In the 1980s most people came home and cooked.

58% of what we bought was fresh, whole, raw and meant to be touched, chopped, simmered. Only 26% was pre-made. And even that was simpler. Fewer additives and fewer ingredients we couldn't pronounce.

Then, little by little, we stopped and by the 2000s, those numbers reversed. Only 28% bought fresh, and 44% of what filled our carts was already cooked, processed, flavored, preserved and meant to last on a shelf for weeks.

At the same time, something else started rising fast:

Obesity doubled. From 15% in 1980 to over 35% by the early 2000s, and today we're past 42%. And it's not just about size. Diabetes, anxiety, inflammation, burnout, autoimmune disease — these too follow the same curve. Not because people changed, but because food did.

We started feeding our bodies things that weren't really food — just combinations of refined starches, industrial oils, synthetic flavors, and preservatives. Things designed to last forever on a shelf, not to support a living body.

One thing is for sure: we can turn it around.

We can start by cooking again. Not fancy meals, just real food.