ABSTRACT
Junk food consumption has peaked in high-income countries but is still increasing rapidly throughout much of the developing world. While the adverse health impacts of junk food are undeniable, much less attention has been paid to its environmental impacts. This chapter takes a more nuanced approach to the topic by consolidating the evidence on the health and sustainability implications of junk food production and consumption. It begins with a review of the nomenclature used in the literature to describe junk food, followed by a descriptive analysis of current global consumption patterns and trends. Associated health and environmental impacts are then considered with some options to address these. Based on the available evidence, it is concluded that junk food is incompatible with sustainability objectives and concurrent efforts to curtail its production and consumption should be a key agenda item in promoting healthy and sustainable food systems.
