Many people in the developped countries are overfed but undernourished. This means that they eat plenty of food, but the food is often convenience and packaged foods that have been stripped of their nutrients. While this may help keep you full in the short term, it doesn’t provide the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. Most vitamins and minerals are found in whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables and lean meats. Neglecting to include these foods in your diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies.

It should come as no surprise that obesity is a major consequence of not eating healthy. With the increasing availability of unhealthy foods and convenience foods also came a rise in both adult and childhood obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 35.7 percent of adults and 17 percent of children are obese. Obesity puts stress on every part of your body and increases your risk of developing major health problems, including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, liver disease, infertility and sleep apnea.

Obesity is one cause of Type 2 diabetes, but another is unstable blood sugar levels. When you consume a lot of refined grains and sugar-rich foods, your glucose levels spike and drop repeatedly. Over time, these dramatic changes in your blood sugar levels can lead to insulin resistance, which is characterized by a decreased sensitivity to insulin. If this condition is not corrected, it can advance to Type 2 diabetes.

Unhealthy foods are often high in sodium, fat, cholesterol and sugar. Eating these unhealthy foods on a regular basis can increase your blood pressure as well as your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Over time, high blood pressure and high lipid levels can put a great deal of stress on your heart, increasing your risk for heart attack, stroke and coronary artery disease.