Sir: In today’s age of convenience, fast food needs no introduction. Everyone from a two-year-old toddler to a 60-year-old seems to enjoy fast food. It’s delicious, filling, and affordable. It is readily available any time of the day. Living life in the fast lane, fast food is the only alternative. However, fast food is not nutritionally balanced and, therefore, unhealthy if consumed on a regular basis. Fast food is loaded with calories from refined sugar and fats (especially, the artery-clogging saturated and hydrogenated fats, which are repeatedly reheated to high temperatures for frying purposes). Most junk food is made by adding chemical additives to improve the flavour and colour. The additives also function to increase its vitality. However, it has been proved that these substances cause behavioural problems in children, such as hyperactivity. They are also said to have caused various diseases in children. Products such as instant noodles, potato chips and chocolate bars raise the kilojoule intake and lead to weight gain. The consumption of junk foods by children has many side effects and, therefore, should be reduced. Unhealthy diets cause health and behavioural problems in both children and adults. Syeda Gohare Marium Via Email