This and other things mentioned in the comments are all connected, especially the inequality aspect. If you don't have enough money, you save on everything, inc

This and other things mentioned in the comments are all connected, especially the inequality aspect. If you don't have enough money, you save on everything, including your health. This means not just immediate health care and simple preventive measures, but also long-term approach such as a healthy life style. One of these is the availability of highly-processed low-quality food everywhere and relative difficulty of getting higher quality food and finding the time to prepare proper meals. The substances used for conservation of foods such as sodium nitrate, sugars, etc. have overall adverse effects on health. Moreover, the "food" industry doesn't stop here. They are trying to push the boundaries, and American institutions supposed to protect the rights of citizens are very weak when confronted with the lobbies. A good example is the infamous pink slime, approved by the FDA in 2001 but banned in the EU. Using these kinds of substances is considered a crime in Europe, and for a good reason.