Moss, Michael

"An . . . account of the legal battles, insidious marketing campaigns, and cutting-edge food science that have brought us to our current public health crisis. Hooked lays out all that the food industry is doing to exploit and deepen our addictions, and shows us what we can do so that we can one again seize control"--Provided by publisher.

"Everyone knows how hard it can be to maintain a healthy diet. But what if some of the decisions we make about what to eat are beyond our control? Is it possible that processed food is addictive, like drugs or alcohol? Motivated by these questions, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Michael Moss began searching for answers, to find the true peril in our food. In Hooked, Moss explores the science of addiction and uncovers what the scientific and medical communities--as well as food manufacturers--already know, which is that food can, in some cases, be even more addictive than alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs"--Provided by publisher.

Identifies the factors that have contributed to the modern obesity crisis in America, detailing the impact of processed foods on our diets and overall health. Discusses how the ongoing quest for profits and increasingly better-tasting foods have resulted in an unhealthy processed foods industry that can only survive by producing foods laden with fat, salt, and sugar.

Reveals how the world's largest processed food companies redirect concerns about the health risks of their products by dialing back on one harmful ingredient while increasing another; use technology to calculate the bliss point of sugary beverages or enhance the mouth feel of fat by manipulating the chemical structure; and refer to their most ardent customers as addicted to salt, sugar, and fat.