Delicious Deception: How ‘Big Food’ keeps us hungry for more – Ep. 61

It’s not exactly “breaking news.” America has an obesity problem, and we all know it.  But, historically speaking, it is a relatively new problem that dates back only about 50 years. That’s when some of the biggest food companies in the world got very smart about how to keep customers coming back for more ... and more ... and more. How? By using incredibly effective formulas to create “hyper-palatable” foods. Hop into The Escape Pod for an episode that is heavy on food for thought, but also on belly laughs – courtesy of those who failed to escape the lure of some “sugar free” foods and lived to tell about their not-so-savory side effects. 

 

Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers: 

Topic #1     9:30 Trying to escape Big Food’s tactics 

Topic #2   24:03 The truth about sugar 

Topic #3   36:37 "Sugar free” food reviews 

Topic #4   47:25 The push for more transparency 

 

Resources & Links 

• “Why can't we stop eating certain foods?” - BBC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_03EXyhYS8 

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Data on the average increase in food prices in 2023 

• Center for Science in the Public Interest:  Insights into the prevalence of added sugars in products labeled as “natural.” 

• National Institutes of Health: Brain responses triggered by hyper-palatable foods 

• Cornucopia Institute: Ownership of organic brands by major food corporations. 

• FDA: Information on food labeling regulations and the Fair and Accurate Ingredient Representation on Labels Act of 2024 

• National Agricultural Law Center: Details on the compliance date for new food labeling regulations 

• European Food Safety Authority: Banning of certain food additives in the EU that are still allowed in the U.S. 

• Sentient Media: Misleading nature of terms like “natural” and “sugar-free.” 

• Consumer Reports: Examples of misleading labels and their implications 

• New York Post: Highlighted consumer perceptions of misleading food labels 

• How Tobacco Companies Made Foods Hyper-Palatable 

• Misleading Food Labels 

• Dr. Phil: The Conspiracy of Food - How Big Companies Manipulate Your Brain 

• Other Names for Sugar 

• Philip Morris Tobacco Company History