I agree with your assessment, Hodar. However, may I add one thing. When I was a child, most women were stay at home Moms. They cooked more healthy simply because they had the time to do so. Over the years, taxes greatly increased making it more difficult for a family to keep their head above water on the husband’s paycheck alone. Thus, women entered the work force (some by choice and some by simple economics). I know a lot of Moms who have to work full time. By the time they get home, very little time is left to make something healthy and they rely heavily on processed/frozen/fast food ect... The meals are much less healthy, more fatty and sodium filled. The women I know aren’t lazy at all. It is simply a time issue... many stay up till close to midnight doing laundry, cleaning, etc... only to wait for the alarm to buzz at six a.m.
You are absolutely correct.
In the 50-60’s a family could easily tax-shelter 60-80% of their income; and it was practical for a family to comfortably live on the husband’s income.
Today, about the only tax-shelter we have is the house; plus there is the unavoidable fact that job security is non-existant when compared to even the 1950-2000 range. When the breadwinner is “out-sourced”, or “right-sized”, or the company fails, moves or is sold - the loss of income takes years to recover from. There is really no choice anymore; both parents are ‘forced’ to work just to diversify incomes such that if one is laid off for any reason, the family has a secondary means of support.