Why We Eat Too Much Food

Food is any material consumed by an organism to give basic nutrition to it. In humans, food is generally of animal, plant or fungi origin, and consists of necessary nutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, or other minerals. The diet of humans primarily consists of plants; they have about 98% of their total calories come from plants, and the rest comes from animal products.

Humans have been eating foods in one form or another for centuries. For example, hunters and gatherers ate various wild foods, such as fruits, nuts, roots, stalks and other plant-based foods. Fruits, nuts and whole grains are some of the richest sources of food available in the world, with more fiber and other valuable components in comparison to meats and dairy products. In many cultures around the world today, especially in Asia, rice is used instead of other grains, to eat enough vitamin E and other antioxidants in food to prevent disease called chronic diseases.

However, most Western diets usually consist of too much processed or fast food, which are often nutrient-poor. Processed foods contain artificial preservatives and ingredients that may cause disease, while fast food tends to be of inferior nutritional quality, resulting in excess body fat. To eat a well-balanced diet, it is recommended to include a variety of whole foods in the diet – particularly fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and other food types. Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, essential nutrients and other vitamins, which can prevent diseases like cancer and heart disease.