We live in debatably the world’s number one economic powerhouse. The United States economy has provided the country with sustainability, ample business opportunity, and has been one of the main driving forces in the maintenance and flow of the larger global economy for over a century now.
Unfortunately, not all of American economic production is conducive to modern health and environmental concerns. The American corn industry, one of the nation’s most lucrative, subsidized agricultural ventures, has been linked to causing a dramatic decrease in the cost of unhealthy, junk food in the US (i.e. any high fructose corn syrup product). According to today’s infographic, of the 90 million acres of corn fields in the US, less than 1% of those are used to produce actual sweet corn for Americans to consume; the rest are dedicated solely to the production of high fructose corn syrup and other unhealthy corn-based products. Researchers at the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service have even linked the cheap availability of these unhealthy food products to the subsequent increase in obesity among the average American over the last 30 years.
How does this affect the average American’s diet and health, you ask? Well, for starters it drives down the prices of unhealthy, cheaply-made products like sodas, potato chips, and other junk food, making it increasingly less likely for lower and middle class Americans to choose healthy alternatives when grocery shopping. Additionally, it has been responsible for the 33% decrease in the price of soda over the last 30 years, and the 40% increase in the price of fruit. So, next time you’re at 7-11, think twice before spending that dollar on 1200 calories worth of potato chips, and consider spending $2 for a healthier alternative.
[Via]