In Issue #120 I gave a brief and very general overview of how the American food supply – specifically what’s available in the grocery store – has changed since the middle of the last century, creating the American Diet crisis. Changes in food production since the 1950s have significantly contributed to rising obesity rates in the United States and globally, driven by shifts in agricultural practices, food processing, and distribution. Here’s the breakdown:

1. Industrial Agriculture and Overproduction

• Post-WWII Boom: After the 1950s, advances in mechanized farming, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides massively increased crop yields, especially for staples like corn, wheat, and soybeans. The U.S. government incentivized this through subsidies, leading to a surplus of cheap calories.
• Impact: Corn production alone jumped from about 3 billion bushels annually in the 1950s to over 10 billion by the 1990s. This glut flooded the market with inexpensive raw materials, making calorie-dense foods more affordable and accessible than ever. Obesity rates began climbing alongside this — from around 12% in 1990 to over 42% today.

2. Rise of Processed and Ultra-Processed Foods

• Food Technology: The 1950s saw the birth of the modern processed food industry — think TV dinners (Swanson’s debuted in 1953) and fast food chains like McDonald’s scaling up. By the 1970s, high-fructose corn syrup, derived from subsidized corn, became a cheap sweetener, replacing sugar in sodas and snacks by the 1980s.
• Impact: These foods are engineered for palatability — high in sugar, fat, and salt — triggering overeating through reward pathways in the brain. HFCS alone correlates with obesity spikes: U.S. consumption rose from near-zero in the 1960s to 60 pounds per person annually by the 2000s, paralleling obesity rates. Ultra-processed foods now account for nearly 60% of American diets, per a 2016 BMJ Open study.

3. Portion Size Explosion

• Bigger Yields, Bigger Servings: Cheap ingredients enabled larger portion sizes. Fast food chains and packaged goods scaled up — McDonald’s fries went from 2.4 ounces in the 1950s to 6-7 ounce supersized options by the 1990s. Soda servings ballooned from 6.5-ounce bottles to 20-ounce standards.
• Impact: Studies, like one from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2002), show portion size directly influences intake — people eat more when offered more, often unconsciously. This “passive overconsumption” added hundreds of daily calories, driving obesity.

The Take-Away: Just because it’s available doesn’t mean it’s food.

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Dan