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It was about time someone said it. People eat junk food, not because they like it most, but because of its price. When the price increases, its consumption decreases. This was the conclusion of the investigators at the University of North Caroline in Chapel Hill, who monitored the eating habits of 5,115 adults between 1985 and 1986 and then between 2005 and 2006.

During those 20 years, prices rose 10%, while there was a 12% decrease in pizza consumption.

The Price of Health
Curiously, when pizza or soft drinks increased their prices in $1 or more, people ate fewer calories per day, had a lower weight, and more resistance to insulin.
For researchers, the solution for people to eat less junk food would be to increase its price. According to projections, if unhealthy foods had to pay a tax of 18%, people would consume 56 less calories per day, equivalent to a weight loss of 5 pounds per person each year.
“In conclusion, our findings suggest that national policies, state or local, that modify the prices of unhealthy foods might be a possible mechanism to guide U.S. adults towards a healthier diet,” said J. Kivah Duffey, from the University of North Carolina at Chapen Hill.

A Little Creativity
One thing you can’t deny about junk food is that it makes things easier. Restaurants that sell these types of food offer combos including soda and fries, in most cases. This simplifies paying the bill as well as deciding what to eat, being very convenient to your economy.

However, using your imagination you can find better alternatives in the same restaurants.

• McDonald’s:A regular hamburger has 300 calories, while a cheeseburger has 440. The famous Big Mac has 540. If we order small fries, we’ll have to add 230 calories or 380 calories if they’re medium-size. However, for fewer calories and only a little more money, you can choose a Caesar Salad with Chicken, which has 220 calories. However, instead of using the creamy Caesar dressing with 190 calories, choose the low-fat balsamic vinegar, with only 40 calories.
• Burger King:Although it’s difficult to find a meal that’s worth less than $1, the price of a double burger during a promotion, we must also consider the calories: a double cheese burger has 460 calories and 27 grams of fat, while a serving of four chicken tenders has only 180 calories. Another alternative is ordering a flame broiled hamburger, which has 260 calories.
• Ihop:Instead of ordering the tempting pancakes that will sabotage any diet, choose a vegetable omelette, with mushrooms, green peppers, and tomato, with only 360 calories.
• Denny’s:Although tempting, large hamburgers obviously have plenty of calories. For example, the bacon and cheddar burger, 15 ounces, has 940 calories; and this seems nothing when compared to the double cheese burger, 23 ounces, that has 1,480 calories. Instead, you may choose a 17-ounce grilled chicken salad (Chicken Dix Salad), with only 290 calories.

It’s true: who doesn’t like having it all served, especially when the menu includes crispy fries. But wearing the clothes you haven’t used for the last two years is also tempting, isn’t it? Therefore, next time you go to a fast food restaurant, make an effort to read the nutrition facts before ordering. A few more minutes are worth the effort. You are worth it!

Source: Healthfinder.gov and institutional sites of Mc Donald’s, Burger King, Ihop, and Denny´s.