Why are so many anime based around fighting and battles?

Conflict is a popular theme that can be seen in many movies and cartoons too so it’s not specific to anime. If you don’t want to see so much fighting you can choose a sports related story in which the conflict takes the form of competition. There are some very good ones too.

It a just a popular trend at the moment.  Since Western audiences can now get titles as soon as they're released in Japan, with streaming sites, we have more of an influence on what's popular.  Young anime fans who grew up on Pokémon and Naruto probably have just stuck with what is familiar to them.  Westerners, generally have a very limited idea of what anime is, in all of it's glory.  

Back in my day, if you just watched Pokémon, or DBZ, you weren't an anime fan.  You just watch them like any other western cartoon.  I think a lot of kids familiar with those early popular titles later became interested in anime, which drove a lot of demand for the action/battle anime we see a lot of today.  I never found too many of the staples and troupes of anime a problem, but a lot of the stories and characters have become more formulaic.  

Japan used to be a brutal society, but a has been a very tamed society after becoming a developed nation after WWII.  Overdramatic displays of feelings, such as greetings, or expressing remorse, are acceptable in the appropriate time and manner.  Having been an isolated society for many centuries, modern Japan maintain many of its strange ways.

The strict oppression of Japanese society was very tolerant of people living out their wild fantasies in private, away from the public sphere, which is why we see so much bizarre content in their entertainment.  "Tentacle porn" came from an artist who painted a picture of a women having sex with an octopus, which somehow gained popularity.  

That's Marvel, DC, Variant, Image, and IDW. There are more to anime than action which are unique, intriguing, original, and substantive than American comics. Food Wars has nothing to do with fighting, but competition.

Anime fighting? #Lol!!!! Most anime girls dig comedy anime series!! 😂😆😝😎😉💋

only about half the anime are action oriented.

the other half is almost all "slice of life" aka, just people doing daily stuff.

(keeping in mind that every show has multiple genres)

Anime is a medium, not a genre.  There are anime that are romance based, comedy based, and yes, action based.  The action based ones are particularly popular just as action movies are particularly popular.  So they make more of what sells more.  

Japanese culture certainly does have particular quirks.  The warrior history is still reflected in a lot of things where they turn relatively mundane things into 'battles' or competitions in a lot of anime, but honestly, look at US action cartoons or movies or anything and you see a lot of fighting there as well.  Action is exciting.  People like to watch it.  

Most people around the world likes violence. They are entertained by violence. So more anime is going to be made base around that. They are not going to make anime/manga they know people won't watch or read. If the world wasn't so all about violence, then the anime wont be about violence.