By Annie Reed

Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries, fried chicken, potato chips. Everyone loves these classic American staples, but we don’t always consider the consequences of eating them frequently. 

In the United States alone, at least one in eight people live with obesity. This rate has doubled since 1990, causing increased rates of heart disease and diabetes. This high obesity rate stems from multiple factors: portion sizes, fast food culture, lack of exercise, and more.

Food portions have doubled in the past 20 years. For example, the average cheeseburger 20 years ago weighed around four ounces, yet today’s average cheeseburger comes in at a whopping eight ounces. 

McDonald’s french fries. Photo credit: Polina Tankilevitch via Pexels.

In addition to problems with large portions, fast food contributes greatly to the substantial sodium and fat intake of the average American. Around 25% of all Americans eat fast food twice a week. While fast food has significantly improved from its era of supersizing and poor quality, it still remains an unhealthy option. The Healthy Eating Index (HEI), created by the US Department of Agriculture, labels food on a scale of 1-100, with one being the worst diet and 100 being the ideal diet. Fast food comes in at an average of 48 for the industry. For reference, the average HEI for all Americans older than two years old is 58. 

While fast food is a major concern, processed foods also pose a great risk to Americans. Processed food, as stated by the US Department of Agriculture, is any food that has “undergone any changes to its natural state.” This includes anything that has been washed, cooked, mixed, dehydrated, and more. 

One step further is ultra-processed foods. According to Harvard Health Publishing’s Katherine MacManus, ultra-processed foods are “made mostly from substances extracted from foods, such as fats, starches, added sugars, and hydrogenated fats.” Ultra-processed foods make up about 65% of the average American diet. The unpronounceable ingredients on the back of cereal boxes, chip bags, and ice cream pints include preservatives and color stabilizers and are all most likely the reason the food is labeled as an ultra-processed item. Ultimately, the goal of these foods is to maintain a long shelf life and remain cheaper. They may be low in fiber and protein but high in excess fats and sugars. Ultimately, overconsumption of these foods has contributed to high obesity rates in the US.

Skittles. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons user PiccoloNamek.

Some ultra-processed foods in the United States have been banned in other countries. Skittles, Gatorade, and Pop-Tarts are just a few examples of popular food items that are banned throughout Europe. This is because of the food dyes used: red 40, yellow 5, and yellow 6. Red 40, an extremely controversial FDA-approved food dye, contains a small amount of benzene, a cancer-causing substance, and is also linked to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and migraine headaches.

The giant food manufacturer Kellogg’s is currently facing backlash for their usage of red 40 in items such as Fruit Loops and Apple Jacks. They removed the artificial food dyes from all of their cereals in Canada and replaced concentrates with natural fruit juice but have yet to do so with American versions of their products. People have been protesting outside of Kellogg’s headquarters in Chicago since mid-October, demanding results and answers.

With so many negative effects, one may wonder why these ultra-processed foods have not yet been banned. Well, the answer is complex.

Author and infectious disease doctor Chris Van Tulleken wrote in his book Ultra-Processed People: The Science Behind Food That Isn’t Food: “If it’s wrapped in plastic and has at least one ingredient that you wouldn’t find in your kitchen, it’s UPF [ultra-processed food].” This simple definition describes much of the food that is consumed by some Americans daily, even hourly. These foods have taken their position in the average American diet and transformed into a new food group.

Despite the commonality of UPFs, however, there is not enough research to fully blame increased rates of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes on UPFs alone. This is because, typically, those who eat more UPFs are already in poorer health conditions. Some of those who consume more processed foods may live an unhealthier and more sedentary life. 

Other than ultra-processed foods, the US also tends to have food of a different quality than some other countries. My sister Laney Reed (‘18) moved to a more gluten-free diet because any gluten-containing product would cause her extreme stomach pain. When she visited Europe over the summer of 2024, however, she could eat foods with gluten “without any problem.” Maddie Jewett (‘25) also discovered her allergy to gluten when she realized that some foods she ate every day were causing her issues. When she went to Europe in the summer of 2024, she noticed that she could eat almost anything and feel completely fine: “The food felt less processed and fresher, so I felt comfortable eating gluten without a worry.” One reason for this may be due to the differences in European wheat and gluten-content foods. The wheat in the US tends to be higher in gluten content than the wheat in Europe. The most common wheat produced in the US is hard red winter wheat, which is high in gluten content compared to the type of wheat that most European countries produce, durum wheat. In addition to more gluten, wheat in the US is also conventionally produced. This means that US producers use herbicides like glyphosate, which can disrupt the gut microbiome and “cause GI issues in some,” according to dietitian Melissa Azzaro of GoodRx Health.  

