Junk food

Food that is unhealthy if consumed in large quantities or uses addictive or dangerous substances is called junk food. A diet which includes a large component of junk food is often the cause for poor health, including obesity, diabetes, dental problems (due to sugar intake), vitamin deficiencies and so on.

Often – but not always – fast food is the source of much junk food. Junk food from fast food restaurants has been the subject of numerous media exposes including Super Size Me where Morgan Spurlock eats a McDonald's meal three times a day every day for a month and tracks the health effects, and Eric Schlosser's book Fast Food Nation which investigates the political, social and economic consequences of the production of junk food.

Some governments have included junk food as a target of food regulation. The European Union does not allow the use of high fructose corn syrup in food products, and some have called for the United States to adopt similar regulations. Advocates for such regulation have cited the addictiveness of certain ingredients used by junk food manufacturers as justification, as well as the increased costs for healthcare (as reflected in taxes or insurance premiums) to care for obesity-related health problems.