Although the US government appears to promote healthy eating, there is one extreme case of hypocrisy that is currently saying otherwise.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, the ranking of the top 10 sources of calories in the US diet consists of:
1. Grain-based desserts (cakes, cookies, donuts, pies, crisps, cobblers, and granola bars)
2. Yeast breads
3. Chicken and chicken-mixed dishes
4. Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks
5. Pizza
6. Alcoholic beverages
7. Pasta and pasta dishes
8. Mexican mixed dishes
9. Beef and beef-mixed dishes
10. Dairy desserts
What is the issue with this list? They are all foods that mainly consist of seven crops that are heavily subsidized by the US government: corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, sorghum, milk, and meat. This means that although many government programs that are meant to promote healthy eating advocate for a diet mainly consisting of fruits and vegetables, the extreme agricultural subsidies distributed by the government say otherwise. These subsidies are meant to ensure that junk foods stay abundant and extremely inexpensive.
There are now increasing amounts of studies that show that federally subsidized foods are linked to metabolic diseases.