I haven’t read his other book on food, but I was interested in seeing what kind of things go on in the human body when faced with a steady diet of highly processed foods.
After reading this book it seems like the consumption of processed foods in America is common, and that obesity and other health problems can be tied to this over-consumption. I think most of this is outlined in the previous book that I haven’t read, but here the writer focuses on the psychological hook that food makers use to get people to continue eating their products.
I knew after leaving the USA that the foods I ate there were not especially healthy, and over time I’ve changed over to a much healthier diet here in Japan. Kuniko and I spend the time and money necessary to make what we eat out of whole foods and avoid processed foods and additives as much as possible.
However not everyone has the luxury of time and money to do that, and this book shows some of the ways big food companies take advantage of that. Waving the flag of convenience, “new and improved”, or “new flavor”, the foods attract customers who don’t realize what they are signing up for.
The book spends some time explaining why diets don’t work for most people, and it was interesting to see that most of the big food companies went out and bought diet food companies – so they could make money getting you fat and then make money getting you thinner, too. Scary stuff!
The writing style sometimes gets a little preachy, and the writer has a clear agenda so the stories and evidence given here should be considered as coming from that particular viewpoint. I think this book would really be effective for people that don’t really care too much about what they are eating – understanding who is controlling what you eat (and what you want to eat) is the first step to a better diet and healthier life.
Next I’m reading A Sport and a Pastime by James Salter.
