Introduction

We have heard it before; it’s almost redundant - America has multifaceted issues about nutrition. It is not necessarily that Americans are uneducated about malnutrition; in fact, we have done substantial research; the problem is Americans struggle to reduce the amount of ultra-processed foods in their diets. I am aware that Mcdonald's, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut are fast/junk foods.  I know the adverse long-term effects on the heart from energy drinks. I have heard of GMOs and MSGs, and I agree that they are unhealthy for humans and unsustainable for the environment. Yet, I do nothing about it except continue to eat an alarming amount of ultra-processed foods. Before taking this cultural food studies anthropology course, I would not have thought twice about my diet. However, after learning some of the material, I decided that my research question would be, Why do Americans still eat so much ultra-processed food despite there being proven evidence of the adverse effects of malnutrition? I have realized that I must begin by discovering the historical roots of processed foods to answer the question. After exploring the topics in this realm and studying various academic sources, I have found that convenience is the common denominator of the multifaceted socio-cultural issue.  The overconsumption of ultra-processed foods is instilled through economic motivations, commercial advertising influenced by pop culture, and structurally reinforced through educational institutions. Narrowing the subject to these three topics should begin to unpack the reasoning behind malnutrition in American diets can revolve around the idea of prioritizing convenience. 

History and Background of Ultra Processed Foods

Long ago, before the days of microwaveable dinners and hot Cheetos, there was the practice of foraging—an ancient technique to hunt and gather food for the local community (Colas). One would preserve food by salting, smoking, or drying to make food last longer, and as our world developed and expanded, our diets needed to become transportable over distance. Industrialization in North America is a significant catalyst for developing ultra-processed food in society.  Alejandro Colas incorporates an entire chapter in his book Food Politics and Society called “Industrialization: Technology, Rationality, and Urbanization” which walks the reader through the progression of processed food and the historical events that infiltrated it. Colas claims that the 19th-20th century food culture “Moves further away from nature and natural ways of living and becomes fully embedded in the social and economic processes that have denaturalized the modern world.”(77). Colas refers to the industrial revolution- beginning in Europe and then migrating to the western world. There are all kinds of new inventions regarding food production. The creation of the refrigerator (approx 1913) extended the shelf life of food by keeping it cool and fresh. Both WWI and WWII required Americans to practice rationing, which developed specific food items such as canned goods and powdered milk; those were then used to send to the troops out in the fields to easily feed them during combat– usually being inexpensive but high-calorie food.

After the war, processed foods became a commodity that many Americans were accustomed to daily. Farming practices needed to adjust in response to the expanding economy, and there needed to be mass production of goods in efficient and uncostly means. The use of pesticides and fertilizers became more common to increase crop yields; therefore, the levels of consistency boost product demand. These inventions, unfortunately, came with a cost to toxic chemicals exposed to the crops, decreasing the quality of nutrition and further leading to health hazards for the environment and consumers. The economic expansion paired perfectly with the establishment of the capitalist society of the United States. A newfound sense of individualism and fastly paced lifestyle is caused by capitalism. The concept of efficiency has become ever so important; therefore, Americans are looking for ways to save time and money. Thus incorporating ultra-processed foods as a convenient replacement for traditional diets. The historical events that have supported the consumption of ultra-processed foods highlight the initial development of the value of suitable commodities in contemporary society. 

The historical background proves how ultra-processed foods have become an established social norm in American society. Gary Hirshberg is the author of chapter three, “Organics- Healthy Food and so Much More”  within the book, How Industrial Food is Making us Sicker Fatter and Poorer. Hirshberg claims, “All of humanity ate organic food until the early part of the twentieth century, yet we've been on a chemical binge diet for about eighty years”.  The twentieth century marks the turning point where these habits were greatly instilled. Now it is important to study why humans continue this behavior in present-day contemporary society. Due to a substantial amount of qualitative evidence, it is clear that the reasons for the habits of overconsumption of ultra-processed foods can be traced to economic insecurity and matters of decision-making based on convenience.

