FOOD HABBITS

food habits too follows various trends. There are times when Fast
food are a craze and at times ppl suddenly turn health cautious eating only
what is “green”. Trends in food are very common. Fast food sells like
anything. It is a western concept that has gained large popularity in INDIA.
Though largely disadvantageous ppl tend to neglect the health hazards
caused by them…. Processed food are a little different from fast food. They
are better than fast food but have some shortcomings too. They r not fresh,
not homemade and above all not always a safe option..
Apart from the food habits the focus should also be on what is called
“THE RICH MANS STUFF”. Charas , Ganja etc and other sedatives
supplemented by less harmful cigrettes hooka etc are turning out to be a gr8
hit .
Then there are synthetically produced food stuffs that are forming the trend of the
future. Tofu , spirulina etc The details of these trends in food are as follows

JUNK FOOD

The message is: avoid high calorie and carbohydrate-rich food,

including junk foods and beverages, right from childhood,
because the seed of obesity in adults is sown in early childhood.
The oft-repeated medical advice may sound staid, but studies
conducted by doctors of the All-India Medical Institute (AIIMS),
have shown that obesity, if not checked in early childhood, leads
to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance,
gall stone disease and reproductive disorders.

We think Indian fast food is a healthier option than the reviled

burger or pizza. But now studies prove they are no better.

Doctors say change in the dietary habits of children and their

survival on aerated drinks, chips, noodles, sweets and
chocolates alone have led to poor oral health, obesity, calcium
and vitamin D deficiency and many other problems amongst
these children.

We are seeing an alarmingly high number of children having

symptoms of pre-diabetes, which makes them more prone to
diabetes when they grow up. Mostly these children are obese,
feeding on high calorie junk food like chocolates, pizzas with
low nutritional value. Physical exercise is negligible due to
mounting pressure, making things worse. The need of the hour
is to distract the youth from fast food as the trends of diseases
and side effects of fast food are alarming..

FOOD TRENDS/PROCESSED FOODS

The Indian snack food market comprising bakery products,

ready to eat mixes,instant food mixes, curries, chips,
namkeens and other processed foods is large, diverse and
dominated by the unorganized sector.

The popular milk products are cheese, butter, ghee, dairy

whiteners and ice-creams.
What does the average middle class Indian eat in a day?
Chhole kulche, chana bhatura, samosa, kachori. Our own foods
are killers. We don’t need the West to damage us. We are doing a
good job of it ourselves

Recent reports on the dangers of trans-fatty acids in packaged

foods.
We have to take these dangers very seriously.
Younger and younger people are today suffering from obesity
and diabetes — thanks in part to such foods — which in turn is
leading to cardio-vascular diseases.
Many high-end hospitals and posh schools offer/sell unhealthy
and junk food. This is a case of commercialism triumphing over
promotion of good health.
Young people are drawn towards eating these foods which are
so attractively advertised on television...

The idiot box could not only be battering your senses day in and
day out, but also affecting your eating habits.
Apart from changing the way people relate with one another, the
obsession with prime time television is also impacting their
culinary and dietary habits
Prime time is the time when maximum TV-viewing occurs, which
also happens to be the time when most individuals are at home
and winding up their daily grind.
They need to eat, relax and chat with the family prior to ending
the day, but all this takes a back seat to TV.
Prime time television is forcing people to sacrifice meal planning
and a balanced diet.
For housewives who feel TV is their only source of relaxation,
regulate their time-table to suit television programmes .They
either change their dinner time or eat before the TV set, which
results in snacking on high calorie food. Families end up
ordering out to minimise complex dinners being made at home

Youth and kids are influenced by commercials to crave

convenience foods which imply that home food like roti and
sabzi is boring.

Convenience foods like ready-to-eat packaged foods are high in

sodium and preservatives and this can lead to disorders like
hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Today's lifestyle has resulted in many changes in eating habits,

and a move towards greater convenience. People are eating
more processed and packaged food than before.
Whether in the form of munchies or biscuits, sauces or ready-to-
eat foods, there are issues the consumer should consider before
putting items into his shopping cart.
Most people don't check the labels of any of the packaged foods
they buy. The reason being, anything that looks relatively fresh
and is reasonably priced is considered good.

DRUG ADDICTION

Drugs can be categorised in many ways, hard or soft, uppers or

downers, addictive or non-addictive, most harmful or least harmful,
legal or illegal. However a more useful way of categorising drugs is
by dividing them into three categories based on the effect they
achieve:
STIMULANTS...

They increase the activity of the central nervous system (examples

include Alkyl Nitrites, Amphetamines, Anabolic Steroids, Cocaine &
Crack, Caffeine, Ecstasy and Tobacco).

DEPRESSANTS...They reduce the activity of the central nervous system

(examples include Alcohol, Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines, Heroin and
Solvents).

HALLUCINOGENS...They alter perceptions of reality and may result in

hallucinations (examples include LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide or
Lysergide) , Cannabis and Magic Mushrooms).

Other types of drugs are…Marijuana ,Steroids Inhalants: Gases, Glues and Aerosols
Prescription Drugs

Club Drugs,Narcotics such as Codeine,Heroin,Opium,Morphine

Various Medicines…

There is a vast array of medications which all have different side effects.
Some of these medications may be sold legally over the counter.

Some have a stimulant compound contained within them and some have
sedative effects. It is one of the main reasons adults are advised that all
medication should be stored out of reach of young children and that all
medications should be read carefully.
E.g: Products such as Codeine Ephedrine + Antihisatamines, some cold
remedies

Food Habits and trends in Youth

Genetically speaking our bodies are better suited for partial

starving. The sudden spurt of food prosperity that has come to
us courtesy the green revolution, operation flood and the likes
has triggered another set of problems. These are perils of
prosperity.
Sedentary lifestyles, excessive indulgence in junk food, and
stressful life is disturbing the genetic metabolic balance. The
result is rising obesity even among children.

Obesity is caused by the imbalance between the number of

calories intake and burnt. Nothing is wrong about eating pizza
and burger, but it is essential to burn as many calories. On the
contrary, the stress busters among young children are
computer, TV or telephone, which do not help in burning
calories
The fast growing trend of 'empty calorie consumption' and the
'slim and thin mania' among the teenagers to be responsible for
most ailments.
Obesity, which was a problem of theWest has now slowly crept
into our metros and smaller cities. Junk food like potato chips,
French fries, ice creams, chocolates and pizzas have adversely
affected the eating habits of the teenagers.

Rising incomes and huge servings of junk food -- from deep-

fried samosas to pizza and burgers -- have sparked a surge in
diabetes cases in India that threatens the health care system.

The creaky medical system in this country of 1.1 billion people

has traditionally focused on contagious diseases like malaria,
polio and measles -- made chronic by a lack of food and proper
sanitation for millions.But as India’s economy grows, more and
more people -- half the population is under 25 -- are swapping
lives of physical labor and homemade meals of rice and lentils
for sedentary office jobs and big helpings of greasy take-away.

As a result, the number of diabetes cases, now at some 35

million, is expected to more than double in the next 25 years,
according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).