06/02/2026
In the 1980s most people came home and cooked.
58% of what we bought was fresh, whole, raw and meant to be touched, chopped, simmered.
Only 26% was pre-made. And even that was simpler. Fewer additives and fewer ingredients we couldn’t pronounce.
Then, little by little, we stopped and by the 2000s, those numbers reversed. Only 28% bought fresh, and 44% of what filled our carts was already cooked, processed, flavored, preserved and meant to last on a shelf for weeks.
At the same time, something else started rising fast:
Obesity doubled. From 15% in 1980 to over 35% by the early 2000s, and today we’re past 42%. And it’s not just about size. Diabetes, anxiety, inflammation, burnout, autoimmune disease, these too follow the same curve.
Not because people changed, but because food did.
We started feeding our bodies things that weren’t really food, just combinations of refined starches, industrial oils, synthetic flavors, and preservatives. Things designed to last forever on a shelf, not to support a living body.
One thing is for sure: we can turn it around.
We can start by cooking again. Not fancy meals, just real food.
gut
