health expert Doctor Rajendra Bhadra.