The American Diet: How Poor Nutrition Fuels a Health Crisis
Dr. Jeff Brown and I recently completed a Merge Medical podcast with Dr. Shawn Baker, author of The Carnivore Diet. We didn’t talk for 3 hours like Joe Rogan did, but we had a good time and informative talk. Linked below. Researching this article was fun on the heels of an open mind to new thoughts on everything food and diet.
In the last 50 years, the American diet has undergone a dramatic transformation. Once rooted in whole, natural foods, it has shifted toward processed products engineered to maximize taste and convenience. This shift has contributed to a growing health crisis, with poor dietary habits fueling chronic diseases that dominate U.S. healthcare spending.
During the mid-20th century, as tobacco fell out of favor due to increasing public health awareness and regulation—such as the 1965 mandate requiring health warnings on cigarette packages—major tobacco companies sought new ways to maintain profitability. They turned to the food industry, acquiring iconic brands and applying their expertise in marketing addictive products.
For example, Philip Morris acquired Kraft Foods and General Foods in the 1980s, gaining control of brands like Jell-O, Kool-Aid, and Maxwell House coffee. Similarly, R.J. Reynolds purchased Nabisco, adding Oreo cookies and Ritz crackers to its portfolio. These acquisitions allowed tobacco companies to use their expertise in consumer psychology and product marketing to engineer foods that were not only profitable but also designed to exploit cravings and encourage overconsumption.
This transition wasn’t just about diversifying their portfolios; it was a calculated effort to replace one addiction with another. Products that seemed convenient and appealing were, in reality, designed to exploit the same mechanisms of dependency that had made cigarettes so profitable.
Today, the legacy of this shift is evident in the widespread availability of hyper-palatable foods and the staggering rates of diet-related chronic diseases. By understanding how these historical forces shaped the modern food environment, we can begin to address the root causes of the current health crisis.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE AMERICAN DIET
From Home Cooking to Processed Convenience
The shift from whole, home-cooked meals to fast, processed foods reshaped American eating habits. This evolution wasn’t accidental; it was driven by industry strategies that prioritized shelf life, taste, and profitability over health.
The Role of the Food Industry
The food industry played a central role in this transformation, creating products that were cheap, accessible, and packed with preservatives, dyes, and additives to increase cravings.
Is the Classic Food Pyramid Wrong?
The classic food pyramid, introduced in the early 1990s, has long been a guide for dietary choices. With grains and cereals forming its base, the pyramid emphasizes these foods as the foundation of a healthy diet. However, mounting evidence suggests this approach may be flawed—or even harmful.
Even in their less-processed forms, grains consumed in large quantities may not be as beneficial to gut health as once believed. The rise in conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gluten intolerance, and other gastrointestinal disorders raises questions about whether a diet heavy in grains is suitable for most people. These issues, combined with the refined, sugar-laden cereals that dominate the grain category, suggest that the pyramid may need a fundamental overhaul.
A Pyramid Turned Upside Down?
Critics argue that the food pyramid may be upside down, prioritizing grains at the expense of nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, healthy fats, and proteins. Proponents of the carnivore diet, for example, suggest that a return to a diet based on animal products is more aligned with human evolutionary history. Before agriculture, humans thrived on diets rich in meat, fish, and foraged plant foods—foods that are arguably easier for our digestive systems to process.
Modern diets heavy in grains and processed foods, by contrast, may be mismatched with the way our bodies evolved to function. This disconnect could help explain the surge in chronic diseases and gut-related health issues that plague so many Americans today.
Rethinking Nutritional Guidelines
If the pyramid’s foundational advice is flawed, it begs the question: What should a more accurate dietary guideline look like? Emerging evidence suggests that diets prioritizing whole, unprocessed foods—including lean proteins, healthy fats, and a variety of fruits and vegetables—may be better suited to both our evolutionary history and our current health needs.
By reexamining outdated dietary frameworks like the food pyramid, we can begin to address some of the root causes of poor health and create a more realistic, effective approach to nutrition.
ADDICTIVE INGREDIENTS AND THEIR IMPACT
The Science of Cravings
Additives like sugar, salt, and fat are deliberately combined to create hyper-palatable foods that override natural satiety signals, encouraging overconsumption. This practice has been widely documented by investigative journalists and industry whistleblowers.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael Moss brought this issue to light in his groundbreaking book, Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us. Moss details how food companies use a calculated combination of these ingredients to make their products nearly impossible to resist, prioritizing profit over health. His follow-up book, Hooked: Food, Free Will, and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions, explores how these practices exploit biological and psychological vulnerabilities, drawing parallels between processed foods and addictive substances like tobacco.
