Effects of Not Eating Healthy

They say you are what you eat which means that what you put into your body affects how it works. If you eat a diet rich in unnecessary and unhealthy nutrients, you can make it harder for your body to continue working effectively, which can lead to health problems. Poor diets lacking in the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients you need can take a considerable negative toll on your overall health. You can overturn the consequences of an unhealthy diet by beginning to eat healthy.

Weight Gain

Eating unhealthy can lead to unwanted weight gain. If you are eating calorie-dense foods, it is likely you will gain weight. Foods such as processed meats, red meat, whole milk products, sweets and high-calorie snacks can all contribute to weight gain. Even healthy foods when consumed in larger qualities can be unhealthy, leading to unwanted weight gain 1.

Being overweight is problematic for more than simply appearance reasons, it increases your risk of many other diseases and chronic conditions, such as arthritis, sleep apnea and heart disease.

Nutritional Deficiencies

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A unhealthy diet can leave you with nutritional deficiencies; you can become malnourished even if you are regularly eating because you do not eat healthy foods. Being malnourished can put you at increased risk for illness, and it can stunt the growth and development of children. Also, including excessive amounts of alcohol in your diet can make it harder for your body to absorb the vitamins and minerals you consume, which can lead to deficiencies. Symptoms of possible nutritional deficiencies can include both physical and mental symptoms such as:

• fatigue
  
• confusion
  
• dry skin
  
• reduced immune function
  
• dizziness
  
• trouble learning

Talk with your doctor to determine if you are eating a diet that puts you at risk for nutritional deficiency.

Heart Disease and Stroke

Diets rich in saturated fat, cholesterol, trans fats and excess calories increase your weight and blood cholesterol to unhealthy levels, putting you at increased risk for both heart disease and stroke. Also, an unhealthy diet that includes high quantities of sodium contributes to higher blood pressure levels, which also raises your risks of heart disease and stroke. Dietary choices contribute greatly to whether you will be afflicted with either heart disease or stroke.

Diabetes

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An unhealthy diet impacts type 1 diabetes because it contributes to weight gain and it makes it harder to keep blood sugar at healthy levels. Poorly controlled blood sugar levels can lead to further complications such as nerve damage, poor healing wounds and kidney failure.

Unhealthy eating also increases your risk and severity of type 2 diabetes. Excess weight and obesity are often contributing factors in the development of type 2 diabetes. A healthy diet that leads to successful weight management can help control or even prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.