Cheaper Food, Costlier Health: The Hidden Price of Food Industry Practices

The quest for cheaper food by the food industry has led to the prevalence of toxic chemicals in the food supply, resulting in significant public health consequences. Americans spend drastically less on food compared to Europeans but incur three times higher healthcare costs. This disparity highlights the influence of food companies lobbying for the inclusion of harmful substances, like neurotoxins and endocrine disruptors, which are banned in other developed countries. As a direct consequence, there is a concerning rise in hormone disruption among children, manifesting in earlier onset puberty, especially among girls. The average age for girls in America to reach puberty has decreased by six years since 1900, making the U.S. the continent with the youngest average puberty rates, now occurring between ages 10 and 13.