It is not just gluten content that distinguishes European and American foods. Some believe that food in Europe is less expensive and of better quality in general. This is because Europeans are more likely to eat locally, and seasonally, and buy directly from local sources. By eating locally, one does not have to worry about the shelf life of foods that are being shipped, and thus there are fewer preservatives. The main reason for the success of local and fresh food is that European governments subsidize fresh and local food, while the US subsidizes mass farm production of essential ingredients like soybeans, sugar, and wheat. Some European countries have promoted a healthier food culture focused on fresh eating.

Rick Hood, former owner and co-founder of Ellwood Thompson’s. Photo credit: @ellwoodsrva via Instagram.

In order to discover more about issues surrounding food in America, I talked with Rick Hood, the former owner and co-founder of Ellwood Thompson’s, a local organic grocery store in Richmond’s Carytown. Hood emphasized the prevalence of ultra-processed foods in our daily diets and how they negatively impact us. He claimed that in the last few decades, “food has become much more industrialized,” and that it “seems to be less about health than what is profitable.” 

After Hood sold his ownership in Ellwood Thompson’s, he found himself occasionally going to Whole Foods to collect some of his groceries. He pointed out, however, that it was not the same as Ellwood Thompson’s. Although there are many differences between the two organic retailers, Hood believes the contrast stems from the fact that “Whole Foods cares less about community.” Whole Foods is owned by the corporate giant Amazon and is not a small local grocery store, but rather a major retail business. Hood claimed that with these large companies, “have corporate,” as opposed to “local values.”

Hood also emphasized the prevalence of misleading marketing of food items. The packaging of so many food items is enticing, using words like “natural” or “gluten-free” or “reduced fat.” It draws the consumer in, saying “all the key words,” but in reality the product may have many preservatives, emulsifiers, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Hood recalled a bag of chips with the packaging saying enticing words. Yet the reality is that these chips had many chemicals and preservatives and other misleading ingredients. For this reason, he claimed, “if it’s made in a factory, it’s likely ultraprocessed, and it may not be a great idea to eat it.”

Ellwood Thompson’s ad for “Eating Clean.” Photo credit: @ellwoodsrva via Instagram.

In addition to staying aware of false advertisements of some UPF’s, Hood also maintained a stance on the target market of children’s food products. On Ellwood Thompson’s website, the company states that “younger children are especially vulnerable to the marketing of unhealthy food and beverage products.” For this reason, they have removed all food products that “target your children through these kinds of ploys.” While it is difficult to break lifelong habits, weaning children off of eating processed foods because of their logos, toys, and sugary ingredients will help out future generations, as their habits will pass on from generation to generation. According to the Institute of Medicine, World Health Organization, and others, each advertisement can “create positive emotional associations with the brands that can harm their health.” According to a 2013 study, “84% of the ads viewed by children promote foods that are high in saturated fat, trans fat, sugars, or sodium.”

To try and avoid these factory foods and stay fit, Hood maintains a plant-based diet, yet he recalled that this “movement has been taken over by big agriculture.” Many companies create burgers made from “plants,” yet the reality is that “a lot of these fake meats use a lot of chemicals and GMOs.” One may think they are reaping the benefits of eating such foods, but in reality, they could be threatening their health by ingesting deceiving ingredients.

While Hood believes nutrition is a serious issue now, he feels that it did not used to be as significant of a concern. He noticed through his ownership of the grocery store during COVID-19 that “the pandemic became a great opportunity for corporate food to come in and take more control.” During the height of the pandemic, online grocery sales jumped 103% year over year, as people began to stop taking trips to the store. This data means people were less likely to shop locally and find locally-sourced food items. Since the pandemic has eased, some shoppers have continued to do things the easier way and just order the long-lasting and preservative-filled food they started eating since the pandemic. 

Overall, Hood stated that we could solve this problem with “more government action around labeling,” “more education,” and “strengthening the culture” of eating locally. 

After reading about processed foods damaging the health of many Americans, one may wonder how to avoid processed foods. Sophie Medlin, a consultant dietitian at CityDietitians in London, England, stated that “more awareness of them and reduced intake” are some of the small steps that could help.

Featured image credit: flickr user Roving-Aye!.