Federal agricultural dollars subsidize the production of foods that have a disproportionate role in making Americans fat, according to research published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Federal subsidies of corn, soybean, wheat, rice and sorghum have given Americans the makings for high-calorie juices and soft drinks, highly processed baked goods and processed foods, and high-fat meat and dairy products. More than half the calories consumed by American adults come from crops heavily subsidized by the federal government. For the young, the poor, the less educated and less food-secure, reliance on these foods is far higher.
People who said they ate dinner at home five to seven times a week had a 15% lower risk of Type 2 diabetes than those who consumed two or fewer dinners at home per week, according to another study in PLOS Medicine.
In research that tapped into two large studies of U.S. health professionals, participants who ate out gained more weight than those who ate more meals prepared at home. That weight gain was considered a key driver of diabetes.
A smaller, but still statistically significant, reduction was apparent for those who reported consuming homemade lunches more often.
The new research is in line with a welter of studies that have linked meals prepared and eaten away from home - especially at fast-food restaurants - with higher weight and poorer health.