ISBN Is Our Food Killing Us? : The Big Idea

Chronic obesity is on the rise; our food is laced with additives and chemicals; and the environment is being devastated by factory farming, pesticides, fertilizers and monoculture. It is time to re-evaluate what we eat and how we eat it, and re-think the practices of agribusiness, food processing manufacturers and supermarkets. This insightful volume unpacks the growth of obesogenic environments in which fast-food outlets proliferate and a diet heavy in saturated fats, refined sugars and ultra-processed foods is increasing the incidence of diabetes, heart disease and cancer as well as behavioural disorders and allergies. It explores how our bodies and brains respond to different flavours and food groups, and the ways in which corporations have exploited this through the creation of hyperpalatable food products that deliver a sensory ‘bliss point’ while withholding nutritional value, and marketing their products to maximize profit at the expense of public health. It examines the disastrous impact of modern agribusiness on climate change, biodiversity loss and antibiotic resistance, and analyses the controversy around the safety and regulation of genetically modified crops, as well as their impact on farming communities and their potential to bring about food shortages. Finally, solutions to regaining a healthier relationship with food are carefully evaluated, from eating organic produce to reintroducing family meals, and from changing how we buy food to adopting a plant-based diet.Table of ContentsIntroduction • Chapter 1: The Evolution of an Epidemic • Chapter 2: The Health Hazards of Processed Food • Chapter 3: The Dark Side of Industrial Food • Chapter 4: Back to Health • Conclusion