In this episode Sal, Adam & Justin speak with bestselling author, Michael Moss about how the processed food industry engineers food to make it addictive.

• What led him down the path of the addictive properties of food? (2:23)
• Why it’s not so much that we are addicted to food, but how these companies have changed the definition of food in a way that our biology and genetics haven’t had a chance to catch up. (4:46)
• The science behind how heavily processed foods hijack our brain. (7:16)
• The allure of the ‘mouth feel’. (10:24)
• The hidden dangers of empty calories. (11:50)
• The money that goes into research development to attract us to these foods. (13:49)
• The fascinating language these processed food companies use to market their products. (15:39)
• How what you eat at a young age shapes your food palate. (19:15)
• How the ‘wanting’ drives our actions. (22:08)
• Why addiction is something that happens on a spectrum. (26:13)
• The emerging growth of the obesity epidemic outside the US. (31:20)
• Do these executives have misgivings on the addictive products they create? (33:05)
• The startling factors that manipulate our desires. (35:16)
• The beauty of salt. (39:11)
• The moment the tobacco guys became alarmed about the food guys. (42:26)
• Does he support regulations of heavily processed foods? (45:05)
• Do children have a higher ‘bliss point’ than adults? (52:13)
• His concerns surrounding artificial sweeteners. (54:23)
• The techniques behind repetition to build habits. (59:29)
• Has he gotten any push back from these food companies? (1:02:33)
• The ways the industry is exploiting our efforts of regaining control. (1:04:15)
• The guys recap the highlights of their conversation with Michael Moss. (1:08:38)

Featured Guest

• Michael Moss

Related Links/Products Mentioned

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• The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food
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• Mind Pump #1527: The 3 Step Solution To The Obesity Epidemic
• How the Trillion-Dollar Processed Food Industry Manipulates Our Instinctual Desires
• Sugary drink tax - Wikipedia
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• Sydney researchers find artificial sweeteners can tell brain to increase food intake
• Secrets From the Eating Lab: The Science of Weight Loss, the Myth of Willpower, and Why You Should Never Diet Again
• The Sugar Wars
• Mind Pump Podcast – YouTube
• Mind Pump Free Resources