Refined products are the main cause of the American paradox: why people gain weight despite undernourishment

Refined products are not just food — they are a food trap that entangles millions of Americans. The paradox is clear: despite abundant food in stores, people get less than half of the necessary nutrients, while gaining excess weight. This is not about complete starvation but hidden hunger — the body receives calories but remains deceived, not finding what it truly needs in the food.

The main problem with American food culture is the lack of a unified concept of healthy eating. Families often maintain the tradition of “family dinners,” but the content of these meals rarely meets health requirements. Breakfast can be simple or calorie-rich (eggs, bacon, toast, cereal), but most often it consists of refined products. People eat in a hurry, take ready-made food with them, or order delivery. Burgers, pizza, fried chicken, grilled dishes have become everyday norms, but refined ingredients in these foods sharply reduce nutritional quality, filling diets with sugar and trans fats.

Why Empty Carbohydrates Are a Trap

Refined products are a source of empty carbs — the illusion of satiety that lasts only a few minutes. Cereal with milk, white bread with jam, a breakfast bun — all are quickly absorbed by the body. Sugar and glucose go straight into the bloodstream, requiring no effort from the body to process. It seems like fullness, but it’s just a moment of energy.

A different story is told by complex carbs — buckwheat, oatmeal, brown rice, whole grain bread, legumes, starchy vegetables. They take time to digest, and the body experiences real, lasting satiety. The intervals between meals increase to several hours.

But the American diet is built on the opposite principle. Eating a bun — an hour later, you’re hungry again. The body demands a new portion of carbs. When refined products form the basis of the diet, including candies, cookies, sugary cereals, white baked goods, and sweet drinks, the usual result is excess sugar intake with a deficiency of fiber. The brain consumes about 20% of the body’s total energy (300–400 kcal per day, roughly 100–120 g of glucose), but that doesn’t mean this energy should come from refined sources.

Protein Without Burden: Energy in the Toilet

The American diet is rich in protein. Chicken, pork, beef, large steaks at affordable prices — protein is easy to obtain. People completely replace proper nutrition with it; barbecue becomes the main way of eating.

Protein itself isn’t harmful. It builds muscle tissue, participates in skin, joint, and vessel regeneration. But the problem lies in the quantity and context. Excess protein without physical activity simply passes through the body. Someone consumes an 800-gram steak (about 200–250 g of protein), but the body only uses 50–60 g. The rest goes “to the toilet.” On the surface, it seems good — nothing accumulates. But the body isn’t prepared for such volumes. The load on the kidneys is critical.

An excess of protein produces more nitrogen waste products, which are excreted by the kidneys. The kidneys suffer first. If this mainly involves red, fatty meats, sausages, and processed foods, then saturated fats and salt intake increase, raising “bad” cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

An excess of protein with a lack of fiber disrupts digestion. Meat contains no dietary fiber, which is necessary for a healthy gut microbiota. The result is a tendency to constipation, discomfort, and impaired intestinal motility. Very high-protein diets sometimes increase the risk of gout in predisposed individuals due to elevated uric acid levels.

Trans Fats: The Number One Enemy

Fats have gained a reputation as the number one enemy. However, healthy fats — monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, including omega-3 and omega-6 — are vital for hormonal health, heart, vessels, and brain function. A deficiency of fats in women can lead to the disappearance of menstruation; in men, reduced erection, irritability, depressed mood, anxiety, and “brain fog.”

Refined products are primarily a source of trans fats — altered forms of regular oil. Liquid oils (sunflower, soybean) are hydrogenated at high temperatures at the factory. The fat molecules change shape, becoming straight and solid — resulting in margarine or cooking fats, convenient for baking and fast food. Deep-frying in hydrogenated or overheated oil is pure trans fats.

Trans fats accumulate in fat stores, including internal organs and vessel walls, creating cholesterol plaques and increasing the risk of blockages.

