Food, We Need To Talk

Big Food vs. Your Health: The Power Struggle

Aug 19, 2024

In this enlightening discussion, renowned food and public health advocate Marion Nestle uncovers the hidden forces shaping our food choices. She reveals how the food industry manipulates dietary guidelines and nutrition research, often prioritizing profit over health. Nestle draws chilling parallels between Big Food and Big Tobacco, exploring their shared tactics in marketing unhealthy products. From problematic supermarket layouts to the agricultural policies fueling the obesity epidemic, this conversation challenges listeners to reconsider who truly controls what we eat.

40:27

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Episode guests

Marion Nestle

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The interplay between the food industry and dietary guidelines reveals how industry pressures can distort health recommendations meant to guide consumers.

Funding biases in nutrition research often lead to skewed results, complicating the quest for reliable and impartial dietary information for the public.

Deep dives

The Influence of the Food Industry on Dietary Guidelines

The food industry significantly influences dietary guidelines, which are often assumed to be based purely on scientific research. This is evidenced by the fact that food companies have the ability to comment on these guidelines during their formulation. A notable example occurred shortly after the first dietary guidelines were released in 1980, when recommendations to reduce meat consumption were met with fierce opposition from the meat industry, leading to a quick reversal of these guidelines. This interaction between the food industry and policy shows that our dietary recommendations may not be as unbiased as many believe.

Intro

3min

Community Support and Listener Appreciation

3min

Gratitude and Marathon Commitment: Supporting Disabled Athletes

2min

The Food Industry's Influence on Nutrition

20min

Navigating Grocery Shopping: Online vs. Supermarket Insights

3min

Navigating Food Marketing and Consumer Health

11min

oday, we talk to esteemed food and public health advocate Marion Nestle about the politics of food. No, this has nothing to do with political parties and ballots; it’s about who has the power to decide what goes on your plate. While you may think you’re the one making the decisions, there’s a whole host of hidden influences shaping the food we eat. From government dietary guidelines to nutrition labels and even how supermarkets are set up, we are often the last to be involved in our food choices. Why is nutrition research often driven more by money than health? Who truly controls the U.S. dietary guidelines? How did we contribute to creating the obesity epidemic? And what do Big Food and Big Tobacco have in common? Tune in to find out.

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