We surrounded by information about how bad fast food is for us and how too much it can harm our bodies.

But sometimes it’s easy just to push that to one side and treat ourselves to a nice treat dinner.

Obviously this is fine once in a while, but lots of people are still eating fast food on a regular basis.

Four brave fitness fans decided to give up their healthy, balanced meals up for one week to see the impact junk food had on them mentally and physically – and the results are pretty shocking.

As well as changing their diet for the worse, David Templer, Paige Modeste, James Tilley and Emma Taylor also avoided the gym for the week.

They were put up to the challenge by online healthy food retailer Muscle Food , and within days reported ethargy, a low mood, spotty skin, de-motivation and gained weight.

This is how they found it.

James

The challenge was particularly challenge for James, 25, as the unhealthy menu used to be his norm.

He said: "I was anxious heading into the challenge because I’ve been there before.

"I ate a diet packed with takeaways and fast food and after transforming myself, have no intention of ever going back to that place.

"The first couple of days I enjoyed eating rubbish but then I noticed the change in my body. My abs were less defined, and my body felt spongy.

"That really got me down mentally. I began to picture myself as that fat teen again and that left me feeling stressed and frustrated.

"Normally if I felt like that I’d head to the gym and train, but I couldn’t so the anxiety built up.

"At the start of the second clean week, I was desperate to get back to normal. I was in the gym pretty much straight away and back to eating a proper diet.

"Getting back to my stir fries, lean meats and high protein chicken in week two was the best feeling. My body felt full, I felt energised and my motivation was back. That anxiety I’d been feeling had vanished."

Paige

Harrods shop assistance Paige, 25, first noticed how bad her skin became after eating nothing but rubish.

Her new diet was made up of sugary pastries for breakfast, ready meals for lunch and dinners free from any fruit or veg.

She said: "I felt terrible by the end of week one. I had no energy, my skin was spotty and itchy, I had a constant feeling of nausea and huge bags under my eyes.

"I couldn’t leave the house without make-up because my skin looked terrible. And I felt so tired. Regardless of what I ate I felt shattered.

"I also put on a little weight but the biggest difference was my waist measurement. I went from 69cm to 73cm in just seven days. Considering waist size over 80cm in a woman is now an indicator for type 2 diabetes, that’s a frightening amount to put on.

"I can understand why people get into the rut of eating unhealthy processed food. It’s easy to prepare, there’s no prepping and it does contain lots of addictive sugar which it can be hard to give up."

David

Marketing specialist David, who lives in Tooting, London, followed his takeway-loving housemates’ diet for a week.

He said: "Physically I felt tired, found myself getting out of breath walking up a couple of flights of stairs, began to develop spotty skin and I started to put weight on.

"Mentally I felt de-motivated and despite being a confident person, found myself doubting my decisions.

"Staying away from the gym hit me mentally and physically. I use gym time to train but also to think, de-stress and gain some perspective.

"I didn’t realise quite how important that was to my mental health."

Emma

Salon owner Emma really struggled eating so much artificial food.

She said: "I have a sensitive stomach so filling it with all those E numbers and sugary foods left me feeling sick and bloated.

"I was really lethargic and found I couldn’t concentrate. Even the simplest tasks became tricky. I also suffered with a lot of headaches.

"As soon as the clean eating kicked in, the headaches went, my energy came back and my concentration came back."

What the experts say

Army dietician Rachel Hobbs said: "One week consuming a highly processed diet with minimal physical activity may not have a huge effect on an individual’s physical health,however it’s impact on their emotional and mental health can be huge.

"A diet high in processed foods such a takeaways, biscuits and crisps contain fewer vitamins and minerals than a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, high quality proteins and wholegrains.

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"This means nutrients essential for a healthy mind such as vitamin B, zinc and omega 3 will be lacking.

"A diet deficient in omega 3 particularly is linked to poor mental wellness due to its anti-inflammatory properties. High inflammation in the body, can result in depressive symptoms and a diet high in processed foods may cause high inflammation.

"Consuming some processed foods once in a while is absolutely fine and part of living a healthy life, however it is important that individuals predominantly choose foods high in nutrients to protect their mental health."

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