The Formula of the American Diet: Protein + Empty Carbohydrates + Trans Fats

The typical American diet is a deadly cocktail: protein + empty carbs + trans fats. Such eating provides short-term satiety but lacks vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. The body screams: “You deceived me! There’s nothing I need here!”

And a new hunger is triggered. The body cannot convert excess sugar into anything but fat reserves. All surplus sugar, glucose, and refined carbs are rapidly turned into body fat. The dose of trans fats is also stored in fat reserves, while protein depletes the kidneys as it passes through.

Refined products are not a substitute for proper nutrition — they are only harmful. Fast does not mean good.

Four Weeks of Fast Food: A Scientific Verdict

A scientific experiment described in the documentary “That Sugar Film” clearly demonstrated the problem. Two people ate for four weeks in different ways:

• One consumed fast food but kept within calorie limits (did not overeat)
• The other ate healthy, balanced foods — vegetables, protein, complex carbs, healthy fats

Results were compared based on weight, energy, mood, blood sugar levels, and tests. The conclusions were undeniable:

• With the same calorie intake, a diet high in sugar and fast food led to weight gain, even when not overeating
• Even with calorie control, high sugar consumption caused: increased fat mass (especially around the abdomen), insulin and blood sugar spikes, decreased energy, and worsened well-being
• Healthy eating is not just about calories but about nutritional value that maintains stable blood sugar, energy, and metabolism

Refined products are not just food — they are a carbohydrate trap disguised as a familiar diet.

Sugar in Every Bite: A Hidden Threat

Even if a person thinks they are eating “only a burger and fries,” the daily sugar intake is already exceeded due to hidden sources:

Sauces and dressings contain several teaspoons of sugar per serving: ketchup, barbecue sauce, salad marinades.

Buns and bread are often sweetened for better taste. A regular white bun can contain 2–5 g of sugar.

Drinks — soda, fruit juices, sweet tea, energy drinks — are obvious sources, but their effects add up with others.

Breading and marinades in chicken nuggets, cutlets, ready-made mixes often contain sugar as a preservative and flavor enhancer.

French fries and side dishes are sometimes processed with sugar or syrup for color and flavor.

In total, the daily dose of sugar quickly exceeds the norm because sugar is hidden everywhere.

95% of Americans Are Deficient in Vital Elements

According to the national study NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey), vitamin and mineral deficiencies among American adults are reaching critical levels:

• About 95% do not get enough vitamin D
• 84% are deficient in vitamin E
• 46% lack sufficient vitamin C
• 45% have vitamin A deficiency
• 15% suffer from zinc deficiency (with even lower levels of copper, iron, B vitamins)

These are not just numbers — they are consequences:

Immunity suffers without enough vitamin C, zinc, or selenium. The body becomes less protected against infections, illnesses are harder to recover from.

Appearance deteriorates with deficiencies in vitamins A, E, B group, biotin, and iron: dry skin, brittle nails, hair loss.

Energy drops with iron, B12, magnesium, or iodine deficiency — weakness, fatigue, dizziness, concentration problems.

Bones and teeth become fragile with calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus shortages. Children’s normal growth is impaired.

Nervous system malfunctions with deficiencies in B vitamins and magnesium: irritability, anxiety, sleep and attention issues.

Blood responds with anemia due to iron, folate, and B12 deficiencies — pallor, shortness of breath, weakness.

Metabolism slows down with iodine deficiency; the thyroid gland functions poorly, leading to fatigue and weight gain.

Conclusion: Why Refined Products Are a Self-Destructive System

Refined products are not just low-quality food — they create an illusion of satiety while causing micro-nutrient starvation. People eat a lot, gain weight, but their cells experience a lack of vital elements.

The solution is simple but requires rethinking: include complex carbs in the diet, add a variety of vegetables and fruits, choose healthy fats, and control protein intake according to physical activity. This is not a diet — it’s a return to truly nourishing food that feeds the body instead of deceiving it.