Nah, Southerners have always fried stuff but have only gotten fat fairly recently. The problem is the same as everywhere else, which is too many carbs. They’re just so cheap and grabbable nowadays.
You speak the truth. This is a newer phenomenon.
Yup, and poverty was a big thing. With it came foodless nights and hunger. Welfare and food stamps changed all that.
There is no hunger in the USA anymore.