It’s Not Your Fault
Big Tobacco and Big Food: The Plot to Keep you Hooked
Every time I went to the doctor in my 20s, I was sick with a virus or cold and wanted them to give me an antibiotic. This habit of taking antibiotics every time I sneezed damaged my immune system and took time to repair.
Beginning in the 70s when the cigarette companies finally had to be transparent and could no longer market Americans in the predatory way they had, they moved their business into Big Food.
It was such a deliberate and nefarious plot, it is difficult to believe. More below:
It isn’t your fault you’re addicted to junk food!
Watch this short video to learn HERE
Salt, Sugar, Fat – “Bliss Point”
Scientists and food technologists fine-tune the ratio of sugar, fat, and salt to hit what’s called the bliss point — the level where food tastes most rewarding but not overwhelming.
This creates a strong dopamine response, reinforcing the desire to eat more.
Flavor layering and contrast
Multiple flavors are layered (sweet, salty, umami, sometimes bitter notes) to keep the palate engaged.
Contrast (e.g., crunchy outside, creamy inside) makes the eating experience stimulating and harder to stop.
This complexity can prevent “sensory-specific satiety” (normally you get tired of a flavor and stop eating), prolonging intake.
Use of “masking” flavors
Bitterness or acidity from preservatives or protein isolates can be masked with sweeteners or artificial flavors.
This makes highly processed formulations more palatable while still delivering strong sensory cues.
Additives that intensify flavor without nutrition
Flavor enhancers (like monosodium glutamate / MSG, disodium inosinate, yeast extract) make foods taste richer or meatier without requiring whole ingredients.
Artificial and “natural” flavors are designed to stimulate the brain’s olfactory and taste receptors in a way that mimics real foods but is far more concentrated.
Targeting the dopamine and opioid systems
Combinations of sugar + fat especially light up reward pathways similar to drugs of abuse.
Neuroimaging studies show hyper-palatable foods activate brain regions linked to craving and compulsion.
Companies exploit this by designing products that don’t just satisfy hunger, but trigger craving cycles.
Flavor volatility & aroma design
Volatile compounds (those that reach the nose quickly) are engineered so that smell hits the brain as soon as you bite.
Aroma is tightly tied to memory and reward, so foods are often engineered to deliver “signature smells” that deepen brand loyalty (like the smell of fast-food fries).
Portion & delivery engineering
Think melt-in-your-mouth snacks: foods that dissolve quickly trick the brain into not registering calories as strongly.
That encourages more eating since satiety signals lag behind.
Tobacco companies applied this exact insight: cigarettes were engineered to deliver nicotine more quickly; food was engineered to deliver flavors faster.
Like I said in the beginning, It ISN”T your fault you have a food addiction. If you are ready to take a serious turn, set an appointment with me to learn how to change your food gradually without suffering!
Find the calendar link HERE
Stay tuned, next week I will give some real solutions to reset your tastebuds and get off of the addiction to junk yo-yo!
Remember we are all BIOINDIVIDUAL, what works for one does not work the same for another.
For more info on packages and classes visit Angie’s Real Food and discover your path to wellness.
Call or text me at (619) 807-1387 or send an email to hello@angiesrealfood.com to ask a question.
Use the link below to schedule a 20 minute chat to discuss your goals and learn how partnering with me will help you achieve them.
