Whether it’s french fries, chips, or candy, everyone loves junk food. People more often than not have junk food every day, but when consumed irresponsibly, it can affect you in many different ways over time.

Besides just tasting good, people are more likely to buy junk food because of its convenient packages and mass production. Especially here in America, no matter where you go you are always likely to find junk food. Fast-food chains, such as McDonald’s, are super popular and can commonly be found outside of office or work buildings and schools. This makes a quick and convenient meal for people during the day.

Just about everyone has heard the saying “You are what you eat,” and it’s true because your diet and what you eat can affect how you function. A brain and nutrition specialist said that junk food shapes young people’s brains and can make it hard to control impulsive behaviors. They also said that in teenagers it can risk anxiety and depression. An article from Life Science also stated, “A 2012 study in the journal Public Health Nutrition revealed that people who ate junk food were 51 percent more likely to show signs of depression — and the more junk food the study participants ate, the more likely they were to be depressed.”

Over-consuming junk foods can also lead to a number of health problems including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, early age death, and many more. One study on how fast food affects the heart showed that eating fast food at least once a week is linked to a higher risk of obesity. And the more often a person has it, the more likely they are at risk for health problems.

But if junk food is so bad for us, then why do we keep eating it?

The simple answer for it is people become addicted to it. Junk foods are typically high in things like sugar, salt, and fat, and these ingredients trigger the pleasure centers of our brain making us feel good and happy while we eat it, which results in people wanting to keep having it. Another reason why people keep eating junk food is because of cost. Typically junk foods are inexpensive and sold in large quantities, making people more likely to buy them and to eat more of them.

So despite knowing that junk foods are not good for you to eat, it is not entirely people’s fault they keep eating them. People don’t realize how often they consume junk foods, but when someone stops and takes a minute to reflect, it can save you loads of troubles that can occur for you later in life.

If you are wondering if you consume too much junk food, consider journaling your food or using a food-tracking app; you might be surprised just how many things you pop in your mouth without thought!