What are the risks of having a unhealthy diet?

Answer 1

There is no single answer to this question; it really depends on what kind of diet you have - and what it does or does not contain. We know that the lack of certain vitamins can cause deficiency diseases, such as scurvy (vit. C) or rickets (vit D), and that the lack of certain minerals can cause other problems, such as weak or brittle bones (Calcium), anemia (Iron), or even irregular heart beats (Potassium). In addition, when we take in too much food overall, or too many high-calorie foods, it can lead to obesity, which comes with a whole host of problems, from stress on the joints, to sleep apnea, Heart disease, cancer, Diabetes, etc. One could have a normal number of calories but have them all from fat, and cause other problems that can lead to heart disease or stroke. Having a similarly unbalanced diet with all the calories coming from carbs can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes, plus it's a really easy way to gain weight as you get older. It also promotes dental problems, especially if it's foods that tend to get caught in your mouth or on your teeth. The easiest way to do that is to avoid or at least severely limit intake of fast foods, candies, snack foods, and sweet desserts. It would take a book or two to give you a truly detailed answer to this question, but I hope this is a good beginning.