The Real Food Danger All of this discussion is missing the real food danger facing America - Processed foods. Back when we ate foods that were made from scratch (Pasteurized or not), we were a leaner and healthier nation. When we started eating packaged convenience food with modified starches and high fructose corn syrup, we had an explosion of obesity and other ailments. The real path to getting America healthy would be to get someone in the family back in the kitchen to prepare real meals from base ingredients like flour, sugar, whole milk, fruits and vegetables, meat with some fat, and such, and then for the family to get back to the table and eat dinner while talking and interacting.