From Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity work to Mayor Bloomberg’s controversial super-size soda ban, politicians and social activists have attempted to get Americans eating healthier. But on the other side of the coin, there’s a massive industry devoted to figuring out what people find tasty, integrating it into their diets, and selling to everyone it can. What do people crave? Unsurprisingly, fat and sugar — but as The New York Times describes, it’s not as simple as loading in the calories. It’s about changing the way people think about eating and tweaking minute variables like color or texture that could push someone from loving a food to finding it disgusting.
Engineering deliciousness in the junk food industry
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
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