Only at this time, within the lifetimes of ourselves or our parents, did the thousands of years of human suffering and death from influenza, tuberculosis, measles and other ailments begin to find an effective opponent. The U.S. death rate from infectious disease fell to less than a tenth of what it was in 1900. In addition to the safety provided by new drugs, increased spending for doctors and hospitals and new technology resulted in faster diagnoses, less pain, shorter hospital stays, and longer lives for the sick. Food and diet followed the same course of improvement as health care in America. Although famine still haunts other parts of the world, especially Africa, it has not been a factor in America, Europe, or Canada during the last two centuries.
Food is also more affordable now.
Although modern consumers are spending twice as much, in real dollars, for food, as they did in 1900, the percentage of an average consumer's income spent for food has declined. In 1900, the average consumer spent about a third of his income for food. By 1929, this percentage had dropped to one quarter, and by 1987 to 18 percent. Not only did food eat up less of the consumer's budget, it also took less time to make. In 1900 a typical housewife spent many hours washing, peeling, coring, cutting, boiling, and blanching vegetables and fruit.