Stuffed: An Insider's Look at Who's (Really) Making America Fat

insider loyalty

I found this book to be fairly basic without revealing much "insider" information and clearly Mr. Cardello remains loyal to the food industry. For those readers who do not believe that corporate America will ever do the right thing when it comes to food vs. profits, this book will frustrate you. For the health minded who don't think that more technically processed foods are the answer to our health issues, this book will annoy you.

Insightful, yet still shortsighted

The opening chapters of this book are extremely enlightening, especially Cardello's explanation of why portion-size increase is profitable. He does well to expose the inner workings of the huge food conglomerates. However, once he starts visualizing a future in which people eat what they like, but the food tricks them into being healthier ("stealth health"), e.g., ketchup that blocks the cholesterol in meat and fries from being absorbed, I believe he veers in the wrong direction. Although he, as big food's representative, takes responsibility for the obesity epidemic, he still thinks the solution is more processed and artificial food. His contention that no one is going to start eating more fruits, vegetables, and natural foods on their own, coupled with the recurring idea that parents want to know whether diet or sugared soda is better for their kids, is particularly galling to a reader who is actively pursuing a healthier lifestyle and rarely considers giving her kids soda of any kind. I recommend reading the first half.

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