Why the Government Won't Kill Processed Food.

The truth is ugly. The government will never ban the neon-orange, fake-cheese bullshit we shovel into our faces every day because doing so would wreck the economy. You think politicians care about your health? No. If they did, they would have put an end to Big Food decades ago. Instead, they have allowed corporations like Nestlé, PepsiCo, and Kraft to keep selling food that fuels diabetes and heart disease because it keeps money moving. Public health has been traded for profit.

If we pulled the plug on processed foods, the chips, sodas, and lab-made garbage, we would be ripping out the foundation of a trillion-dollar industry. The global processed food market is worth over $2 trillion. Taking it down would not just hurt Big Food. It would disrupt the entire system. Millions of jobs depend on it. Factories would close. Farms would collapse. Trucking, shipping, and retail would take major hits. Banning processed food would put a massive chunk of the workforce out of work overnight.

The government knows this. They have been tied to Big Food for decades, kept comfortable by lobbyists whose job is to make sure nothing changes. In 2022 alone, food and beverage companies spent over $42 million lobbying to protect their interests. Health does not matter here. Campaign funding does.

Processed foods are engineered to keep people hooked. This is not accidental. These products are designed to hit the perfect combination of sugar, fat, and salt to keep people coming back. According to the CDC, 42 percent of American adults are obese, and the vast majority of people do not eat enough vegetables. Processed food is everywhere, and it is cheap.

Marketing makes it worse. Big Food spends billions targeting kids, conditioning them early. A 2019 study found children see about 4,000 junk food ads each year, often wrapped in cartoons and bright colors. Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the U.S. since the 1970s. By adulthood, many people are already dependent on processed food.

I am not pretending I am above it. I am guilty too. I am not living on kale and grass-fed beef. I love a Taco Bell run late at night. The difference is knowing it for what it is. Balance matters. No one needs perfection. Small changes add up. Buying real food when possible and supporting local producers instead of industrial food giants actually matters.

Waiting for the government to fix this is pointless. They are too invested to act. The solution is individual action.

Stop buying the worst of it when you can. Buy local. Support farmers, ranchers, and butchers who produce real food. A study found that shifting just 10 percent of food spending to local producers could generate billions in local economic activity. Better food stays in your community instead of feeding corporations that created the problem.

Buying local also reduces environmental damage. Processed food travels long distances and relies heavily on industrial farming. Local farms shorten supply chains and often use fewer chemicals. The food is fresher and less processed.

Demand transparency. Push for clear labeling instead of misleading health claims. Stop pretending food with dozens of unpronounceable ingredients belongs in a human body. If you cannot identify it, think twice before eating it.

We also need to change how farming is subsidized. The U.S. government spends around $20 billion a year on agricultural subsidies, most of which goes to corn and soy used in junk food. That money should support farms growing fruits, vegetables, and responsibly raised meat instead of feeding industrial production.

The government is not going to save us. Big Food controls the rules. If anything changes, it will come from people choosing differently. That means less processed food and more support for local producers who actually care about what they sell.

The system is stacked, but participation is optional. Eat the cheesy gordita once in a while if you want. Just do not let it be the foundation of your diet. Real food still exists. Choosing it is one of the few ways to push back.