2004: The state of the plate

In 2003, Americans came to a culinary fork in the road. Quick vs. quality. Junky vs. funky. Hearty vs. healthy.

As usual, many people tried to go down both roads at the same time. The bipolar attitude toward food meant there were best-selling diet books despite more obesity; more convenience products while the "slow-food" movement gathered steam; and more people focused on cooking — if someone else was doing it on TV.

Here's what we saw in 2003 and what is likely to happen in 2004:

Obesity tipped the scales. In 2003, more than 60 percent of American adults are either overweight or obese and the number of overweight children and adolescents tripled has tripled since 1980.

These facts were chosen as the year's top food story in a survey of 1,300 food editors conducted by Hunter Public Relations. Nutrition experts debated possible culprits, but blaming any one type of food is "just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic," Ellen Ruppel Shell, author of "The Hungry Gene," told the Association of Food Journalists at an obesity panel in Boston last fall. "Whether it's carbohydrates or fat or whatever, we simply eat too much."

In response to consumer lawsuits pointing fingers at food companies, Kraft Foods announced new initiatives, including a cap on the portion size of single-serve packages and the elimination of in-school marketing. McDonald's cranked out a food-tray liner listing health tips from Bob Greene, Oprah's personal trainer, and the fast-food chain test-marketed Happy Meal substitutions, such as milk and sliced apples. The seafood chain Red Lobster added grilled fish, crab legs and veggies to its kids' meals.

"Obesity is a problem, but we've talked about it so much that people are tired of it," said Pauline Williams, a dietitian who teaches classes for diabetics through Utah State University Extension Services. "You'll see a trend toward nutrition information and products dispensed without really saying, 'This is to lose weight.' "

A swing back to home cooking would help, she said. "We miss out on nutrients when we go to a lot of the refined and convenient products."

Meanwhile, the weight loss obsession spurred the sales of diet books and products. Fat-phobia of the '80s and '90s was replaced by carb-phobia.

Dr. Robert Atkins died on April 17, but it didn't deter the popularity of his diet, which told people they could lose weight by eating bacon, eggs and steak if they avoided carbs, such as bread and rice. The T.G.I. Friday restaurant chain even teamed up with Atkins' company to make "low-carb" menu items.