food


    Healthy food


     The United States, health-related claims on nutrition facts labels are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while advertising is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission. According to the FDA, "Health claims describe a relationship between a food, food component, or dietary supplement ingredient, and reducing risk of a disease or health-related condition".^[1]

In general, claims of health benefits for specific foodstuffs have not been evaluated by national regulatory agencies. Additionally, research funded by manufacturers or marketers that may form the basis of such marketing claims has been shown to result in more favorable results than independently funded research.^[2]

While there is no precise definition for "health food", the United States Food and Drug Administration has warned food manufacturers against labeling foods as being "healthy" when they have a high sugar, salt, or fat content.^[3]

   

  

Unhealthy food

   Unhealthy food is a pejorative term for food containing high levels of calories from sugar or fat with little protein, vitamins or minerals. Use of the term implies that a particular food has little "nutritional value" and contains excessive fat, sugar, salt, and calories.^[1][2][3] Junk food can also refer to high protein food containing large amounts of meat prepared with, for example, too much unhealthy saturated fat;^{[citation needed]} many hamburger outlets, fried chicken outlets and the like supply food considered unhealthy food.^{[4][better source needed]}

Despite being labeled as "unhealthy," such foods usually do not pose any immediate health concerns and are generally safe when integrated into a well balanced diet.^[5] However, concerns about the negative health effects resulting from the consumption of a "junk food"-heavy diet have resulted in public health awareness campaigns, and restrictions on advertising and sale in several countries.