Tag: Dietary shifts

In the United States, iodized salt was commercially introduced by the Morton Salt Company in 1924 to combat widespread iodine deficiency, particularly in the "goiter belt" of the Midwest. However, the notion that salt is no longer iodized is a common misconception, as while iodized table salt is still widely available, its use is no longer universal. The availability of non-iodized salt has increased due to changes in consumer preferences, dietary habits, and the rise of processed foods.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), between 2000 and 2022, the global prevalence of adult overweight rose from 30% to 43.5%, a shift driven largely by the global phenomenon known as the nutrition transition. This process involves profound changes in dietary patterns and physical activity levels as societies experience economic development and urbanization.

Over two billion people worldwide already include insects as part of their regular diets, a practice known as entomophagy. This fact raises a provocative question for Western cultures, where the practice is largely uncommon: can humans be insectivores? The answer is not only yes, but our evolutionary history and biological makeup confirm our ability to thrive on such a diet.

According to a 2023 Gallup poll, approximately 1% of the U.S. population identifies as strictly vegan. This figure is part of a complex and sometimes conflicting picture, requiring a closer look at how many percent of America is vegan based on different metrics and survey methods.

For almost 99% of human history, hunting and gathering provided the basis of human nutrition, a fact that underscores the deep evolutionary link between what we eat and who we are today. This relationship is not merely about survival, but a dynamic, co-evolutionary process that has shaped our physiology, genetics, and even our societal structures.

By 2025, India is projected to have nearly 25% of its population identifying as vegetarian, positioning it as a global leader in non-meat consumption. This trend is not isolated, sparking the question: will there be more vegetarians in the future globally, and what factors will drive this widespread dietary shift?

According to the World Health Organization, Spain has consistently ranked among the top countries for life expectancy, and a major contributing factor is the diet. So, how does diet affect life expectancy in Spain, and which specific eating patterns are most beneficial?

For approximately 99% of human history, our ancestors were hunter-gatherers, but modern research indicates there was no single "original diet of humans". The diet was, in fact, highly adaptable and varied immensely based on geography, climate, and the availability of local food sources. This debunks the common misconception that early humans ate a uniform, meat-heavy diet.

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Americans went from consuming an estimated 2,075 calories a day in 1970 to around 2,535 calories in 2010, marking a significant increase in daily intake over just four decades. This statistic is just one indicator of the profound evolution that has reshaped American eating habits, driven by a complex interplay of industrialization, technology, and cultural changes.

According to the World Bank, rising income per person is a more important driver of total food demand than population growth alone, particularly in developing countries. The complex question of why is food consumption increasing involves an interplay of demographic, economic, and social factors that shape how and what we eat worldwide.