This addiction to processed food is the result of decades of vision and hard work by the industry. For 50 years, says David A. Kessler, former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and author of “The End of Overeating,” companies strove to create food that was “energy-dense, highly stimulating, and went down easy. They put it on every street corner and made it mobile, and they made it socially acceptable to eat anytime and anyplace. They created a food carnival, and that’s where we live. And if you’re used to self-stimulation every 15 minutes, well, you can’t run into the kitchen to satisfy that urge. NY Times, 2011-09-25
The amazing thing is the way the fast food industry, heavily subsidized by the government, has succeeded in convincing so many Americans that being manipulated by a multi-billion dollar industry– at their own expense– is an expression of personal “freedom” while the very thought of the government doing anything to reduce obesity and diabetes and heart disease– like requiring fast food outlets to disclose just how many calories are in their foods– just makes them hysterical.