The emphasis on fresh high-quality food made me wonder if that sort of food is more satisfying (and filling) than what the author sees in American food. Does eating poor quality food leave you hungry? (Also, consider people living in “grocery deserts” who subsist on large amounts of fast food. Their obesity rates are very high.)
I think the lack of accessible grocery requires people to pile up grocery for weeks, which motivates people to get crappy and over-processed food that last a long time.
This also promotes “one-stop shop” which heavily favors coperate driven big-box store than local specialty store with better and fresher products.
The lack of “natural exercise” from commuting and walking to grocery also worsens the problem.
A lot of the time people thinks “anti-car” is only for some far-fetching environmental argument, yet the over-reliant on cars is really corroding every aspect of our life quality.