The Dorito Effect - by Mark Schatzker (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A lively argument from an award-winning journalist proving that the key to reversing America's health crisis lies in the overlooked link between nutrition and flavor: "The Dorito Effect is one of the most important health and food books I have read" (Dr. David B. Agus, New York Times bestselling author).

We are in the grip of a food crisis. Obesity has become a leading cause of preventable death, after only smoking. For nearly half a century we've been trying to pin the blame somewhere--fat, carbs, sugar, wheat, high-fructose corn syrup. But that search has been in vain, because the food problem that's killing us is not a nutrient problem. It's a behavioral problem, and it's caused by the changing flavor of the food we eat.

Ever since the 1940s, with the rise of industrialized food production, we have been gradually leeching the taste out of what we grow. Simultaneously, we have taken great leaps forward in technology, creating a flavor industry, worth billions annually, in an attempt to put back the tastes we've engineered out of our food. The result is a national cuisine that increasingly resembles the paragon of flavor manipulation: Doritos. As food--all food--becomes increasingly bland, we dress it up with calories and flavor chemicals to make it delicious again. We have rewired our palates and our brains, and the results are making us sick and killing us.

With in-depth historical and scientific research, The Dorito Effect casts the food crisis in a fascinating new light, weaving an enthralling tale of how we got to this point and where we are headed. We've been telling ourselves that our addiction to flavor is the problem, but it is actually the solution. We are on the cusp of a new revolution in agriculture that will allow us to eat healthier and live longer by enjoying flavor the way nature intended.

Review Quotes

"A sobering account of humanity's attempt to overcome modern food blandness with flavor compounds, at the expense of nutritional integrity. Schatzker's engaging chronicle of how naturally occurring food flavor is as an evolutionary tuned sensory marker of nutritional value is bound to give consumers and scientists a new perspective on judging food quality and health effects."--Dr. Ameer Taha, Department of Food Science and Technology, UC Davis

"After decades of conflict over sugar, carbs and fat, this extremely well researched book journeys to the heart of the food problem--flavor--and delivers the perfect solution."--Dr. Richard Bazinet, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto

"Entertaining storytelling... After reading this engaging book, readers may wonder with every bite of food if what they are tasting is real."-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"I don't know when this much science has been this fun to read. Brilliant."--Joel Salatin, author of Folks, This Ain't Normal and farmer at Polyface Farm

"If you want to understand why the future of healthy eating is delicious eating, read this book."--Howard Moskowitz, inventor of Prego Extra Chunky Spaghetti Sauce and food industry legend

"Illuminating and radical."-- "The New York Times Book Review"

"In The Dorito Effect Mark Schatzker explores a novel - and to my mind, key - theory to explain our increasing consumption of the low-quality food that is undermining health. Modern food production has made much of what we eat flavorless, and a multibillion dollar flavor industry has stepped in to fool our senses, leaving us unsatisfied and craving more and more. I strongly agree with his advice to go back to eating real food."--Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D. New York Times bestselling author of Healthy Aging

"Mark Schatzker has done something monumental in The Dorito Effect, he explained how the American food industry has interfered with our body's conversation with itself. The use of flavor to change this conversation is one of the major reasons for the decline in the American diet leading to major health issues. The Dorito Effect is one of the most important health and food books I have read."--David B. Agus, M.D., author of The End of Illness and A Short Guide to a Long Life

"Mark Schatzker knows food. He is dedicated to quality and is always looking for the best ingredients. This is an important book that tells us why good food is so essential for everyone."--Bonnie Stern, bestselling author of HeartSmart Cooking for Family and Friends

"Mark Schatzker's book comes at a time when healthful eating and sustainability are increasingly on everyone's minds. The Dorito Effect is a quick, engaging read that examines the essential role that flavor plays in the way we eat today. As a chef, I know that people want to eat delicious food, but Schatzker goes further and investigates how we engage with flavor to address the growing health crisis."--Daniel Boulud, Chef/Owner, The Dinex Group

"Schatzker dishesup a 5 star serving!"-- "The Washington Post"

"This book is important, possibly life altering for anyone who eats!! In The Dorito Effect, Schatzker gets to the heart of where our relationship with food has gone wrong. Through lively storytelling and proficiency he points out the many issues we are facing and that the solution is right in front of us."--Jonathan Gushue, Principal, Gushue Hospitality Inc.

About the Author

Mark Schatzker is an award-winning writer based in Toronto. He is a writer-in-residence at the Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center at Yale University, and a frequent contributor to The Globe and Mail (Toronto), Condé Nast Traveler, and Bloomberg Pursuits. He is the author of The Dorito Effect: The Surprising New Truth about Food and Flavor and Steak: One Man's Search for the World's Tastiest Piece of Beef.