Economic Insecurities and Convenience

The governmental system of capitalism is based on the exploitation of the working class. Needless to say, there are economic insecurities that many Americans face. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) claims that 34% of Americans are economically insecure- 13.5 million American households were food insecure in 2021. It makes sense that individuals who struggle financially will seek cheaper alternatives in goods and services, including food, to save money wherever they can. The article published by Cambridge university called “Consumer food choices: the role of price and pricing strategies” by Ingrid HM Steenhuis,

Wilma E Waterlander, and Anika de Mul suggests that the discounts and prices of food matter more to low-income individuals than to high-income consumers. Deals such as “buy two and get the third for free” or “two for one” can make or break the food purchasing decision despite nutrient levels. The study shows that people who are lower income are more likely to prioritize cost over nutrition compared to the average consumer. 

Some studies claim that there are ways for people with economic insecurity to afford healthy diets still. However, decisions based on convenience are another factor that gets in the way of that achievement. Convenience foods are often defined as fast food establishments, 3rd party deliveries, and pre-packaged, easily prepared foods from grocery stores. The most infamous method of convenience is drive-thrus to fast food restaurants and other 3rd party delivery services that promote the purchase of ultra-processed foods. Delivery methods are convenient for most Americans who seem to be running short on time. Fast food companies sponsor most apps like Door Dash and Uber Eats, therefore, making fast food a more promoted option for people who use food delivery services. The article by Tulasi Srinivas called “Swiggy It” explores the rise of food delivery apps in India and how they transform the country's food culture, making it more convenient and accessible for consumers. The study states, “The target audience for gastro apps is the ‘‘millennial generation—young working professionals between the ages of eighteen and fifty-five with disposable incomes, intense work schedules, and no time to cook’’( Srinivas 2020). Food delivery apps in America like Swiggy prevent certain organic small-scale vendors from selling their food because they might not have the successful platform to partner with 3rd party delivery services like how other established businesses do.  

In addition to fast food restaurants, many Americans rely on packaged foods and other processed foods that are easy to prepare. These foods include items such as frozen dinners, canned soups, and instant noodles, which can be heated up quickly and require minimal preparation. While these foods may be convenient, they are often high in calories, fat, and especially sodium. As such, individuals need to prioritize consuming whole, minimally processed foods whenever possible, even if they require a bit more time and effort to prepare. A recurring theme within this research thus far is that Americans make these decisions based on convenience. In other terms, they prioritize saving time over their own health. Circling back to economics, the capitalist ideology encourages prioritizing convenience. When financial gain is a main foundation point for both producers and consumers, there is an emphasis on the pertinence of economic motives. Americans who mindlessly stuff their faces with cheaper and quicker foods believe that they have the advantage of efficiency– granting them more time to climb the ladder of materialistic success. It is a social fact that economic status holds a higher priority than health in the United States

Culture and Media Marketing

Corporate companies that manufacture ultra-processed food greatly benefit from the media and culture of the western world. Foreigners are surely impressed with the fixation on junk food in the United States. An article from Readers Digest called “12 Things About America That Always Confuse Foreigners” by Lambeth Hochwald highlights specific things in American culture foreigners find abnormal. This journal entry is not just limited to food; still, out of the twelve things, six of them have to do with the subject. There is a reference to both grocery goods and fast food; An interviewee, Clemens Sehi, claims America has a Fast Food Obsession “Americans love eating their food on the go and as quickly as possible, whether it’s the drive-through, at In-N-Out Burger or a short stop at a favorite food truck on the corner”(Sehi). Another featured person in the article, Landon Lin, comments on the grocery store quality in America, “I find it unbelievable that Americans buy groceries for one or even two weeks at a time. I can’t believe Americans trust food to stay fresh that long”(Lin). Both of these comments relate back to how Americans prioritize convenience over other factors when consuming food. A social norm that is so integrated into the United States culture can seem so obscure to most other countries. Still, ultra-processed food commodities are encouraged by far more peculiar factors than convenience. Many corporations use celebrities and social trends to market their products. A prime example is done by McDonald's and their “Travis Scott Meal”:

