Processed foods in the New America

Obesity in the U.S. is a problem. It is a deadly chronic disease for Americans.

New GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic, offer new medical tools for addressing weight loss and obesity, with some early signs that they may be helping. However, lifestyle and food choices continue to be the biggest obstacles to more systematically addressing obesity in the U.S. To truly know the New America, we need to understand Americans' stance on processed foods.

One of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s priorities as the new Secretary of Human Health Services is tackling processed foods in Americans’ diets. Public polling data suggests that Americans are somewhat unified in their attitudes toward processed foods. However, inflation and political polarization risk splitting attitudes toward this common household good. There is a lot to learn about processed foods in this New America.

Below are five charts on how Americans feel about processed foods.

1. Obesity is up. Since 1960, obesity has climbed in the United States. The NIH estimates that about two in five Americans are obese, tripling over the past sixty years. Measuring obesity is tricky. Though, regardless of the nuances of measurement, obesity has been associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and heart disease. What is driving this?

2. Bipartisan agreement. The public is clear-eyed and decisive about what at least one driver of obesity is: processed foods and beverages. Most Americans, regardless of political party, feel processed foods are a driver of obesity.

3. Understanding processed foods. Similarly, Americans, across a range of demographics, say they generally understand what processed foods are. However, fewer say they try to limit the amount of processed foods they eat.

4. Rising costs. Processed foods have become part of the American diet, in part, because of their cost and convenience. With Americans still feeling the crunch of inflation, it is hard to swap out whole foods for their highly processed and packaged counterparts.

5. Polarization potential. Consumer spending can be polarizing. Food (and other consumer goods) are no exception here. After the slogan “America First” became more associated with Trump, support among Democrats for American-made products softened. Right now, Americans are generally unified in their attitudes to processed foods. But if it becomes a partisan rallying cry, don’t rule out processed foods becoming a partisan flashpoint. In the New America, words matter more than ever.

To be clear, while researchers say there is a strong correlation between processed food consumption and chronic diseases like obesity, the actual causation is a little less clear. Many of the policies around processed foods floated by the new administration don't aim to institute an outright ban on processed foods; rather, the focus is on limiting some preservatives and food dyes, limiting the amount of federal money spent on processed foods via programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and conducting more research into the health impacts processed foods have on Americans’ health.

The public generally views highly processed foods as a driver of poor health outcomes. Yet, the cost and convenience these foods provide for consumers, especially in the wake of inflation, may make it harder for Americans to change their dietary habits. And as always, as politicians and government officials work on policy solutions and recommendations, this issue risks becoming a partisan flashpoint. What does the future of this space hold? We will see.