Food cravings engineered by industry

[jugoso]

Wasn´t sure whether to post this here or in Science but opted for this one.

Craving. It doesn't just happen to food addicts. Most people have experienced the impulse to seek out and consume a favourite packaged snack food. On one billboard, recently put up in Toronto, the intention to make you reach for another one is prominently declared, in large letters that tower over the city street. It's a picture of a box of crackers, and the promise "You'll be back for more."

"These companies rely on deep science and pure science to understand how we're attracted to food and how they can make their foods attractive to us," Michael Moss said.

The New York Times investigative reporter spent four years prying open the secrets of the food industry’s scientists.

"This was like a detective story for me, getting inside the companies with thousands of pages of inside documents and getting their scientists and executives to reveal to me the secrets of how they go at this," he said. What he found became the title of his new book, Salt, Sugar Fat: How the food giants hooked us.

"I was totally surprised," he said. "I spent time with the top scientists at the largest companies in this country and it's amazing how much math and science and regression analysis and energy they put into finding the very perfect amount of salt, sugar and fat in their products that will send us over the moon, and will send their products flying off the shelves and have us buy more, eat more and …make more money for them."

A Google search of the patents held by the food industry provides a glimpse of the complex technical engineering that goes into building a simple cracker. Scan the scientific journals, or read the food industry publications and a picture emerges of an army of chemists, physicists and even neuroscientists, all working to make sure you want a second cookie.

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...-addiction.html

http://www.unexplain...0

Jeez, i wonder if there is any connection between the food industries tactics and our ever-increasing waistlines?

[Keel M.]

We're damned proud of our waistlines and don't want anyone encroaching on our Constitutional Right to be fat.

[Mikko-kun]

This is something I've been trying to fight a silent, peaceful one-man war against, many like me have. They add additives that make you addicted to food, simple as that, and even if the case was that the food you ate was healthier than "normal, natural" food, which I severely doubt, you're still addicted to their food.

And food is something you can't live without, really. So.. your "right to be fat" is really "right to follow indulgences that trap you in a less obvious way". Why can't people produce their own food? It's made a very difficult thing, but getting a job in a canning factory is not difficult at all. Both jobs are easy, but you need a land of your own if you dont want to grow things illegally in other people's land, and that usually profits you less even though you can make a good crop and make a living. A highly controversial situation that leans in favor of oil companies and everything related to mass food production, from big farms to those pharmaseutical experts that invent those addictive additives, to wal-marts distributing food which is worse than what you could pick from your garden if you had one, or get from a neighbor's garden for that matter. I guess that now that we're living in mass million people cities it just "can't be helped" unless you make some profound changes there too, and you can see how enthusiasted the politicians are about that (sarcasm in case you didn't get it). Just makes you wanna say "cant a man make a living", we just make a dying out of that food, dying as in losing a freedom in more ways than one, and health.

[Grandpa Greenman]

Oh yes, I know what they are doing. I have been battling food addiction. I quit buying high processed foods and started cooking most of my stuff from scratch. People often ask me how I lost weight. Stay away from the white refined stuff, white flour, sugar, potato's. Eat food with lots of fiber and complex carbs. I grow my own herbs and find you eat less and don't need salt if you use real herbs and spices. When I buy a treat I buy it in small amounts. If I want ice cream I go out and buy a scoop at local ice cream shop. They make their own and it is better than anything you'll get at the store.

Edited March 7, 2013 by Darkwind

[Coffey]

Once you go raw... you never look back.

[Emma_Acid]

It always has to be someone else's fault doesn't it?

Don't eat processed foods; grow your own produce where possible; make everything from scratch.

It's flipping simple people. And cheap.

[Mikko-kun]

Just show me the cheap in growing all of your own meat...

edit: in your land by getting money for that from scratch first.

Edited March 8, 2013 by Mikko-kun

[Emma_Acid]

Just show me the cheap in growing all of your own meat...

edit: in your land by getting money for that from scratch first.

It always has to be someone else's fault doesn't it?

Don't eat processed foods; grow your own produce where possible; make everything from scratch.

It's flipping simple people. And cheap.

Also, buying meat from local producers is better in terms of quality, price, the environment and local economy.

[Mikko-kun]

Got me there. It's not a good situation regarding that in big cities, most local producers sell a lot of the naturally produced meat to supermarket chains or their buyers. But you're right. Just need to go there by summer and take a long cycling trip, but guess I'll just do that and pack the freezer up. Veggies are cheap and easy to grow by yourself anyhow. I can realise that it's probably not a problem with commuting so much in warmer countries, but when you get snow here, and also dont have any such farms in 10km radius and no car, and the local shop right next to you... and you need to go work every day... I know, excuses, but you can't blame just us either here. Maybe simple and cheap, but not always easy and fast.

[Emma_Acid]

Got me there. It's not a good situation regarding that in big cities, most local producers sell a lot of the naturally produced meat to supermarket chains or their buyers.

Well, in London we have a lot of community organisations that enable farmers to sell produce directly to customers. I haven't bought a piece of meat from a chain store in years.

. Maybe simple and cheap, but not always easy and fast.

And there's the rub. Doing as much as you can yourself does take longer, but its a price we should all be willing to pay. We'll live longer anyway, so we'll have more time

[Mikko-kun]

And there's the rub. Doing as much as you can yourself does take longer, but its a price we should all be willing to pay. We'll live longer anyway, so we'll have more time

Hail to that. It'd go sooo much faster if I had an extra 100k euros in my pocket..

[jugoso]

Sugar industry's secret documents echo tobacco tactics

Sugar Association's intent to use science to defeat critics uncovered by dentist

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2013/03/08/f-vp-crowe-big-sugar.html

[Mikko-kun]

From the link:

"That was a picture of sugar industry executives being awarded the Silver Anvil, which is like the Oscars of the PR world," Couzens said. In the 1976 photo, the president of the Sugar Association and its director of public relations smile as they pose with their prize for their successful campaign "forging public opinion," in the face of mounting consumer and government concern over the health risks of sugar.

Yeah,,, it's half-a-decade old news to me why they put candies right next to the register. I dont see any of them saying "hey we're giving a lot of charity money for the diabetes prevention and treatment and taking some actual responsibility". As far as I'm concerned, those who push heroin and alike on the streets are more honest, because they dont lie so much about their product, even if they do tend to mix it up with bad stuff, cut it. You can catch those lies easier..

[Bonecrusher]

Once you go raw... you never look back.

It's that good. That's why my dog's coats are so glossy!

[Coffey]

It's that good. That's why my dog's coats are so glossy!

I mean raw vegan. lol

[Bonecrusher]

I mean raw vegan. lol

Well there's a few veggies thrown in with the raw meat.

[Mistydawn]

I mean raw vegan. lol

I mean raw vegan. lol

You are a wee star Coffey!! Go you!!!

[DONTEATUS]

Well in America the plan of attack is Eat until you cant see your feet,then sit down and eat until you cant see the ground !

Then THey put you into the ground !

justDONTEATUS

[UnnoInIty]

Well in America the plan of attack is Eat until you cant see your feet,then sit down and eat until you cant see the ground !

Then THey put you into the ground !

justDONTEATUS

Thats true sadly

[AsteroidX]

I think the term Food Cravings is very condescending. It references a lack of impulse or lack of self control. I much prefer the term munchies. Its neutral.

Carry on.