Over 45 million Americans diet each year and spend $33 billion on weight loss products. And while people might feel virtuous sipping on a Diet Coke over the regular version, those who opt for a healthier drink option might actually be piling on the pounds by ‘compensating’ with junk food.

The way people lose weight is changing. Out are the cardboard-tasting diet foods, awkward meet-ups and communal weight shaming, in are the whole foods, digital apps and sexy workout gear. But is dieting really dead? And how are consumer attitudes towards wellness changing?

More calories were consumed in snacks during the 2015 Super Bowl than at Thanksgiving dinner in 2014. Snacking in the US is at an all-time high, with 91% doing it daily. So why is the 'little and often' habit replacing traditional meals? And what does the average American really want from a snack?

Burger fads and 1,000-calorie ready meals hardly fit in with a society that’s increasingly obsessed with healthy eating. But while these polarising trends paint a schizophrenic food landscape, they show how indulgent foods express our freedoms. After all, no one likes to be told what to eat.