Ugh. Seriously. People need to get over the idea of brainwashing. First off, internets can't brainwash you if you don't already want to believe (see: furries and the bad kind of bronies). Second, any person who tries to be anorexic/bulimic/orthorexic without having some very strong life circumstances driving them in that direction, or some issues with compulsive behavior, will fail and give it up. The things that are done under the auspices of an eating disorder are straight up too hard for "normal" people to manage.

Found an article that I thought deserved to be linked here. It discusses, at great length, obesity as an epidemic, food marketing, and how junk foods are engineered to be as addictive as possible. There's even a discussion of bliss points and interviews with the creators of some of these products.

For instance, Lunchables. Innocent seeming, right? Apparently they're actually super unhealthy, and include massive amounts of sugar whenever possible. I never had them, but almost everyone I know did.

Everyone knows Cheetos Puffs are bad for you, but did you ever stop to think that the thing you are eating has been engineered to dissolve in your mouth to convince you that it has no calories? There's even a term for that: vanishing caloric density.

Anyway, check out New York Times]The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food. I did have it posted here, but apparently credit and link aren't fair use enough. Boooooo.

I really want to read this guy's book now though.

Last edited by Yasha (07-25-2013 04:12:05 PM)

Dude. This is tangentially related (it does have food so I'm still on topic!!), so have some psychology being used for unethical purposes as a chaser. It's an interview with Gilbert Clotaire Rapaille, who used to work with autistic children. Apparently he developed some sort of theory of the encoding of first memories in his work, and has used that to astounding effect in marketing. Basically, this guy has tapped into your subconscious, what he calls your reptilian brain. He knows what it wants.

Ever admired a PT Cruiser? Well, that was his work.

Why did coffee catch on in Japan? Well, that was his work too.

What about Jeep? Why the round headlights, why the iconic little front grille design they use as a logo? I'll quote from a blog I found...

For example, Jeep hired Rapiaille to update their image. They wants a sleeker, SUV-type look that was dominating the market. Rapaille instead found that people associated Jeep with the American West, freedom, and cowboys – the code is “horse”. He suggested making the headlights round, to draw out that “horse” association. Jeep sales rose. In Europe, however, there is a different association. Jeeps are connected with American forces that came in during WWI and WWII, and so have the code “liberator”. The ad campaigns in Europe began to focus on the history of the Jeep, and the freedom it gives.

So, uh, yeah. Read this too if you liked the other one. It's PBS's interview with G. Clotaire Rapaille, part of their series, The Persuaders.

There is always the old standby-- "Don't buy anything with ingredients you don't recognize." But then, you'd said that was a lot harder in Florida.

Also, your mac'n'cheese (and mine too) is probably full of cellulose from wood chips. And that's actually one of the better things they could be adding