Henry Dimbleby: How I Built LEON, Business Scars To Avoid & Solving the Obesity Crisis

Jul 7, 2025

Henry Dimbleby, founder of LEON Restaurants and author of 'Ravenous', shares his brilliant insights on tackling the obesity crisis and the complexities of the food system. He simplifies intricate topics like systems thinking and feedback loops, urging listeners to look for systemic changes. Dimbleby discusses the significance of healthy eating nudges, drawing on successful Finnish initiatives, and emphasizes the importance of clarity in communication. Plus, he connects culinary arts to creativity, advocating for teaching cooking to children as a vital skill for healthier futures.

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INSIGHT

Complex Food System Feedback Loops

The food system is a complex network with many interconnected feedback loops affecting consumption, production, and pricing.
Understanding these feedback loops is crucial to tackling systemic issues like obesity and environmental harm.

INSIGHT

Junk Food Cycle Drives Ill Health

The food system's dominant feedback loop, the 'junk food cycle,' fuels unhealthy eating and business growth simultaneously.
This cycle exploits our ancient appetite for high-calorie foods, driving obesity and ill health globally.

INSIGHT

How Escalating Feedback Loops Are Driving The Global Junk Food Crisis

Henry Dimbleby explains that the food system's biggest health issue is an "escalating feedback loop" called the junk food cycle. Our ancient brain wiring, optimized for scarce calories, craves salt, sugar, and fat, making processed junk food irresistible and easier to sell.

Food companies respond by producing and marketing more of these foods, which makes us eat even more, driving profits and perpetuating obesity and illness globally. This self-reinforcing loop distorts commercial incentives away from health.

To fix this, Dimbleby says we must target the dominant feedback loops: either reshape company incentives with policies or change human appetites, such as with appetite-suppressing drugs. Simply educating people won't break this loop because it is deeply embedded in how the system operates.

This systems-thinking insight reveals why tackling obesity requires addressing complex interactions rather than isolated efforts. As Dimbleby puts it, "The system will always react to an intervention."

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Hemingway

collection of short stories

Ernest Hemingway

The War of Art

Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles

Steven Pressfield

In 'The War of Art', Steven Pressfield identifies the internal force of 'Resistance' that hinders creative endeavors. The book is divided into three sections: 'Resistance: Defining the Enemy', 'Combating Resistance: Turning Pro', and a final section that discusses the role of the muses and the battle between the Self and the Ego. Pressfield provides practical advice on recognizing and overcoming resistance, emphasizing the importance of professionalism, discipline, and continuous work in achieving creative success.

Winning Not Fighting

Sifu Julian Hitch

John Vincent

Winning Not Fighting challenges conventional business metaphors of conflict and competition by drawing on the philosophy of Wing Tsun. It offers a transformative approach to success by emphasizing positivity, simplicity, and focus. The book guides readers through a path of self-cultivation using the eight wisdoms of Wing Tsun, providing insights into decision-making, professional relationships, and personal targets.

War and Peace

Leo Tolstoy

Set during the Napoleonic Wars, 'War and Peace' follows the lives of several Russian aristocratic families, including the Bezukhovs, the Rostovs, and the Bolkonskys. The novel spans from 1805 to 1820 and is known for its realistic detail and psychological analysis. It explores the impact of Napoleon's invasion of Russia on the characters and society, delving into themes of love, family, war, and personal growth. The novel includes historical events such as the Battle of Austerlitz, the Treaties of Tilsit, and the French invasion of Russia, intertwining historical and fictional elements[3][4][5].

Moby Dick

Herman Melville

Moby-Dick is a novel that tells the story of Captain Ahab's maniacal quest for revenge against Moby Dick, the giant white sperm whale that bit off his leg. Narrated by Ishmael, the story follows the crew of the whaling ship Pequod as they embark on a journey that explores themes of obsession, man vs. nature, and the existential questions of good and evil. The novel is rich in detailed descriptions of whale hunting and life aboard a culturally diverse crew, and it has become a cornerstone of American and world literature[2][3][5].

Ravenous

Henry Dimbleby

Jemima Lewis

Henry Dimbleby's "Ravenous" delves into the complexities of the UK's food system, examining its environmental impact, health consequences, and economic implications. The book advocates for a more sustainable and equitable approach to food production and consumption. Dimbleby presents a comprehensive analysis of the challenges and proposes practical solutions to improve the system. He emphasizes the need for systemic change, highlighting the interconnectedness of various factors influencing food security and public health. The book serves as a call to action, urging readers to consider their role in shaping a more resilient and responsible food future.

The UK Is The Most Obese Country in Europe

one of the best poddy’s I’ve EVER recorded

Henry Dimbleby is an utter genius

Founder of LEON and “Ravenous” author

Henry takes gargantuan complex topics

Emingwayifies them down to

ludicrously lucid simple

my brain literally E-X-P-L-O-D-E-D with new ways of thinking

pithy aphorisms pix n’ mix

curiosity treasure chest

enjoy x

ON THE MENU:

Ernest Hemingway: The Curse of Complexity & Brutal Simplicity of truth…”the first draft of everything is sh*t”
Spiders On Speed: The Complications of System Thinking
Restaurants Ordering Lamb, Good & Bad Feedback Loops… “the system will always react to an intervention”
Chocolate Pudding vs. Kale: Survival of The Fittest, the Amygdala and why we’re sick and obese
The Junk Food Cycle & CEO Incentives: “it’s not the CEO’s fault for selling bad food”
“In Business you often don’t actually understand what’s working, don’t risk changing what you’ve lucked upon”
Escalating & Reinforcing feedback loops: always look for the big feedback loop and attack there.
Finland, Mushroom Sausages & Nudging theory: “always attack the system from all angles”
The Invisibility of Nature: why you can’t count nature in your wallet or in cell E18
Why “Starting a business is like looking into the abyss whilst chewing glass” - Elon Musk
System Thinking = Competitive Advantage “Understand the system you’re in, react faster than your competitors, win”
LEON Menu Pictures & Nassim Taleb’s Stochastic Tinkering “you don’t know what’s working, so try everything”
3 Types of Founder Stress 1. Reality Lags Behind Vision 2. Internal Self Doubt 3. External Stress
LEON Brand Strategy “we always wanted to create McDonald’s in Heaven”
Winning Not Fighting by John Vincent + Why Leon Train Their Baristas with Heart rate Monitors
Martial Arts & Brand Building: “Don’t rush into every fight, save your energy for the right fight”
Excellence is The Ability to Withstand Pain - “Overtime your pain tolerance increases, Business gets easier as you get older”
The Invisibility of Nature in Brand Building: Trust is something you can’t measure, but it’s EVERYTHING
‘Embrace external stresses” because External Stress = excitement = creativity
Why Economics lives INSIDE nature not OUTSIDE nature
Why Business is a battle against entropy… “use your energy to turn chaos into order”