Show 1145: Are Big Corporations Hacking the American Mind?

The distinction between pleasure and happiness might seem like a philosopher’s quibble. Fat Chance author Dr. Robert Lustig tells us why this difference is vitally important to our national wellbeing. Corporations are hacking the American mind because of our ignorance about the difference between them.

Pleasure vs. Happiness:

Dr. Lustig describes the neurochemical foundations behind the difference between pleasure, fueled by dopamine, and happiness, powered by serotonin. He attributes the negative extremes of addiction, due to an overload of dopamine, and depression, from too little serotonin, to the ways that corporations have manipulated Americans with marketing. That’s why he titled his book The Hacking of the American Mind.

How Does Neuro-Marketing Enable Hacking the American Mind?

Dr. Lustig details how neuro-marketing plays into the sad state of affairs that has resulted in too many Americans ending up fat, sick, broke, stupid, depressed, addicted or unhappy. How has our government enabled these developments? What roles have our educational systems played? And most importantly, how can we break out of this vicious cycle?

To dampen dopamine and increase serotonin for more lasting contentment, we need to pay attention to the four Cs: Connect, Contribute, Cope and Cook. Learn about the science behind the corporate takeover of our minds.

This Week’s Guest:

Robert H. Lustig, MD, MSL, is professor of pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology and a member of the Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Lustig consults for several childhood obesity advocacy groups and government agencies.

Dr. Lustig is the author of Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease, and his latest book, The Hacking of the American Mind: The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains.