​Despite advice received from nutritionists, chefs or influencers, despite commercials (public service announcements) broadcast on television, Romanians consume more sugar, fat or meat, while reducing the amount of vegetables and fruits consumed, data show INS, consultations held. from HotNews.

One explanation may be the increase in the price of products, but this does not apply to all products. Some are price inelastic, that is, the price goes up because people keep buying them (be it bread, gasoline, or sugar, according to statistics).

For example, cabbage: from 2.5 lei in 2022, it increased to 6 lei per year. Onions rose in price from 2 lei to almost 8 lei. An interesting case is with melons, which, although the price has risen within decent limits, considering the level of inflation, people’s consumption has halved.

Other explanations are related to people’s lack of time (a lot of work, less and less time for cooking, so it’s more convenient for us to buy shawarma or other junk food), but they don’t stand all the time either.

In general, Romanians consume more junk food, despite the negative health consequences.

Possible (and plausible) explanations

One of the reasons is that about half of parents do not offer a package to children who go to school, but instead give them pocket money to buy food on the way to school or during breaks.

Other causes of increased junk food consumption include:

taste : Many people prefer the taste of junk food or are already used to it, some studies suggest

convenience : Junk food is often more convenient (to cook and eat), especially if you have a busy lifestyle

Accessibility : Junk food is often cheaper than healthier food, making it more accessible to the general population

commercials : Attractive and often invasive junk food ads while surfing the web can influence people’s food choices

Peer influence : negative peer influence can lead you to adopt imitation behaviors that encourage eating unhealthy foods

Food delivery online:the growing availability of online food delivery services makes it easier to order junk food

Emotional states: emotional states such as boredom, stress and depression or anger can lead to eating unhealthy foods

There is simply not enough knowledge : people may not be aware of the health risks associated with junk food that may contribute to their consumption

In his book, The End of Overeating, former FDA Commissioner David Kessler accuses food companies of deliberately manipulating the chemical composition of foods to cause addiction in people with vulnerable brain chemicals, i.e. children.

Kessler was involved in further research that found similarities in how the guinea pigs’ brains experienced withdrawal symptoms similar to drug withdrawal after they were fed a high-fat, high-sugar mixture and then put on a diet.

The food industry rejected Kessler’s claims, writes The Atlantic. Kessler believes that many food companies should be publicly exposed for marketing addictive foods.

In general, it seems that (at least in the case of Romanians) during periods of high inflation, which affects your food budget, advice on the importance of healthy eating takes a back seat. Unfortunately.

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