Nutritionist and public health advocate Marion Nestle also addresses this issue in her book, Unsavory Truth: How Food Companies Skew the Science of What We Eat. Nestle reveals how the food industry funds research to downplay the addictive nature of their products, influencing public perceptions and health recommendations.
These accounts illustrate how food manufacturers deliberately design products to trigger cravings and encourage overconsumption, fueling the cycle of poor nutrition and chronic disease. Understanding these practices is crucial for consumers who want to take control of their health.
Beyond Sugar: The Culprits in Processed Foods
While sugar often gets the spotlight, other ingredients like trans fats, refined grains, and excessive sodium also contribute to the addiction cycle and poor health outcomes. Processed diets disrupt the gut microbiome, leading to chronic inflammation and a cascade of health issues.
CHRONIC DISEASES FUELED BY POOR DIET
The Obesity Epidemic
In the 1950s, obesity was relatively uncommon in the United States. Historical data indicates that the adult obesity rate was approximately 13% between 1960 and 1962. By contrast, recent figures from 2017–2020 show that the rate has skyrocketed to 41.9%. This dramatic increase highlights the profound impact of dietary changes over the past several decades.
Photographs from mid-20th-century American beaches often depict crowds with few, if any, visibly obese individuals. These images starkly contrast with scenes from today, where obesity has become a common public health issue. The cultural and dietary shifts since that time, particularly the rise in calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods, have played a significant role in this transformation.
Diabetes and Insulin Resistance
The incidence of type 2 diabetes has risen sharply in recent years. Between 2012 and 2022, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the United States increased by nearly 20%, affecting all sociodemographic groups.
This surge has placed a substantial financial burden on the healthcare system. In 2022, the total cost of diabetes in the U.S. was estimated at $413 billion, encompassing both direct medical expenses and indirect costs such as lost productivity.
Cardiovascular Diseases
Excessive consumption of unhealthy fats, salt, and sugar has exacerbated heart disease risks. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. In 2022, 702,880 people died from heart disease, accounting for 1 in every 5 deaths.
The financial burden of cardiovascular diseases is substantial. Between 2019 and 2020, the estimated direct and indirect costs of heart disease in the United States averaged $252.2 billion annually. This figure includes health care services, medications, and lost productivity due to death. Looking ahead, the economic impact is projected to escalate dramatically. Total costs for all cardiovascular conditions are expected to rise from $627 billion in 2020 to $1.851 trillion by 2050, increasing from 2.7% to 4.6% of the U.S. GDP.
Other Chronic Conditions
Poor diets are also linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, certain cancers, and mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety.
ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM: SOLUTIONS FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE
Empowering Individuals
While systemic change is critical, individuals can take immediate steps to improve their health by making informed choices. Education remains the most powerful tool in combating the harms of processed foods. Learning to read labels, recognizing harmful additives, and avoiding hyper-palatable, processed products can significantly impact health outcomes. By choosing whole, nutrient-dense foods, consumers can reduce their dependence on the products that dominate today’s grocery shelves.
Policy and Public Health Interventions
Although personal responsibility plays a vital role, public scrutiny of the practices of major food corporations is an essential part of the solution. Regulatory oversight and policy changes are needed to hold these companies accountable for prioritizing profit over public health. For example, during the Trump 2024 campaign, Robert Kennedy Jr. was involved in discussions about health-related issues, particularly the potential impact of environmental and dietary factors on chronic disease. His advocacy for transparency and regulation hinted at the broader potential for government intervention in addressing public health crises.
While Kennedy’s involvement was controversial for some, it underscored the growing awareness of the need to scrutinize powerful industries, including food manufacturers. The practices of these corporations—such as the use of misleading advertising, addictive additives, and the engineering of hyper-palatable foods—must be more closely monitored to protect consumers. Policy measures like stricter labeling laws, taxes on harmful ingredients, and subsidies for healthy food options can help create an environment that supports healthier choices.
The Role of Healthcare Providers
Healthcare providers are another key piece of the puzzle. Physicians, dietitians, and other health professionals can educate patients about the dangers of processed foods and provide guidance on transitioning to a healthier diet. By framing diet as a central component of preventive healthcare, providers can help individuals break free from the cycle of poor nutrition and its associated chronic diseases.
A CALL TO ACTION FOR CHANGE
Building a Healthier Future
Meaningful change requires collective effort from individuals, communities, and policymakers to address the root causes of poor nutrition.
The Benefits of Change
Improved dietary habits not only reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases but also enhance overall well-being and reduce healthcare costs.
Conclusion
By understanding the historical, social, and economic forces that shaped the modern American diet, we can work toward a healthier future. The fight against poor nutrition is not just about personal choices—it’s about addressing a system that has prioritized profit over health for decades.