Salt Sugar Fat

Résumé du livre

Michael Moss has reported for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting. He is currently an adjunct professor at the Columbia Journalism School.

Humans’ evolutionary craving for sugar and fat has been exploited by the processed-food industry, which carefully engineers products to maximize appeal through the "bliss point" of sweetness or the irresistible richness of fat. While sugar and fat enhance flavor, they also contribute to serious health issues, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, as Americans consume far more than recommended levels. Salt, another cornerstone of processed foods, not only boosts taste but also masks undesirable flavors and extends shelf life, though excessive sodium intake has fueled a hypertension crisis. Despite public awareness and some regulatory efforts abroad, the U.S. has largely left the responsibility to consumers, with food companies continuing to prioritize profit over health. This chapter underscores how the overuse of sugar, salt, and fat in processed foods has shaped modern diets and health challenges, setting the stage for deeper exploration of their societal and economic impacts.

"The sweeter the industry made its food, the sweeter kids liked their food to be."

"In a key -but commonly overlooked- aspect of obesity, weight gain can be caused by the slightest increases in consumption, if it continues day in and day out."

"The inventors and company executives don’t generally partake in their own creations. Thus the heavy reliance on focus groups with the targeted consumer."

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