Barbell Medicine Podcast Episode 382: The Trial of Big Food
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Jan 8, 2026 
This episode features Austin Baraki, a physician specializing in weight management and metabolic health. He explores the groundbreaking San Francisco lawsuit against Big Food, highlighting how food companies manipulate our choices using tactics reminiscent of the tobacco industry. Austin discusses the concept of 'Bliss Points' and how ultra-processed foods contribute to rising obesity rates. They also dive into the implications of food environmental factors versus individual willpower, ultimately advocating for a collective understanding of health.
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Public Nuisance Legal Shift
- The legal strategy is shifting from individual blame to public nuisance to hold industry accountable for a toxic food environment.
- San Francisco argues food companies privatize profits while the public pays billions in healthcare costs.
Probabilistic Automaticity Explains Behavior
- Probabilistic automaticity reframes choice: environment changes the probability of healthy actions, not free will itself.
- Industry spent billions making healthy choices more costly and ultra-processed choices easier.
500-Calorie Rise And Ultra-Processed Growth
- Since 1977 average daily energy intake rose by ~500 calories, correlating with the rise of ultra-processed foods.
- Ultra-processed foods now comprise about 70% of the U.S. food supply and portion sizes have ballooned.
