More convinience, but at what cost?

Food manufacturing has become increasingly efficient with manufacturers applying calculated supply chain methods to produce ever increasing surplus. Larger amounts of produce or meat per acre of land are produced at a lower cost than ever before due to better farming equipment, fertilizer, antibiotics, breeding and genetic engineering. Increased efficiency has resulted in overproduction and driven prices down. Food companies have responded by finding new ways to make more money. In addition to reducing prices to sell more product, manufacturers have found creative ways to add value, primarily by making food more convenient. Engineered additives, processed ingredients, pre-cooking and packaging give food a longer shelf life. Consumers no longer have to prepare and cook meals at home, instead preferring the instant gratification from eating pre-cooked, processed and single serving snack foods.

The biggest change to food has been flavor enhancement. The addition of fat, sugar and salt in almost everything you eat magnifies the flavor intensity and sensation a person experiences, much like a drug. Rather than creating a feeling of being full, the body keeps craving that good feeling, becoming addicted to it. The food industry is well aware of this and salt, sugar and fat are now in almost all packaged supermarket and fast foods.

Processed foods are the most profitable and are the most heavily advertised in America. Candy, soft drinks, cereal and snacks receive over 50% of food advertising dollars. This is where obesity is coming from. At a time when fewer calories are needed to support the lifestyle of an average American, people are consuming far more calories than ever before.