The American diet in one chart, with lots of fats and sugars

http://www.grist.org/industrial-agriculture/2011-04-05-american-diet-one-chart-lots-of-fats-sugars

http://www2.grist.org/grist-images/2011/April/4-4/calories-food-graph-article.jpg

Over on Civil Eats, Andrea Jezovit has put together a terrific interactive chart on the U.S. diet. Using USDA data for "average daily calories available per capita, adjusted for spoilage and waste," it tracks our eating habits since 1970, separating our foodstuffs into basic categories: grains, dairy, vegetables, fruits, proteins ("meat, eggs, and nuts"), added sugars, and added fats.

For me, the most interesting categories are the latter two. They represent what could be called the "value added" by the food-processing industry. The other categories mainly represent whole foods; the added fats and sugars are what the food industry uses to tart up whole foods to make them more appealing in marketing to consumers. (The one exception to that description is soda, which is essentially pure "added sugars" without any whole foods, suspended in a water medium along with a few synthetic flavoring agents and dyes. It is bizarre how much chemical-laced sugar water we consume.)

But it sure is yummy.

The added sugars and fats is the problem.

People can eat whatever they want. :shrug: As long as they don't expect other people to pay to cure the resulting health problems.

Uurgh pretty disgusting.

People can eat whatever they want. :shrug: As long as they don't expect other people to pay to cure the resulting health problems.

All about money isn't it? :rolleyes: People from poorer socio-economic backgrounds are forced to eat foods that they can afford. Usually this means those that are preserved with added sugars and fats. How about taking some responsibility and curing the social ills of society that lead to stress and obesity rather than putting our hands up and saying "your problem, my money, hands off!" :rolleyes: Not every person had the same upbringing, opportunities and privileges in life. To assume so (or pretend it to be so) is so dishonest.

People can eat whatever they want. :shrug: As long as they don't expect other people to pay to cure the resulting health problems.

Indeed!

Yet, personal responsibility is a dying notion in the US these days.
Always somebody elses fault for this that and everything else.

All about money isn't it? :rolleyes: People from poorer socio-economic backgrounds are forced to eat foods that they can afford. Usually this means those that are preserved with added sugars and fats. How about taking some responsibility and curing the social ills of society that lead to stress and obesity rather than putting our hands up and saying "your problem, my money, hands off!" :rolleyes: Not every person had the same upbringing, opportunities and privileges in life. To assume so (or pretend it to be so) is so dishonest.

How about people taking some responsibility for curing their own ills?

I don't have a lot of money, but I manage to stay healthy. You seem to have enough of it, but you're still fat. It's not about how much money someone has, it's about personal choice and responsibility. And even those people forced to eat less healthy food (which is an assumption I don't completely agree with) could certainly afford to eat less of it.

Don't pig out at McDonalds and then expect someone else to pay for your liposuction.

So Catty

All about money isn't it? :rolleyes: People from poorer socio-economic backgrounds are forced to eat foods that they can afford. Usually this means those that are preserved with added sugars and fats.

With respect, you're wrong. Eating healthily is not more expensive. You just have to plan and budget well.