The same factors that give shape to our prejudices, our views of society and the world in general, our likes and dislikes, must have a direct bearing on what we eat. Genes, parental upbringing, education (or the lack thereof), the environment and immediate society in which we grow up and live. It should not be surprising that the average American eats as he/she does, given the lack of exposure to quality and the degree of exposure to mediocrity.