America has an obesity problem. The Western diet is killing us. Actually, Big Food is killing us. Wait, no — gluten is killing us.

There is a lot of hand-wringing and conflicting theories about the way we eat, but most people agree on one thing: Our diet has to change.

That’s easier said than done. There’s the matter of counteracting the bad habits of a generation, but a far greater uphill battle is the one that must be waged against the food conglomerates and powerful agriculture lobbies that hold enormous sway over Congress.

With the exception of Vermont’s GMO-labeling law, legislation continues to work against the interests of Americans, mainly because, as the New York Times’ Mark Bittman explained in a recent column (The New York Times), health just doesn’t sell.

But Bittman also makes a good point:

“Big Food is unwittingly destroying its own market. Diet-related Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease disable and kill people, and undoubtedly we’ll be hearing more about nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, an increasingly prevalent fatty liver disease that’s brought on by diet and may lead to liver failure.”

The conglomerates’ focus on profit will eventually bring about their own demise by way of disease epidemics. And that may be the key to real change.

When the choice is between processed food and death, French fry orders are going to fall. Only then will selling “real” food become a priority and, subsequently, a more affordable option.

It may seem like we’re in a bleak position now, but the fact that public awareness has shifted is significant. Here is some compelling evidence from Staance that Americans are on the right track to a healthier diet.