I wish I had time to read the entire article. It’s fascinating to peer into the internal workings of the food industry, particularly the meeting of the heads of the major companies that produce heavily processed foods.
I’d like to blame these companies for the junk they put in their food, but really in the end, we have to blame ourselves for consuming this junk. I don’t go near the stuff but it doesn’t take a genius to go to Wal-mart and quickly figure out that the larger the person, the more processed foods they have in their cart. Someone doesn’t have to go shop at Whole Foods to quit consuming such poor quality foods. Morally, it be nice if these companies would voluntarily start modifying their foods, which aparently they have already attempted to do. In the end, everyone is responsible.
Is it really surprising that food is developed in a laboratory setting to be the tastiest or most addictive? It’s simply the natural end of science and marketing. Conjoint analysis is a useful marketing tool and these companies are just doing what they must to maximize profits and market share. Obesity is an externality in their model that they don’t have to account for. Is that right?
Obesity could be considered a national security issue. No other country in the world is as unhealthy as the United States. If reducing high fructose corn syrup content means higher prices, that should be a price we are willing to pay so that our foods are not void of any actual nutritional content.
The fact that companies are concerned about profit instead of the consumer’s health, it comes to no surprise that a potato chip would be engineered to be addictive.
Are potato chips designed to be addictive? Only to the extent they were designed to taste salty and good. Are bodies evolved to crave salty and good flavors. Why else can we export them all over the world and people outside our culture still seem to like them?
Most of life’s biggest indulgences are the least healthy, or convenient, for us. Why are we humans so attracted to what’s not good for us? Something I’ll never know.
The “goal-priming effect,” in which study subjects automatically and unintentionally alter their thoughts or behavior when prompted by various kinds of information doesn’t work.
So you can basically alter your behavior by exposing yourself to certain words? Very interesting.
Wish I could have read the whole bit on Drone Warfare, but apparently FP requires one to have social media to access information..
The bit I could read was a piece of dated IR trash. It assumes that the World still operates under strict realist views of sovereignty.
@ At the goal priming effect article, I have always been skeptical of the whole “unconscious phenomena” that seems to be all the rage in Psychology today.
Are potato chips designed to be addictive?
I wish I had time to read the entire article. It’s fascinating to peer into the internal workings of the food industry, particularly the meeting of the heads of the major companies that produce heavily processed foods.
I’d like to blame these companies for the junk they put in their food, but really in the end, we have to blame ourselves for consuming this junk. I don’t go near the stuff but it doesn’t take a genius to go to Wal-mart and quickly figure out that the larger the person, the more processed foods they have in their cart. Someone doesn’t have to go shop at Whole Foods to quit consuming such poor quality foods. Morally, it be nice if these companies would voluntarily start modifying their foods, which aparently they have already attempted to do. In the end, everyone is responsible.
Unfortunately Scott, these companies are responsible to their shareholders and their incessant drive for profits over any socially redeeming end.
The goal-priming effect
Perhaps Mr. Gladwell never took an introductory research design class that covered replicability and generalizability.
Is it really surprising that food is developed in a laboratory setting to be the tastiest or most addictive? It’s simply the natural end of science and marketing. Conjoint analysis is a useful marketing tool and these companies are just doing what they must to maximize profits and market share. Obesity is an externality in their model that they don’t have to account for. Is that right?
Obesity could be considered a national security issue. No other country in the world is as unhealthy as the United States. If reducing high fructose corn syrup content means higher prices, that should be a price we are willing to pay so that our foods are not void of any actual nutritional content.
“Are potato chips designed to be addictive?”
The fact that companies are concerned about profit instead of the consumer’s health, it comes to no surprise that a potato chip would be engineered to be addictive.
Are potato chips designed to be addictive? Only to the extent they were designed to taste salty and good. Are bodies evolved to crave salty and good flavors. Why else can we export them all over the world and people outside our culture still seem to like them?
Are potato chips designed to be addictive?
Most of life’s biggest indulgences are the least healthy, or convenient, for us. Why are we humans so attracted to what’s not good for us? Something I’ll never know.
The “goal-priming effect,” in which study subjects automatically and unintentionally alter their thoughts or behavior when prompted by various kinds of information doesn’t work.
So you can basically alter your behavior by exposing yourself to certain words? Very interesting.
Wish I could have read the whole bit on Drone Warfare, but apparently FP requires one to have social media to access information..
The bit I could read was a piece of dated IR trash. It assumes that the World still operates under strict realist views of sovereignty.
I read the entire article on the potato chip. They are unhealthy, yes – even dangerously so. But a national security risk? Get real.
@ At the goal priming effect article, I have always been skeptical of the whole “unconscious phenomena” that seems to be all the rage in Psychology today.
I love chips, now I can blame it on addiction.