The American palate: Junk food nation

Frontiersman editorial board

The discussion about the health and fitness of our children has heated up again over the past few months. The families of chubby children are filing suit against fast-food chains, nutritionists are up in arms about the country's eating and exercising habits, and school lunch fare has come under attack.

Who is ultimately responsible for the bad eating habits of our children? School districts are facing tightening budgets, and many believe that serving healthier food costs too much -- though that is debatable. In an effort to offset some of those costs, some schools have invited fast-food chains and soft drink companies into their halls. There is an argument that having unhealthy food on campus is simply too much of a temptation for young people, and that is likely true. But, is the temptation caused by junk food retailers, or are those retailers simply responding to a cultural trend that is more American than almost any other?

Americans pride themselves upon moving fast. We cram 27 hours worth of work and living into a 24-hour day. We don't have time, we say, for traditional sit-down meals. People gulp down cheeseburgers, fries and large sodas while driving from work to meetings. Parents who want to chase Pepsi and Taco Bell from the halls of education often swing through the McDonald's drive-through for a few happy meals for the kids to gobble between Scouts and soccer practice.

Take a walk through your supermarket with your eyes open when you have a moment. There's a small section dedicated to health and organic foods. The potato chip aisle and frozen dinner section dwarf the whole foods section. When you pack your child's sack lunch, are you more apt to pack a bag of corn chips and a pack of cupcakes, or are you likely to pack something more healthy? Our culture is one that values speed and quantity over quality in almost every way. Rather than pay $8 per pound for real cheese that we have to actually slice and place on crackers, we'd much rather spend a couple of bucks on a "cheese product" we can squirt out of a can. Rather than buy popcorn kernels and pop them in a pan, we'd rather pop a bag in the microwave oven. Have you ever cut one of those bags open before putting it in the microwave? Try it some time.

Healthier eating is going to require a cultural change, and people will have to make the change in spite of handy junk food rather than wait for junk food suppliers to go away.