People believe that eating is a good thing. However, not that many people actually care about what they put in their mouth, for example, those who frequent fast food entrepreneurs or vending machine maniacs.

In brief, people know that eating healthy is important, but when people are not aware of what is nutritionally good for them, and when they eat those foods, a health problem arises.

So what stems from eating unhealthily?

According to Skyline’s registered nurse Jan Gersonde, “People are not eating enough fruits and vegetables, and instead, eat more junk food.”

There is too-easy access to this good-tasting food and junk food,such as fast food. Gersonde says that “they make them taste good by using saturated fats.”

Dieting can be a tricky aspect of our daily routines. For example, Skyline student Angie Rayfield said, “I’m very aware of meals and less aware of the snacking.”

Rayfield mentions that snacks are all the same and that if they were all bad, it does not matter which snack you get because one snack is hypothetically just as bad as the other.

“People do not eat as healthy because there are a lot of foods that people think are healthy,” Rayfield says. “But, if you break down those foods, they are really processed.”

So what should people watch out for when eating?

People should beware of trans-fatty acids and high-fructose corn syrup in their food.

“Trans-fatty acids are worse than cholesterol and may cause heart disease,” said Gersonde, “and, although high-fructose syrup has been around for more than 20 years, it is a cheap form of adding sugar to food.”

Unhealthy diets come with the risk of suffering from obesity, diabetes, and serious heart problems, according to Gersonde, who urges people to actually read the labels on the food they buy. The consequences of not eating healthy foods may not be an up-in-the-moment concept, however, “Long-term-wise, if you eat that way, you will end up paying the price.”

When students do realize that eating healthy is important, they use the alternate concept of what goes wrong with their bodies to their advantage, like business major and cosmetics fanatic Emi Matsuura.

“When I was little I did not care what I ate, but now, I care about my skin because what you eat reflects your body.” Matsuura said.

In a greater perspective, the food that you eat not only reflects what is on one’s skin, but what is skin-deep.

According to students Rayfield and Matsuura, by skipping a meal or eating late, their bodies feel weak and unstable.

Student John C. Bigol said, “When I don’t eat breakfast, I get really weak and I also get allergies.”

The importance of eating healthy first is to make sure you have at least three meals a day, according to Jan Gersonde.

Gersonde emphasizes the importance of breakfast by mentioning that without breakfast, your body is functioning only on the food that you ate last.

“The only way your body gets fueled is through food, and if you don’t eat breakfast, your body has a deficit and it puts a real strain on your body,” said Gersonde.

Matsuura once learned in Japan, where she was raised most of her life, the essential meals of the day are like Olympic medals.

“Gold is for breakfast, because it is the most important meal of the day, silver for lunch and bronze for dinner,” Matsurra said as she enthusiastically recalled her childhood teachings.

There is no clear definition of what eating healthy food is, and Gersonde explains, “The definition of healthy food is different depending on who you talk to.”

People from different backgrounds, such as Matsurra, who is from Japan, and Bigol, who is from the Philippines, say that the way people eat is also due to the culture with which they are familiar.

Matsurra refers to a famous Korean side dish “kimchi” which is spicy, making a person sweat, thereby causing the release of toxins from the body.

Bigol mentioned how rice is an essential part in the Filipino culture because it gives a person the energy to withstand the day.

However, depending on what a person eats, whether it is healthy or not, according to him, “you really have to work at eating healthy; it’s a habit where you have to learn about what is good to eat and experiment what you like.”

But, of course, if you practice unhealthy eating habits now, it’s a process that you will have to eventually pay for in the end.

Fast Food Facts

Each year an estimated 300,000 U.S. adults die of causes related to obesity.-American Heart Association

Humans need only one tablespoon of fat daily. Unfortunately the average American consumes the equivalent of eight tablespoons of fat each day. Eight tablespoons of fat is equal to one stick of butter. -American Cancer Society

Saturated fatty acid and trans fatty acid intake should be less than 10 percent of calories consumed (less than 7% if you have heart disease, have had a heart attack or have high cholesterol).-American Heart Association