On behalf of the food industry....
There's a lot of nonsense written about how the food industry did (and still does) this that and the other to make people fat/unhealthy/hooked etc. etc. I just don't recognise after nearly 40 years in the industry as that being true. Nor have I met anyone who was involved in such activities.
Upthread somebody mentioned that the obesity explosion occurred around mid-70s. I'd pretty-much concur with that, latter half of the 70s/early 80s there's plenty of demographic studies that show similar effects. Look at old pictures pre 1980 - there are very few overweight young people.
The reason as I understand it was primarily (but not singularly) the rise of the 'low fat diet' based on spurious data from atherosclerosis in you US Soldiers in the Vietnam war. I distinctly recall my slightly overweight mother changing Christmas dinner from Goose to Turkey because it was leaner, suddenly skimming the fat off cooked mince, marge instead of butter etc. etc. All of a sudden Gold Top was out and Semi-Skimmed was in. This was not the food industry, it was unchecked 'medical science'. The food industry was probably caught somewhat off-guard.
Ultimately the food industry does like any other consumer facing industry does, that is look to identify rising demand and respond. Witness the rise in low fat/high carb products, diet products, artificial sweeteners, high fibre, fortified, calorie controlled products et al.
It just so happens that late 70s/early 80s also corresponds with the rise of the supermarket, the ready meal, refrigeration and particularly freezers in every home, the rise of the car for 'big shops' the convenience culture, the microwave, more women going back to work/less shopping and cooking time. Remember the huge hit of the M+S Chicken Kiev?
More people, couples families, particularly with women working, made for more affluent and aspiring couples that were time poorer, so they could afford to eat out more often, restaurants boomed, American style convenience foods established themselves in the early 80s across Europe. Food was tasty, convenient affordable and everywhere. The way we lived changed dramatically.
School curriculums reduced sports time at school and sold-off their sports fields. Less walking and biking to school, Kids TV hours were widening. With increasing traffic parents were scared to let their kids play in the streets. Overseas travel broadened the palate, immigration gave us the Chines and Indian takeaway, the fried chicken and kebab shops. Work was changing, less manual labour jobs, shipyards, mines, car plants closed, increased automation, the service economy, in the home the hoover, the washing machine, the tumble-drier, the electric blanket and central heating...so much change in such short time.
Late 70s/early 80 eh?
The food industry is driven by demand, sometimes it creates demand, sometimes it responds to demand created elsewhere. I don't believe it's intrinsically malevolent (other than it wants to make money selling things people want to buy). Yes, it gets things wrong, all industry does. But it primarily responds to a demand. If people don't like or want a product, or it's too expensive, they simply won't repeat buy. People (like me) work to make products that people 'like' for a variety of different reasons. Flavour, succulence, convenience, health, satiety, pleasure, novelty, sociability, authenticity, scrumminess, COST and many other factors go into making products that people like or can afford, pure and simple. Not some golden ratio of x, y and z to make people fat or addicted or unhealthy. Products go through multiple consumer panels for acceptability before any test market is explored. Failure is very expensive. Do you cook food at home that people won't like? Of course not, you want to treat people and hope they'd come back again. It's not perfect, people like sweet things, people like salty things, people like fatty things - bread and dripping anybody? People drive gas-guzzling 4x4s.
Is the food industry perfect? Hell no. Is any big business perfect?
Food is very emotive, cultural, socio-economic, everybody is an expert - the rise of the influencer shows that a little knowledge and a huge ego is a dangerous thing. The world of food is also world of self-appointed experts and snake-oil salesmen.
In reality there is more food knowledge, more food facts, more diet and health facts, more cookery programs, more alternative diets, more ways to eat than there has ever been. Maybe the food industries real failure is to give people choices.
Choices, choices, choices.
The world of food changed significantly from the late 70's/early 80s, but not in isolation. It changed to exploit a rapidly changing world of demands, to advances in technology, supply chains, distribution, advertising and promotion and eating habits. When it comes to the rise in obesity and poor dietary health we cannot simply blame the food industry in isolation.
It's played a part, but it's a bit more complicated than that....
I'll see myself out.
