We have all heard the arguments about serving size, increased physical activity, and even claims that spending power was lower back then for most families. Well, if anything there may be some truth to all of this, but if you lived in the U.S. back in the 1970s, and 1980s food was a lot less expensive even adjusted for inflation, and if you were Middle Class or above your spending power was greater than today. My father made enough income back then to not only support our family but also support extended family for a long period of time. He was able to start businesses and become successful, and much of it was due to the affordability of things and the risk reward ratio present at this time. There was a lot less stress back in the 1980s and 1970s, you were not bombarded with constant information and the need to readjust decisions on a minute to minute basis. This type of world did not start until the 1990s and sadly it got worse from there onwards. Sure we can say that the 1970s was not a happy time for all people, but I am certain a lot more people today are doing without essentials today compared back then, very much so when we compare the difference between rich and poor in the Western context.
In the 1970s and 1980s there was not a stark difference between the quality of food Upper Middle Classand above people ate as opposed to less affluent parts of society. Today, there are many levels of food present in the supermarket, there is Organic food, somewhat less processed food, and then a lower grade of food which sells in the most volume. Wealthy people do not eat as many refined carbohydrates as less affluent people in general. The cost of protein has gone up exponentially since the 1970s. The result has been the replacement of protein rich food with more carbs for those trying to cut costs. The very quality of the food is also now subject to how much you can afford to pay, this is not the case as much in Europe and the resulting lack of an obesity epidemic in Europe shows this. Just like health care, the U.S. has created a tiered system of food quality. If we could go back in time we would find that the U.S. supply of food was far better and relatively chemical free back in the 1970s compared to today.
There is secondary factor in all this and it is the benefit pharma companies have gotten from the epidemic of diabetes and metabolic disorders that were exacerbated by a food pyramid the U.S. pushed which claimed that a healthy diet consisted of refined carbs, only supplemented by meat, milk and other protein sources, along with fruits and vegetables. Any person following this diet with a family history of diabetes would be pushed into a prediabetic state. This was compounded with the increased ability to diagnose Type II diabetes. Even today, many people are not aware of the dangers of refined carbohydrates along with High Fructose sweeteners which also throw off the ability of the natural metabolic processes we have to regulate blood sugar effectively.
NYC circa 1983.
These are points to consider as a majority of the people living in the 1970s were not all walking miles a day or living without air-conditioning and cars. In fact, the reality was that we were using cars to go short distances just like today, and we had modern comforts just like today. Yes, it is true, if we needed things we had to out to buy them, but we still do this. Sure we have things delivered today, but we did back then also, the only difference was you would go to the store first, but many times you did not, as you knew people there already. Just like today, many homeowners hired companies or a high school student to mow their lawn, and the same was for snow removal. The world was different but we are overestimating how much more walking, and physical activity there was for working people in their 40s and 50s. The real difference was a more social life, and far more often people socialized and went to each other’s homes for dinner or gatherings. That is truly gone today for the most part. Also dinner is no longer a time for most when their entire family is together. Food instead of being part of people coming together has become like filling a gas tank for far too many people. When something so essential to life and is viewed like this more often than not its effects have changed on our health as well. It is not possible to go back in time, but the positives of 50 years ago should be looked at and compared. We would be seeing a great increase in lifespan in the U.S. if the positives of the 1970s were still present combined with modern medicine and diagnosis capability.
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