Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health by Marion Nestle

Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health by Marion Nestle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"We may believe that we make informed decisions about food choice, but we cannot do so if we are oblivious of the ways food companies influence our choices."

For most Americans, the acts of choosing, purchasing and consuming food occur on auto pilot. While it may seem that we're making conscious, educated decisions regarding the foods we eat, this may be more illusion than fact. Nutritional misinformation and confusion abounds, and we've got the health outcomes to prove it. But how did we get here?

In Food Politics, Marion Nestle tells the story of how politics have influenced the way we eat. Nestle delves into a variety of tactics used by the food industry in order to create a regulatory environment favorable for business. She provides ample evidence to show how our collective understanding of nutrition has been shaped more by what's beneficial to corporations than what's beneficial to our health.

This book is an excellent summation of how the politics of food has evolved as industry has grown. Nestle also does a great job of showing how the decisions made by food companies, legislators, advertisers, and health professionals directly impact the choices consumers make when it comes to food. Though it's been almost two decades since its original publication, Nestle's pointed criticisms towards the unholy alliances between corporations and government remain relevant.

I appreciate the fact that rather than simply throwing a bunch of problems at us, Nestle calls upon her expertise to provide recommendations for tackling the problems plaguing our nutritional landscape. While much of it remains unheeded, Nestle's suggestions are a solid blueprint for how we can create a society that promotes and supports healthy lifestyles.

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