Sarcasm aside. Food manufacturers overuse of artificially hydrogenated fats – unnaturally and ubiquitously used – in nearly every food item has resulted in an unnaturally sickly and obese nation. It's not something the population can deal with on its own. To think that people are gonna start grinding chickpeas for hummus, en masse, to avoid the commercial hummus which may contain hydrogenated oils, is fanciful, idealistic, and dare I say, naïve.
People are literally eating themselves to death in America. I know – I shop at a BJ's in a black neighborhood. 90% obesity. How do we get through to them? How did we get through the ignorance and apathy? Before it's too late?
It's a problem. The usual answer is educate them, but every adult reachable that way has already learned, whether they follow the advice or not - looking at the obesity rates by class, many choose not to.
The big problem is that eating healthy costs. Not so much in terms of money, when you do a side by side comparison, but in time and planning.
Which is easier?
Go to the store, haul back 4 bags full of fresh veg and a bit of meat. Peel and chop the veggies and the meat. Clean up all the peelings and scrapings. Make some stock. Put it all in a casserole dish (or a slow cooker, those things are amazing) and let it cook fully, which takes a few hours.
or
Go to the store. Grab a bag of ready meals. Sling them in the microwave for a few minutes.