NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Atlantic • The Huffington Post • Mens Journal • MSN (U.K.) • Kirkus Reviews • Publishers Weekly#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION AWARD FOR WRITING AND LITERATUREEvery year, the average American eats thirty-three pounds of cheese and seventy pounds of sugar. Every day, we ingest 8,500 milligrams of salt, double the recommended amount, almost none of which comes from the shakers on our table. It comes from processed food, an industry that hauls in $1 trillion in annual sales. In Salt Sugar Fat, Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter Michael Moss shows how we ended up here. Featuring examples from Kraft, Coca-Cola, Lunchables, Frito-Lay, Nestlé, Oreos, Capri Sun, and many more, Mosss explosive, empowering narrative is grounded in meticulous, eye-opening research. He takes us into labs where scientists calculate the “bliss point” of sugary beverages, unearths marketing techniques taken straight from tobacco company playbooks, and talks to concerned insiders who make startling confessions. Just as millions of “heavy users” are addicted to salt, sugar, and fat, so too are the companies that peddle them. You will never look at a nutrition label the same way again. Praise for Salt Sugar Fat “[Michael Moss has written a Fast Food Nation for the processed food industry. Burrowing deep inside the big food manufacturers, he discovered how junk food is formulated to make us eat more of it and, he argues persuasively, actually to addict us.”—Michael Pollan “If you had any doubt as to the food industrys complicity in our obesity epidemic, it will evaporate when you read this book.”—The Washington Post “Vital reading for the discerning food consumer.”—The Wall Street Journal “The chilling story of how the food giants have seduced everyone in this country . . . Michael Moss understands a vital and terrifying truth: that we are not just eating fast food when we succumb to the siren song of sugar, fat, and salt. We are fundamentally changing our lives—and the world around us.”—Alice Waters “Propulsively written [and persuasively argued . . . an exactingly researched, deeply reported work of advocacy journalism.”—The Boston Globe“A remarkable accomplishment.”—The New York Times Book Review
Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss is a ground-breaking exposé of the food industry's manipulation of our taste buds and brains. Moss reveals how food companies have used decades of research to create foods that are irresistibly delicious, yet nutritionally bankrupt. The book is a fascinating and disturbing look at the food industry and its impact on our health.
Moss begins by introducing us to the three basic tastes that drive our food choices: salt, sugar, and fat. He explains how these tastes are essential for our survival, and how food companies have exploited this knowledge to create foods that are hyper-palatable. These foods are designed to stimulate our taste buds and brains in a way that makes us want to eat more and more. Moss provides numerous examples of how food companies have used salt, sugar, and fat to create addictive foods, from processed snacks to fast food.
In addition to discussing the science of food addiction, Moss also examines the role of marketing and advertising in promoting unhealthy foods. He shows how food companies target children and other vulnerable populations with their advertising, and how these campaigns can influence our food choices. Moss also discusses the role of government regulation in the food industry, and how the current system fails to protect consumers from unhealthy foods.
Salt Sugar Fat is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the food industry and its impact on our health. Moss's book is a powerful indictment of the food industry, and it provides a clear call to action for consumers to demand healthier food options.