If you do not know who Travis Scott is, take a moment to look him up; briefly, he is a glorified rapper and major celebrity in music and current pop culture. He has an influence through all kinds of media platforms, so most Americans are at least familiar with his name. The combination of a low-priced meal deal that is incorporated with a celebrity collaboration is debatably America’s most famous marketing tactic. In all of these advertisements, merchandise, promotions, etc. There is minimal mention of the nutrition facts of the product- perhaps there is something at the bottom of the menu or in the fine print of advertisements but is mainly overlooked by the bright colors and crowded imagery.

Education about Nutriton in Schools

Socialization and behavioral learning are the catalysts that further instill these norms in younger generations. Schools are among the most prominent institutions that encourage consuming ultra-processed foods. The American government provides all citizens with free K-12 education, and unfortunately, there is a lack of education about healthy diets incorporated within the curriculum. The CDC claims that US students receive less than eight hours of required nutrition education each school year, far below the forty to fifty hours needed to make healthier diet decisions. Due to these low numbers, it is clear that America needs to reform the educational nutrition system, and implementing a healthier eating system can be daunting. In a study conducted by Rachel Golan and Elizabeth Felter, "Improving Nutrition Education in Elementary Schools: Challenges and Opportunities” interviewed a sample of American elementary school teachers to rank their knowledge about the subject of nutrition– only thirty-five percent of them claimed they felt confident of what they know and could teach. There are many national resources to help assist with basic educational curricula about nutrition. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a template of a suggested meal proportion that an average American should consume.

The simplicity of the template demands that Americans reconsider the nation’s current socio-cultural factors that prevent people from following the suggested portion size. Thankfully, there is some promotional action. Almost as simple as figure 2, is another diagram created by the CDC to illustrate what a school system should look like when offering healthy nutrition resources:

Public grade school is not the only system lacking nutrition education; a study by Kelly Adams aims to research how much education future doctors receive while in US medical school. The results were disappointing as only twenty-five percent of medical schools surveyed have a whole course dedicated to nutrition. The rest is expected to be implicitly incorporated throughout the curriculum in other classes. The World Health Organization recommends that medical students receive 30 hours of nutrition education, while the US only provides an average of 19.6 hours. Not only are these students undereducated themselves, but they are also training to be in a position where they provide medical advice to patients. Most clinical health problems in the United States are related to poor dietary choices. If there is little to no nutrition education taught in public classrooms and higher level education, how can there be reasonable expectations for America to eat healthier? The poor habits will continue to filter down through multiple platforms of uneducated socialization toward healthy eating unless something changes.

Conclusion

Certainly, there is power in knowledge. After reading this blog post, I hope you evaluate your diet and life experiences compared to the data and examples used to explain why Americans consume so many ultra-processed foods despite the evidence of negative health risks. Since I am an American, I can verify that my main reason is the convenience that ultra-processed foods accommodate my busy schedule. I am a full-time student at UCSD and a full-time employee at a drug and alcohol treatment center. Between those two huge commitments and the self-care I choose, such as surfing, socializing, and resting–my quality of diet is on the back burner of the stove. I have never been concerned about my health until this essay, I have not encountered obesity or weight gain due to my diet, so I have ignorantly dismissed the possible long-term effects. It has been clearly shown that the excessive indulgence in processed foods in America is motivated by economic and convenience factors, advertising through strategic cultural marketing, and established by schools anywhere from pre-k to medical school. Needless to say, the issue is knotted within our infrastructure society by economic, social, and cultural influences. The statistics on American eating habits are alarming, but the uplifting truth about statistics is that the population controls them. Each person plays a part in the diet trends with their own decisions. There is a potential for change that may materialize over the awareness of the dangers of ultra-processed foods and getting into the action by making healthier choices. 

Work Cited/References

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