Hooked: Food, Free Will, and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions

Moss’s (Salt, Sugar, Fat) latest is a deeply researched investigation of the processed-food industry and its efforts to turn food into addictive substances. Moss digs deep into the science of food’s impacts on human behavior, including the eye-opening results of MRI scans that show the brain lighting up at the thought of a cheeseburger as much as it does from a hit of cocaine. Other research suggests that sugar, salt, and fat activate receptors that prompt the brain to generate a rush of pleasure. The author accuses international food distributors and the fast-food industry of exploiting human preferences. He also describes the bombardment of clever advertising that never lets up. Scott Brick’s soothing voice and natural narration nicely guide listeners through Moss’s significant contribution to the growing genre of books about the food industry.