When is food addictive, and under what circumstances? Why do some people succumb to compulsive overeating more than others? How is it that so many others become vulnerable to food compulsions at critical moments in their lives? And what can be done to cope with or, in the case of kids, avoid food addictions?

As American-style processed foods transform the culture and habits of eating all over the world, Michael Moss explores food addiction and the obesity epidemic. Going behind the scenes of the most important food science experiments being conducted today, this book answers those pressing questions. From revealing the science of addiction (and its legal implications) to exposing the diet industry, Hooked unveils the shocking true cost of food addiction.