Is The American Diet Killing You

Note: this article has been updated in June 22 2023.

American Diet Killing You?

The American Diet Promotes Convenience and Unhealthy Eating

We are blessed to have access to good, quality food in America. Every city and small town have grocery stores that carry food, and they handle that food with careful safety practices. Access to healthy food is not accurate in many places globally. We can find a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, and healthy proteins in any grocery store in any town in America. This access is the good side of the American diet.

Now for the wrong side. With all the availability of healthy food and the money to buy it, Americans are not eating what is best for them. Read The Typical American Diet Is Our Biggest Enemy. We can glean from this article and the studies conducted about what Americans are eating and what our health looks like as a result. Obesity is rampant, along with diabetes, heart disease, and other health issues related to poor diet. So, is the American diet killing you? I was hoping you could read my article on What Is Good Nutrition.

What is the problem with the standard American diet?

We have too much and yet too little. We consume way too much salt, fat, sugar, and calories and yet too little nutrients from fresh whole fruits and vegetables. The fact is that three-quarters of Americans don’t eat the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables, which presents a real problem resulting in poor health.

Wrong Foods

• 63% of Americans’ calories come from refined and processed foods (e.g., soft drinks, packaged snacks like potato chips, packaged desserts, etc.)
• 25% of Americans’ calories come from animal-based foods
• 12% of Americans’ calories come from plant-based foods
• Unfortunately, half the plant-based calories (6%) come from French fries. That means only 6% of Americans’ calories are coming from health-promoting fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
• There’s a good reason we abbreviate standard American diet to S.A.D. The standard American diet leads to standard American diseases that lead to standard American deaths. – via The Standard American Diet is Even Sadder Than We Thought

Other issues with the American diet.

• Portion Distortion
• The Western diet is nothing new. The typical American family in the 1950s was more likely than we are to sit down to a meal of pork chops and mashed potatoes than stir-fried tofu and broccoli. So, why has the obesity epidemic exploded in the last 20 years?
• It’s a Matter of Size
• “Twenty years ago, the diet wasn’t as varied as it is today, and people didn’t eat nearly enough fruits and vegetables,” Gollman says. “But the portions were more in line with what people really need.” From bagel shops to family restaurants to vending machines to movie theater concession stands to the dining room table, our meals and snacks are taking on gargantuan proportions. “Everyone in the food industry decided they had to make portions larger to stay competitive, and people got used to large sizes very quickly,” Nestle says. “Today, normal sizes seem skimpy.”
• The hyperinflation of our diet is especially obvious away from home. “Look through the window of any of the big chain restaurants, and you’ll see huge platters of food coming out of the kitchen,” Polk says. One of those platters could easily pack 2,000 calories, which is enough to last most people all day.
• Convenience Culture
• Despite our national obsession with weight loss, the obesity epidemic continues to be a national health concern. The human craving for fats and sweets will never go away, and it’s getting easier than ever to satisfy those cravings.
• With 170,000 fast-food restaurants and 3 million soft drink vending machines spread across the country, huge doses of calories are never far away, especially when those soda machines are sitting right in the middle of public schools.
• In 1978, for example, the typical teenage boy in the United States drank about seven ounces of soda a day, according to Fast Food Nation author Eric Schlosser. Today, he drinks nearly three times that much, getting a whopping 9 percent of his daily calories from soda. Teenage girls are close behind. Perhaps not surprisingly, studies show childhood obesity has hit epidemic proportions over the last few decades. The main culprits, according to experts, are high-fat foods, sodas, and too little exercise. – via consumer.healthday.com

Time to Act

Science confirms that a diet rich in whole, plant-based foods can help you live to the fullest and still get adequate protein. In fact, a growing number of physicians advocate a completely plant-based diet for many of their patients who suffer from diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Check out these great sources:

Plant-Based Nutrition, 2E (Idiot’s Guides),

Nutrition Facts: The Truth About Food and

The Forks Over Knives Plan

Forks over Knifes, a simple plan that focuses on hearty comfort foods and does not involve portion control or worrying about obtaining single nutrients like protein and calcium.

Start Your Journey to Health

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The 21-Day Vegan Kick start is supported by decades of research showing that a plant-based diet can help you reach a healthy weight and lower your risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases. Our low-fat plant-based recipes, developed by chefs, dietitians, and experts in vegan cuisine, provide nutritious meals that are both healthy and delicious. Within 21 days, you will start to see results and won't look back! via – 21-Day Vegan Kickstart

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