A nation of addicts (a text about junk food)

A nation of addicts

Designing for addiction

1. A recent article in the New York Times, “The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food” by Michael Moss, showed how companies design food that consumers will crave. By adding more salt, sugar, and fat, food companies make us want to eat more and more. Moss says many people have an addiction to junk food, meaning that they often feel powerless to resist it. This also happens to people who smoke or take more dangerous addictive drugs.
2. Moss explains how companies use science to find the "bliss point" of their products. The "bliss point" is the perfect combination of salt, sugar, and fat that makes the food taste so good. Salt, sugar, and fat may be tasty, but they’re also unhealthy—not to mention habit-forming. The “bliss point” is one of the reasons why people have such a hard time choosing healthier options .
3. Today, one in five children in the United States is obese. Health professionals want to encourage better eating habits and eliminate childhood
   obesity
   . Some people believe that everyone should have enough self-control to regulate what they eat, while others say that food companies should stop designing and advertising addictive food.

The role of advertisements

4. Moss’s article mentions how Kraft Lunchables were advertised on television to make kids feel as though they were in control of their food choices. The ads said, “All day, you gotta do what they say . . . But lunchtime is all yours.” Kraft, the company that owns Lunchables, sold the idea of power to kids, and it worked. Sales skyrocketed!
5. Children are an important target for companies that produce junk food and soda. Children who eat and drink these products are more likely to buy them when they grow up to be adults.

The debate around snacks

6. Many people believe that governments should pass regulations to protect children from unhealthy food advertisements. These people argue that we should follow the lead of countries like Norway and Sweden, where it’s illegal to advertise to children under the age of 12. However, companies that sell junk food believe these regulations target the snack food industry unfairly. Others say that advertisements are good because they teach children about new products and can help them become critical consumers. Critical consumers are people who think carefully about the products they buy and use.
7. Yet research shows that children under the age of 8 don’t understand the goals of advertising: to convince people to buy things. So, many children may not yet be able to think critically about ads.
8. In addition to banning advertisements that target children, food companies could be required to clearly label their products with the amount of salt, sugar, and fat they contain. Some companies have already started making changes in response to public pressure. These include changes such as reducing the amount of sugar in their products or offering healthier options.
9. Some people see education as an important part of helping young people make healthier choices. Schools can teach children about nutrition and the dangers of eating too much junk food. At home, parents can also help by talking to their kids about healthy food choices and setting a good example by eating well themselves.
10. However, it's not just about teaching people what they should and shouldn't eat; it's also about making sure they have access to healthy food options, which can be scarce in some communities. One approach to addressing this issue is to make healthy food more affordable and easier to find. This could involve

    subsidies

    for fruits and vegetables or making sure that stores in low-income neighborhoods have a good selection of healthy food options. In some cities, there are already programs in place to help make fruits and vegetables more accessible and affordable for everyone.