When Stacey Irvine, as a toddler, started eating chicken nuggets, hardly did she know that in 15 years’ time, those very nuggets would almost kill her. For the past decade and a half, Irvine was feasting on these nuggets, occasional fries, and little else. As a result, she was found struggling for breath recently and had to be hospitalized.

1) The history

It was her mother who initiated the toddler Stacey into fast food, especially nuggets at a local McDonald’s restaurant. The Castle Vale, Birmingham, resident says of her first experience, “I loved them so much they were all I would eat. I just couldn’t face even trying other foods. Mum gave up giving me anything else years ago.” Don’t you feel like giving Stacey’s mum a serious piece of mind for giving up on her daughter so easily?

2) The Diagnosis

Stacey, who works in a factory, was earlier asked by her doctors to make changes in her diet or “die.” In fact, Stacey ate little else than the nuggets. She did not consume any fresh fruits or vegetables. Now, how appalling is that? After her recent brush with hospital, she was diagnosed with anemia and inflamed veins in her tongue, all because of her obsession with the nuggets.

3) Is She Hopeless?

Right now, Stacey is recuperating at home with the doctors’ prescribed vitamins in high dose. She now realizes that her diet is the main reason for her health being in danger. Stacey told the media, “I am starting to realize this is really bad for me. My main meal is always chicken nuggets every day. McDonald’s chicken nuggets are my favorite. I share 20 with my boyfriend with chips. But I also like KFC and supermarket brands.”

4) What Next?

For now, doctors have told the 17-year-old that she would die if she carried on her diet like this. But her mother knows that her daughter cannot eat anything else. Stacey’s mother, Evonne, has this to say of her exasperation, “She’s been told in no uncertain terms that she will die if she carries on like this. But Stacey says she can’t eat anything else. It breaks my heart to see her eating those damned nuggets. Even Stacey’s siblings’ efforts to make her eat more healthily have yielded little result.

5) The Time Bomb is Ticking

As is wont, the diet based only on chicken nuggets and fries is bound to be low in vitamins and other nutrients evn as it contains copious amounts of fat and salt. It is, therefore, the parents’ duty to make sure their child eats the right food and a balanced diet. A junk food diet gives your child nothing but an increased risk of heart attack and high blood pressure. Surely you don’t want that for your child, right? If you still don’t get the picture, here are some facts to “chew” upon – six McNuggets contain 280 calories, 17g fat, 14g protein, 16g carbohydrate, 240mg salt, and 0.6mg Vitamin C. Now compare this to the recommended amount of nutrition we require every day, which is – 2,000 calories, 56g fat, 58g protein, 275g carbohydrate, 540mg salt, and 30mg Vitamin C. So, now you see that although, McNuggets give us a good amount of calories, but it is made up mostly of salt and fat, and little else.

Stacey’s story is shocking to say the least! Public health advocates have been associating junk food with the deteriorating health standards in America for quite a long time now but it seems parents are still not ready to accept this bitter truth. What happened to Stacey should never happen to any other child and to ensure that, you need to focus on a balanced diet for your child.

Image Courtesy: anorak.co.uk