Food Quote by Barbara Kingsolver
““But humans have a built-in weakness for fats and sugar. We evolved in lean environments where it was a big plus for survival to gorge on calorie-dense foods whenever we found them. Whether or not they understand the biology, food marketers know the weakness and have exploited it without mercy. Obesity is generally viewed as a failure of personal resolve, with no acknowledgement of the genuine conspiracy in this historical scheme. People actually did sit in strategy meetings discussing ways to get all those surplus calories into people who neither needed nor wished to consume them. Children have been targeted especially; food companies spend over $10 billion a year selling food brands to kids, and it isn't broccoli they're pushing. Overweight children are a demographic in many ways similar to minors addicted to cigarettes, with one notable exception: their parents are usually their suppliers. We all subsidize the cheap calories with our tax dollars, the strategists make fortunes, and the overweight consumers get blamed for the violation. The perfect crime.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, 1998
Our biology makes us crave high‑calorie foods, and marketers exploit this, leading to obesity being blamed on individuals rather than systemic manipulation.
In simple terms: Humans crave fats and sugar; marketers exploit this, causing obesity blame to miss systemic factors.
Recognize systemic influences on diet and support policy change.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- school lunch programs
- government subsidies
- parental education
- food advertising regulation
- community health initiatives
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do corporate practices shape dietary habits?
- What policies could reduce unhealthy food marketing to children?
Individual responsibility alone cannot solve obesity without addressing corporate and policy drivers.