What Are the Effects of an Unbalanced Diet?
An unbalanced diet can lead to health problems like high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, coronary heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, malnutrition and osteoarthritis. An unbalanced diet also has short-term risks such as poor sleep, mood problems, heartburn, indigestion and poor brain function.
A balanced diet should draw from all the basic food groups to provide the body with ample levels of healthy fats, carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins. Most medical professionals recommend eating at least six servings of grain, four servings of vegetables and four servings of fruit every day, according to The New York Times. This should be accompanied by 6 ounces of fish or poultry and three servings of low-fat dairy products like yogurt, cheese or milk.
For a balanced diet, it is also important to balance calorie intake with exercise; slowly reducing calorie intake while increasing exercise prevents weight gain over time. Trans fatty acids should be avoided at all costs because they are unhealthy fats. They are commonly found in commercially baked goods like cookies and donuts, processed foods, margarine and fried foods. Cholesterol intake should be limited to less than 300 mg/day. Added sugars should also be avoided.It is important for people who wish to eat a balanced diet to educate themselves about what their body requires.
