Ever since the Industrial Revolution prompted dramatic changes in how food is produced, there has been a shift toward making products that are easier to package, longer-lasting, and convenient to eat in the midst of our increasingly busy lives. These foods, prepared in massive quantities and sold in grocery stores, are generally referred to as […]
Heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States since 1950, and in 2021 it claimed the lives of nearly 700,000 Americans. According to the American Heart Association, high cholesterol is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. But it’s also a factor that is […]
The American diet has been changing over the decades, and by all measures it hasn’t been for the better. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Americans are eating over 20% more calories today than they were in 1970. A significant portion of that increase has come from what are sometimes described as […]
The prevalent use of alcohol in American society is often tied to social and family relationships, gatherings, and celebrations. Many people also use alcohol for relaxation or to unwind after a long day. A 2021 poll by Gallup, Inc., showed that 60 percent of American adults drink alcoholic beverages and consume an average of 3.6 […]
As the holidays approach, the joy and anticipation of the season might be overshadowed by feelings of concern or worry—especially for those who are trying to lose weight or maintain a recent weight loss. That’s because food and beverages tend to be at the center of celebratory gatherings with friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors—and […]
If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you know that modifying your diet is a natural place to start the process. Picking the foods you’ll eat, however, can be fraught with uncertainty, especially with all the seemingly contradictory information available online these days. In recent years, foods of all sorts have been studied extensively in […]
From the patch to the porch to the pie to the seeds, pumpkins are a signature symbol of the fall season. Not only are they widely used for autumn décor and enjoyed as a focal point of fall activities, pumpkins are also utilized to create many fall recipes and treats. A common misconception about this […]
Since around the early 2000s in the United States, one food component has continued to get more and more attention, especially in social and news media: gluten. The interest in gluten has been driven, in part, by a marked increase in the incidence of gluten allergies. Once thought to be a rare condition, it is […]
Being a teenager has always been tough, but the pressure to be thin has perhaps never been greater. Indeed, even as rates of teen obesity have increased over the last 10 years, so also has the number of teens who say they are trying to lose weight. This comes at a time when social media […]
