In the words of French author and social critic Francoise La Rochefoucauld, "Eating is a necessity, but eating intelligently is an art" ("Quotes on Food" 1). Perhaps this is why science seems to have failed to define what exactly smart eating is. If it really is an art, it would be much more fruitful to ask an artist (in this case a chef or a foodie) what a healthy diet consists of. But this is the 21st century and we ask dietitians and nutritionists to tell us what to eat. The problem as I see it is that they can't agree on anything or make a decision for any length of time. On the other hand, most chefs and connoisseurs would probably agree that a healthy diet begins with quality whole foods and an emphasis on ancient culinary traditions. Following the advice of so-called experts, Americans now find themselves in a confusing, and sorry, state of affairs. According to a recent Time magazine article, “The United States is by far the fattest country in the world, with 54 percent of the population overweight. . . Even the nation's children, the ones so hyperactive they need Ritalin, are plump; 25% of them are overweight” (Cray et al. 2-3). Furthermore, “Americans, instead of exercise [and a healthy diet], spend 33 billion dollars a year in the diet industry” (Cray et al. 2-3). This is a vicious cycle that, if not stopped, will become the “No. 1 preventable killer of Americans,” according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Nwazota 1). It would seem that, in the long run, eating intelligently is as necessary as eating itself. To find out how to eat intelligently...... middle of paper ....../>. Nwazota, Kristina. “Obesity surpasses smoking as the leading preventable killer of Americans.” Online News Schedule March 15, 2004. 3 pp. November 20, 2005. .Piddock, Charles. “The Good Carbohydrate Diet: The South Beach Diet says one thing. Atkins says another. What does science say you should eat?” Current Health 2, a Weekly Reader publication, January 2005: v31 i5 p12 (3). Academic expanded as soon as possible. Thomas Gale. Port Library of Los Angeles, California. November 12, 2005. “American Heart Association Declares War on Fad Diets.” 2pp. November 14, 2005. Woodworth, Cameron. “Fad diet or healthy eating? Diet gurus weigh in." List of National Choices 4pp. Nov. 14. 2005 .