Category: Sociology

According to a 2021 study, 36.6% of American adults ate fast food on any given day. What do people say about fast food? Public opinion is deeply divided, citing everything from convenience and affordability as positives to serious health risks, low nutritional value, and ethical concerns as major negatives.

In 2024, approximately 2.3 billion people faced moderate or severe food insecurity, highlighting the fragility of global food systems. But what would happen if there is no food at all, not just for some, but for everyone, forcing humanity and all life to confront the ultimate survival crisis?

Every day, humans make hundreds of food-related decisions, yet most remain unaware of the complex mechanisms driving these choices. Far from being a simple matter of willpower, understanding who or what is responsible for our food choices requires an examination of biological, psychological, social, and environmental influences that collectively shape our dietary patterns.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, over half the world's population lives in urban areas, and this rapid demographic shift fundamentally changes how people eat. This article explores how urbanization has influenced our dietary patterns, shifting them away from traditional foods and towards more convenient options.

While taste and price are often cited as primary motivators, scientific studies indicate that the single most powerful influence on a person's diet is a complex interplay of environmental and psychological factors, with taste emerging as a consistently dominant factor. However, framing it as a single cause is misleading, as it is a complex web of interwoven influences, including psychological, social, and economic factors. Personal preferences, learned behaviors, and our surrounding environment all combine to shape our daily eating habits in profound ways.

The salad bowl concept gained prominence in the 1960s, offering a modern perspective on multiculturalism that contrasts sharply with earlier models. This model, known as the salad bowl strategy, posits that various cultural groups can coexist within a society while retaining their distinct identities.

According to a 2024 ABC News/Ipsos poll, only 27% of Americans feel the American dream still holds true, a significant drop from 50% in 2010. This declining belief prompts a vital question: what are the ingredients of the American dream, and how have they evolved to meet the realities of the modern world?

According to a 2023 study published in the journal *Frontiers in Nutrition*, women are more likely to consume fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, foods often socially constructed as feminine. Historically and culturally, certain items and preparation styles have been assigned a feminine identity, creating the intriguing question: What foods are considered feminine and why?

According to the World Food Programme, over 70% of the world's acutely food-insecure population lives in fragile or conflict-hit countries. This statistic underscores how conflict and war are increasingly considered the primary cause of food insecurity globally, although its roots are complex and multifaceted, including poverty and climate change.

According to the World Food Programme, over 345 million people faced high levels of food insecurity in 2023. This powerful statistic underscores how deeply socioeconomic factors affect nutrition, shaping dietary patterns and health outcomes globally.