In America, unhealthy and highly processed food is so normalized that most people no longer even question how often it’s consumed. Going out to eat or getting fast food used to be treated as a rare occasion. It’s now eaten as often as everyday for lunch, dinner, etc., without a second thought. One of the biggest problems is how it’s eaten without awareness of how horrible the food is for overall health. Bigger portions are now standard. What used to be a full meal is now considered a normal portion. This has overall changed people’s perspective of what is healthy and excessive. Portion sizing itself has increased roughly 20%-60% on average depending on the food.
People no longer really question eating out anymore, or the normalization of highly processed foods because it’s become just “how people eat now”, a normal part of everyday life. A good example of this is the normalization of starting your day with Starbucks. Many people, on their way to work, start their day by grabbing Starbucks without realizing they just consumed a drink 2-4x the recommended daily sugar intake all before 10 a.m. in just a single drink. This doesn’t mean it’s never okay, it means that there needs to be overall more awareness of the consumption of drinks high in fat, sugar, and other ingredients designed for cravings.
Unhealthy food is easily accessible. It’s cheap, easy, and everywhere. This factor points at rising issues like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and even has an effect on how everyday life is lived. Fast food is so normalized that eating a normal balanced diet is looked at as “extra” or too difficult or time consuming. While preparing meals does take time, this doesn’t mean you’re out of options. A great way to stay balanced even with a busy lifestyle is meal planning. Then by the time dinner comes around, you don’t even have to think about what to eat because it’s there and planned. It also decreases the risk of mindlessly stopping at McDonald’s without awareness or care about what you’re putting into your body.
Processed and unhealthy food is not just a problem because it’s harmful, but because it’s designed to make people crave it and eat more. It’s high in saturated fat, high sugar, and sodium. It’s made to be addictive and easy to overconsume. It leads to mindlessly overeating, without even realizing the things you’re putting into your body. It’s so cheap that buying organic or just regular whole foods don’t even fit the budget of most people. It becomes reliable and easy which leads to the normalization and habit of the consumption of highly processed foods. It’s high in calories while low in nutrients making it feel satisfying while it’s actually less filling than regular whole foods. It creates a cycle of eat- still hungry an hour later- eat more. With whole, nutrient-dense foods, you’re full longer, you don’t need as big of portions to feel satisfied, and it gives your body what it actually needs.
The system overall prioritizes profit and convenience over health. It makes it harder for people to eat good and balanced foods even if they wanted to. This is why America’s health keeps declining and will continue to decline if the system itself doesn’t change.
