No secret: The conventional American diet causes obesity and numerous related ailments.But why is American food unhealthy? Americans eat too much and harmful foods including fat, sugar, salt, and ultra-processed meals.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans say that the normal American diet has too much salt, saturated fat, refined grains, calories from solid fats, and sugars that have been added.
Also, Americans don't eat as many fruits, veggies, whole grains, dairy products, and oils as they should. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that almost 42% of American people are obese.
This may be because nutritious foods cost more than packaged goods. Packaged foods have more salt, processed carbohydrates, sugar, and harmful oils than the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend. T
Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at NYU Langone Health in New York City, said recently that "ultra-processed foods are designed to fire up cravings and desire for these foods, and advertising — which is everywhere — reinforces those urges.
Unhealthy foods do more than add weight: Being overweight or obese increases type 2 diabetes risk. The CDC reports 96 million U.S. individuals with pre-diabetes. Poor circulation in diabetes can cause amputations, eyesight loss, and renal damage.
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