[winfred]

>Does that mean Americans are poor people who can only afford empty calories?

I don't know if it's because they can't afford better or don't want to eat better, but in the US there is a considerable relationship between income/education and obesity. The poorer you are, the more likely you are to be obese. 50% of the US makes less than $30k a year, and that group probably amounts to somewhere around 75% of the obese people.

https://www.stateofobesity.org/socioeconomics-obesity/

[kube-system]

I don’t think the difference is due to income directly, but more to do with class/social expectations. Eating is a very social activity, and the way people eat is strongly linked to their individual and group identity.

Healthy eating simply isn’t prioritized by some people/groups, and others don’t value it at all.