The Effects of Not Eating a Balanced Diet

Improper Nourishment
Your body needs a certain amount of calories -- the basic energy unit of the body -- to function.
Almost all foods have at least some calories, but not all foods have the proper nutrients your
body needs. Sugary snacks, for instance, are often high in calories, but they are "empty calories,"
meaning they have none, or very little, of the important nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals,
that you need. Not getting enough nutrients can result in malnutrition. Mild symptoms of
malnutrition include dizziness, fatigue and weight loss. In severe cases, symptoms such as hair
loss, fainting and lack of menstruation can occur.

Disease States
If you body doesn't get enough of the proper nutrients, particularly antioxidants, your immune
system will feel the effects. A weakened immune system makes you susceptible to ailments, such
as the flu or common cold. Lack of proper nutrients can also affect your major organs, leading to
-- or contributing to -- a variety of ailments. For example, one common problem that results from
a diet high in sugar and processed carbohydrates -- a complex form of sugar -- is that your pancreas
can become overworked. The pancreas produces a hormone called insulin, which helps break down
sugars in the body. If you body doesn't utilize insulin properly, a diet high in sugars causes insulin
production to increase exponentially, which can lead to the pancreas eventually shutting down or
limiting insulin production -- a condition known as type-2 diabetes. When untreated, type-2
diabetes often leads to other problems, including fatigue, increased hunger and thirst, blurred
vision and erectile dysfunction.

Consequences of Eating Junk Food

Nutritional Deficiencies
Although junk food satisfies your hunger, it provides little nutrition. Continually snacking on
nutrient-poor foods can leave you with too little appetite for more nutritious foods, increasing your
risk of nutritional deficiencies. The average American diet is deficient in fiber, omega-3 fats,
magnesium and calcium, writes Dr. Steven Masley on ClinicalAdvisor.com. Highly processed
foods contain little fiber, a substance your body needs for a healthy gastrointestinal tract and for
control of cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains are the main
sources of fiber, as well as many other essential nutrients.

Weight Gain
Natural whole foods like vegetables, whole grain products and lean meat typically contain fewer
calories by volume than junk foods like french fries, donuts and hamburgers. For example, a 100
g serving of plain baked potato provides 93 calories compared to 292 calories in 100 g of restaurant
french fries, according to the USDA Nutrient Database. By eating 500 calories a day more than
you need, you'll gain about a pound each week. Because fast foods are so high in calories,
frequenting fast food restaurants increases your risk of unhealthy weight gain and insulin
resistance, which in turn raises your diabetes risk, explains Dr. Lily Strong with the University of
Michigan.

Cardiovascular Problems
Your body needs some fat for health, but junk food provides primarily fats that harm your health.
Foods like hamburgers, pizza, ice cream and potato chips contain large amounts of saturated fat
and cholesterol, which in excess may put you at risk for heart disease. Trans fats, too, can raise
heart disease risk. These man-made, processed fats are common in commercial baked goods, such
as cookies and crackers, along with potato chips and microwave popcorn. Processed, packaged
foods are often high in salt, or sodium. Excess sodium in your diet can increase your risk of high
blood pressure and stroke.

5 things that happen to your body when you don't eat

enough
1. Your organs go into overdrive.

Skipping out on foods mean missing the vitamins and nutrients that help our organs do
their jobs. It also means losing out on amino acids, which leads to bone weakness. Your
heart takes a toll, too. “Skipping out on fruit, vegetables and fiber i n general increases
the risks of heart disease and diabetes, as well as playing havoc with the digestive
system,” Harju said.

2. You might binge eat.

When we don’t eat or skip meals, our body gets confused. Harju told HG that eating
throughout the day is “another way to keep your energy levels up without overeating at
the designated meal times.” Not eating enough is no way to lose weight, if only because
you’re more likely to overeat when you actually sit down to it.

3. You get constipated.

Skipping out on fruits and veggies, or any food with fiber or carbs, will do a number on
your digestive system. Your body will go either one of two ways: diarrhea or
constipation. Neither of those is great, so if you’re experiencing either on the regular,
check your diet to see what you can do to fix it.

4. Your anxiety levels go way up.

Eating is all about making sure your body’s blood sugar levels are at just the right point.
Your blood sugar affects pretty much everything: It can make you sleepy, too active,
and even crazy stressed and cranky. Harju says, “[Not eating] destabilizes your blood
sugar levels, which might leave you feeling weak, anxious and even moody.” In addition
to that, it ruins your beauty sleep, causing mood swings. She says skipping meals and
not eating can “also make you feel tired and destabilize your sleeping pattern.”

5. You’ll feel fatigued.

When you don’t eat enough, your sugar levels go all over the place, which can lead to
feeling fatigued. We often assume that cutting all fats is a good thing, but that’s not
true. Harju says, “While avoiding trans fats is good for you, removing healthy fats from
your diet can make you feel less energetic, reduce brain function and lower your
immune system.”
References

https://hellogiggles.com/lifestyle/health-fitness/5-things-that-happen-to-your-body-when-you-
dont-eat-enough/

https://www.livestrong.com/article/518953-consequences-of-eating-junk-food/