Teen Goes Blind and Deaf Over Too Much Junk Food

Boy loses hearing and sight to junk

Junk lovers should be wary of their eating habits as a teenager in the UK is reported to be the first one to ever go deaf and blind for eating too much junk food.

His poor diet, a daily portion of chips, crisps, white bread and processed meat for around a decade, resulted in a number of vitamin deficiencies, led to the 17-year old developing a condition called nutritional optic neuropathy (NON), a common malnutrition condition among children in developing  access but rare in the western world.

Chips are typically high in fat and calories and low in vitamins and minerals which can raise the risk of weight gain and obesity. They tend to displace things in the diet that are higher in nutrients. Eating healthy snacks can help make up for any nutritional lack at mealtimes, so if you opt for chips instead of snacks with a high nutrient density, you won’t get this benefit.

A 2015 study in “Health Affairs” found that potatoes fried in oil (including chips) were among the foods most strongly linked to weight gain. Being overweight or obese raises the risk of diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer.

Consumption of too much junk with sodium content also negatively impact on one’s cardiovascular health. A high intake of sodium can cause an increase in blood pressure, which can lead to stroke, heart failure, coronary heart disease and kidney disease.