10 Facts about Junk Food

...that scared me a little...

Junk food is typically defined as foods with little nutritional value that are high in calories, fat, sugar, salt, or caffeine. Junk food can include breakfast cereals, candies, chips, cookies, French fries, gum, hamburger, hot dogs, ice cream, sodas, and most sweet desserts.
The increase of junk food is directly associated with the increase in obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, certain cancers, tooth decay, and other diseases.
Fats from junk food trigger the brain to want more food. This effect can last for several days.
More than $2 billion of candy is sold for Halloween, more than any other holiday.

Almost 80% of food commercials aired on Saturday morning children shows are for junk food.
Today the United States has a $23 billion candy market. Candy sales have continued to increase despite concerns with junk food and obesity.
Hostess makes 500 million Twinkies a year.
The agent that gives Twinkies their smooth feel, cellulose gum, is also used in rocket fuel to give it a slightly gelatinous feel.

Corn dextrin, a common thickener used in junk food, is also the glue on envelopes and postage stamps.
The creamy middle of a Twinkie is not cream at all but mostly Crisco, which is vegetable shortening.