Despite spending far more on health than any other country, the U.S. has dropped to 37th in overall health, near the bottom of industrialized countries. This low ranking is due to many factors including a diet lacking in necessary nutrients. Heart disease, the leading cause of death in America, has been one of the side-effects.

Our technologically-advanced society has brought many wonders, but not without several drawbacks, especially in the area of nutrition. Until the 20th century most food was eaten fresh from the garden or a local market. Meat was raised locally on natural food, and fish swam in near pristine waters. As divisions of labor brought occupational specialties, fewer farmers supported larger populations concentrated near their jobs, changing the paradigm that had existed for thousands of years.

Food, now grown further from the centers of population, is picked green and preserved to bring to market without rotting. Genetically modified foods were introduced to increase the quantity of crop yields. Also, our fast lifestyles invited the fast food revolution, which has capitalized upon sugar substitutes, MSG, fillers, and artifical flavors, all of which are foreign to the body. Each of these developments has impacted food quality negatively.

While the decline in health is the result of several factors, declining food quality has played a large role in America's health demise, despite the massive amount of money we throw at it. Good nutrition is discussed further in a separate webpage.