Fresh, local food common to Costa Rican natives
In the United States, food is equivalent to social time, cultural events and celebrations. In order to eat fresh, healthy foods in the United States, it costs significantly more. The overly processed, high sugar concentrations and levels of fat and sodium are cheap, easy to make and taste good. There is a desire for instant gratification and convenience that often outweighs common sense about eating healthy. Food is rarely viewed as fuel, and people would rather live to eat than eat to live. The themes of rising obesity rates and the popularity of crash dieting is quite concerning for this generation.