Introduction
Salt, Sugar, Fat is an inside look at everything the food
companies have done to addict us to their products and the role this has played
in the obesity epidemic. The writer, Michael Moss, interviewed dozens of food
scientists, marketing directors, and executives from the processed food
industry. What he learned was staggering. The book, obviously enough, is broken
down into 3 sections: salt, sugar, and fat.
The roles that each of these ingredients play in the addictive nature of
processed foods is described in detail. The book is a bit long at 347 pages,
but is very well written and researched. I truly enjoyed reading it.
5 Things I Really Liked About Salt, Sugar, Fat
1) I was stunned
to learn about the complexity of “bliss point” research. The bliss point is the
exact combination of fat, sugar, and salt that makes processed snack treats
irresistible and highly addictive. Nothing is by accident, the research is
conducted by PhD scientists who fully understand the addictive properties of
these ingredients. The origins of this research is fascinating. In the 1960’s,
a graduate student was trying to fatten up some lab rats for a study on the
metabolic effects of obesity. No matter how much of their natural food the
student fed to the rats, they wouldn’t gain weight. Their body shut down their
hunger when they had enough. One day as a treat, he dropped in a couple of
fruit loops and the rats went nuts! They couldn’t get enough. He found the
answer to his problem. By feeding the rats sweets like chocolate and cookies,
they would keep eating until they became obese. The sugar overwhelmed the rat’s
natural defense mechanisms to weight control. It was not long until the food
companies caught on.
2) It was really
interesting that most of the executives interviewed completely avoided their company’s
products and ate quite prudently. Many of these executives regret their role in
formulating and marketing products that have contributed to the obesity
epidemic.
3) I love how
the book examines the controversial issues of this topic. For example: 1)
Corporate profit vs. consumer health. 2) The consumer’s personal choice to pick
unhealthy foods vs. the expertly designed bliss point research that may take
that choice away because of the addictive nature of those foods. 3) Are the
food companies just giving consumers what they want or are they driving them to
eat more of the wrong food with scientific research. There are no easy answers
to these questions but we need to think about them.
4) The salt
chapter was really well done. I found the case study of Finland to be
fascinating. In the late 1970’s, Finland was consuming huge amounts of salt and
had epidemics of hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. In fact, men from
Finland had the highest rates of cardiovascular disease in the world. Finland’s
public health authorities took action by going after the manufacturers. Any
food item that exceeded a certain amount of salt was stamped with the words
“High Salt Content”. They also began a public health education campaign to
reduce salt consumption. The results were striking. By 2007, salt consumption
in Finland had been reduced by one-third and deaths from heart disease and
stroke were cut by 80%! Why aren’t we doing this?
5) Another thing
I learned is that sugar, salt, and fat add a lot more to a product than just
taste. For example, salt adds color, aroma, texture, consistency, and mouth
feel to a processed food. Another example is that when fat is reduced in a
food, sugar is added to reduce bacterial growth. I did not know this. The truth
of the matter is that fat, sugar, and salt preform other duties in these
processed foods. Reducing them by a significant amount can really change a
product. The book details several
producers that reduced levels of these additives and sales dropped significantly
because the product looked or tasted funny. This adds another level to this
complex problem.
Is Salt, Sugar, Fat Worth Reading?
Absolutely! I
really enjoyed this book. It takes a
very thorough look at how the food companies have contributed to the obesity
epidemic. This is a tough problem to solve, but it needs to be figured out. This
book affirms 2 things I have been telling my clients for the past 15 years:
1) Any time you
eat a processed food, or at a restaurant, keep in mind that the goal of the
creator of that food is to make it taste good. Sugar, salt, and fat is how they
do it.
2) To truly be
successful in changing your diet, you have to eat the vast majority of your
meals at home with fresh, home-made ingredients. Save your restaurant and fast
food meals for the few times a week where you allow yourself to cheat.
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