Brilio.net - Digital technology and social media have significantly influenced people's lives. Not only determining trends in clothing, automotive, tourism, and culinary, social media can also shape a person's lifestyle. Unfortunately, excessive exposure to social media can also have a negative impact on physical and mental health.
It is undeniable that food that appears on social media also influences the tastes of many people. In fact, there are quite a few foods that then go viral and make a number of social media users want to taste them.
If the viral food tends to be healthy, the trend is certainly very good and has a positive impact. But unfortunately, more low-nutrient foods are attracting more attention.
Viral food is one of the trends that is often targeted by many people. Not a few are even willing to wait for hours to taste it.
However, consuming these foods excessively can be disastrous for your health. A 23-year-old man, for example, had to face the harsh reality of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes due to an unhealthy diet.
At a relatively young age, this Malaysian man had to go back and forth to the hospital for routine check-ups. He admitted that one of the causes of his illness was his habit of trying viral foods without considering the long-term impacts. His desire to not miss out on culinary trends caused him to ignore the importance of maintaining a healthy diet.
"As much as possible, I don't want to miss out on trying viral food because everything looks delicious, to the point of being willing to queue for hours. I once queued for 3 hours just to buy viral bread," he concluded as quoted by BrilioFood from siakapkeli.my on Monday (2/12).
photo: pixabay.com
Due to this habit, he lost his appetite for healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables. As a result, he had to inject insulin four times a day to be able to continue his activities normally. This immediately made him regret his bad habits and be wiser in choosing food.
"Now it has become a routine to have to inject insulin four times a day. When eating, you also have to be more selective, only eat healthy food," he said.
photo: pixabay.com
Reported from the journal bmj.com, health experts emphasize that sugar is not a completely bad substance, as long as it is consumed in reasonable amounts. Sugar is still needed by the body, but if consumed excessively it can cause various health problems, including diabetes.
Based on the National Review of Health and Morbidity Statistics (NHMS) in 2019, around 3.9 million people in Malaysia suffer from diabetes. The prevalence rate of diabetes in this country in 2019 increased to 18.3% from 13.4% in 2015.
photo: pixabay.com
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes have fundamental differences. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children or adolescents and is not always related to weight. In this type, the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to deliver glucose to the body's cells. Treatment involves injections or the use of an insulin pump.
Type 2 diabetes, which is more common in people over 30, is caused by insulin resistance or a lack of insulin production. It is often associated with being overweight, having high cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure. Initial treatment involves healthy lifestyle changes and a strict diet. If these changes are ineffective, insulin injections are an option.
The story of this young man is a valuable lesson for everyone to be wiser in following viral food trends. Consuming trendy foods is okay, but you must still pay attention to balance and not damage your health. Maintaining a healthy diet and having regular health checks are the keys to avoiding serious health problems in the future.