Every bite we take may be silently poisoning us—hidden chemicals, processed ingredients, and deceptive marketing are turning our food into a health hazard that’s contributing to a national health crisis. The United States’ annual health care expenditure is $4.5 trillion, with 90% of that going toward treating chronic conditions—many of which are directly linked to what we eat.
The “big three” killers—heart disease, cancer, and diabetes—share a common thread: they are largely fueled by the American diet. More than 1 in 3 deaths in the U.S. are due to heart disease or stroke, claiming nearly 950,000 lives annually. Cancer causes over 600,000 deaths each year, with around 1.7 million Americans diagnosed annually. Meanwhile, approximately 38 million American adults have diabetes, and nearly 98 million are prediabetic.
Our nation is getting sicker, and the alarming truth is that our food choices are a major culprit. Even foods marketed as “healthy” are often revealed to be detrimental to human health.
Americans have been lulled into a false sense of security by agencies like the FDA and big corporations that claim to have our best interests at heart. But the reality is that the truth is slowly surfacing—our food system, from farm to table, is filled with hazards that are making us sick.
How Did We Get Here?
Food labels in the U.S. date back to 1850, but meaningful regulation didn’t begin until the establishment of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1862. The first nutrition labeling requirements were only introduced in 1973.
Over the years, labels have evolved to include more information, creating the illusion that the government is actively protecting consumers. However, much of what we see on labels is marketing spin—terms like “organic,” “grass-fed,” and “all-natural” are often just clever tactics designed to boost sales, not guarantee safety or health.
The harsh truth is that our food is contaminated with chemicals, additives, and pesticides. Microplastics are now found in everything—from our food and water to the very air we breathe. Unfortunately, regulations meant to safeguard us often serve the interests of large corporations and powerful agricultural players. Ingredients banned in other countries are still present in many American foods, sometimes without any warnings on the label.
In the end, the pursuit of profit takes precedence over public health. While the health of the population declines, corporate profits soar.
The Current Food Supply in the U.S.
The U.S. food supply chain is an intricate, global web that imports and exports food across borders. Many consumers aren’t aware that the apple they feed their child today may have been picked more than a year ago, stored with chemicals, ripened artificially, and transported across the country before reaching their grocery store. Fast food and processed foods are even more problematic—they are laden with synthetic and modified ingredients with proven links to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. These include:
- High fructose corn syrup
- Sodium nitrate
- Artificial coloring
- Maltodextrin
- MSG
- Artificial flavoring
- Hydrolyzed proteins
- Artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose
- Hydrogenated oils
- Preservatives and thickeners
- Gelling, foaming, and bulking agents
- Added sugar or salt
- High sodium
These foods are often oversized, both in portion and in harmful ingredients, creating a perfect storm that fuels the obesity epidemic and many chronic illnesses.
FDA Regulations vs. Reality
You might wonder: why are chemicals proven to cause cancer even allowed in our food? How can companies get away with this? The answer lies in legal loopholes. The FDA classifies many ingredients as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS), giving food manufacturers significant leeway to include potentially harmful substances.
Despite being regarded as a watchdog, the FDA’s regulations are not as strict as consumers believe. Many additives banned in other countries—such as the UK—are still used in the U.S. without warning. For years, food safety advocates have sounded alarms, but change has been slow.
A Long History with a Slow Decline
There was a time when food was just food. You dug it out of the ground, plucked it from a tree, or slaughtered an animal, and the farm-to-table process took hours, not months.
But as progress often does, people got busier. TV dinners appeared in an effort to make food prep faster and easier. Over time, more chemicals had to be added to extend the life of the product while enhancing its flavor and appearance.
Now we have “food” on store shelves that is nothing more than an intricate design of those synthetic ingredients and chemicals. Most fast food and highly processed foods aren’t really food at all.
In an effort to produce more food faster, there were major changes in agricultural practices and food processing. Of course, the crux of it all was the almighty dollar. There had to be a profit, and corporations figured heavily into the equation.
The alarming thing is that this happened so slowly that most people didn’t even notice until it was almost completely upon us. By that time, most of the nation was addicted to all those synthetic, unhealthy ingredients and had forgotten what real food even is.
A Growing List of Health Consequences
Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are the top three causes of death in the United States. They are all chronic conditions – and they are all related to lifestyle.
There are four major risk factors for chronic diseases that make them almost completely preventable: tobacco, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol and poor nutrition.
Obesity is often a co-morbid of these conditions and is itself also recognized as a chronic illness caused by malnutrition. The nutritional deficiencies in the obese person’s diet often lead to the condition. On a global scale, there are more overweight and obese people than there are underweight people in every region, except for Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Cancer, Diabetes, Obesity, and other chronic diseases are on the rise due to individual lifestyle behaviors, but experts say that environmental and socioeconomic factors also have a role in this. Canada and Europe, where food regulations are stricter, have lower obesity rates and chronic health conditions.
The impacts of these health conditions are far-reaching, leading to an uptick in mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and social isolation.
The Profit Motive
In the end, it’s all about profit. food companies employ slick marketing agencies that convey care and concern for your health and the health of your family. The truth is, it’s all about money.
The profit-driven motives of food companies and agriculturally associated corporations lead to the prioritization of cost over health. The fact that they are loading our food with synthetic ingredients, many of which are known to cause health problems, is a clear indication of where their concern truly lies.
There are mountains of studies and reports linking these ingredients to cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and more. The science says your food will kill you, but these corporations quietly sweep it under the rug and carry on like everything is fine.
Everything is not fine, though, and the chronic illnesses that once were mostly confined to adults are now affecting our children.
The marketing tactics of these companies to promote their unhealthy “foods” target the groups most vulnerable – children and low-income communities.
Make no mistake, these corporations know exactly what they are doing – and they do it with the backing and support of the FDA.
It’s Time to Demand Higher Standards
Maybe we can’t control everything that is out in our food.
But we can control the knowledge of what we are putting into our bodies. We can demand higher standards, and that can start with something as simple as refusing to purchase the toxic treats that companies pass off as food. It’s clear that those who claim to be looking out for us are only looking out for their wallets.
Be smart about what you eat. Know what you are reading on that ingredient list and know when to leave a product on the shelf because it isn’t worth the risk to your health.
Of course, fresh is best. Choosing fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, locally grown if possible, and lean meats from reputable companies is a good start. The closer to home that your food is sourced, the better off you will be.
It’s time to start addressing food supply issues for public health. You have more power than you know. Write to your local politicians, advocating for better food policies. Shop local to support local agriculture. Educate yourself so that you can make informed dietary choices for yourself and your family.
