The Way We Eat Now audiobook cover - How the Food Revolution Has Transformed Our Lives, Our Bodies, and Our World

The Way We Eat Now

How the Food Revolution Has Transformed Our Lives, Our Bodies, and Our World

Bee Wilson

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Society & CultureHealth & Nutrition

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The Way We Eat Now
Evolution of Diets+
Health Crises of Abundance+
The Processed Food Industry+
Shifts in Eating Culture+
Food Trends & Deception+
Navigating Modern Choices+
Home Cooking Landscape+
Solutions & Interventions+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9
What remarkable global milestone regarding human health and diet was crossed in 2006?
  • A. Processed food consumption surpassed whole food consumption globally.
  • B. The global production of sugar tripled compared to the previous decade.
  • C. The world contained more obese or overweight people than underfed people.
  • D. More people died from type 2 diabetes than from starvation.
Question 2 of 9
According to Dr. Chittaranjan Yajnik's research, why did an epidemic of type 2 diabetes hit young, relatively thin people in India in the 1990s?
  • A. Their bodies were genetically adapted to food scarcity but were suddenly exposed to an abundance of food.
  • B. They consumed an unprecedented amount of refined sugar hidden in traditional teas.
  • C. They transitioned to sedentary desk jobs and lost the physical activity of their agricultural ancestors.
  • D. A sudden influx of fast-food restaurants entirely replaced their traditional diets of rice and wheat.
Question 3 of 9
Why is the massive increase in calories consumed through beverages particularly problematic for our diets?
  • A. Liquid calories are absorbed by the bloodstream twice as fast as calories from solid foods.
  • B. People generally do not compensate by eating less solid food when they consume liquid calories.
  • C. Beverage companies secretly add chemical appetite stimulants to their drinks.
  • D. The human body cannot naturally process the artificial sweeteners used in most modern drinks.
Question 4 of 9
Contrary to what many might assume, what ingredient is actually responsible for the biggest increase in our caloric intake from processed foods?
  • A. High-fructose corn syrup
  • B. Processed dairy products like cheese and butter
  • C. Artificial sweeteners and flavor enhancers
  • D. Refined vegetable oils, particularly soy oil
Question 5 of 9
What was a major negative global repercussion of the health trend favoring quinoa?
  • A. Local farmers in Bolivia were priced out of their own staple food and had to turn to cheap instant noodles.
  • B. It caused a severe drought in South America due to the crop's massive water demands.
  • C. Supermarkets began faking the product by mixing it with cheaper, highly processed grains.
  • D. The rapid increase in mass production led to a massive drop in the grain's nutritional quality.
Question 6 of 9
Why was Professor Chris Elliott highly skeptical of the 2008 boom in products claiming to be 100 percent pomegranate juice?
  • A. Pomegranates only grow in regions that were experiencing severe droughts at the time.
  • B. It takes eight years for a newly planted pomegranate tree to bear fruit, making it impossible to meet the sudden demand.
  • C. The standard commercial extraction process destroys the antioxidant properties of the fruit.
  • D. The juice is naturally too bitter to be sold without adding massive amounts of artificial sweeteners.
Question 7 of 9
How does psychologist Barry Schwartz’s 'paradox of choice' relate to modern food consumption?
  • A. Consumers consistently choose the least healthy option when presented with a wide variety of foods.
  • B. People prefer to eat the exact same meal every day regardless of the options available to them.
  • C. Having fewer choices in supermarkets directly leads to a higher rate of diet-related diseases.
  • D. Having too many food options actually makes consumers feel overwhelmed and less happy.
Question 8 of 9
How did the Chilean government successfully respond to its national obesity and sugary drink crisis in 2016?
  • A. By imposing an 18 percent sales tax on sugary sodas, mandating warning labels, and banning cartoon mascots on sugary cereals.
  • B. By heavily subsidizing local farmers to make fresh fruits and vegetables completely free for all citizens.
  • C. By limiting the number of fast-food restaurants allowed to operate within a 1-mile radius of any public school.
  • D. By completely banning the importation and sale of all ultra-processed snacks in the country.
Question 9 of 9
What actionable advice does the author suggest for easily reducing portion sizes at home?
  • A. Weigh all ingredients using a digital kitchen scale before cooking.
  • B. Use older plates from the 1950s, which are significantly smaller than modern dinner plates.
  • C. Drink a large glass of water ten minutes before sitting down for a meal.
  • D. Only eat meals out of small bowls instead of flat plates.

The Way We Eat Now — Full Chapter Overview

The Way We Eat Now Summary & Overview

The Way We Eat Now (2019) offers an overview of the global food system in which we live – and try to eat. It traces our food history to the present day, where hunger is scarce and obesity is abundant. Author Bee Wilson provides an informative overview of today’s food trends, including veganism, meal-replacements and intermittent fasting. She describes what our dietary future may hold, and how we may be on the cusp of a new stage in our relationship with food.

Who Should Listen to The Way We Eat Now?

  • Foodies
  • Students of anthropology
  • People overwhelmed by food trends and fads

About the Author: Bee Wilson

Bee Wilson is a food historian and writer whose work has appeared in such publications as the London Review of Books and the Guardian. She has won several awards, including being honored as the food writer of the year by both Fortnum & Mason and BBC Radio Four. Her previous books include First Bite (2015) and This Is Not A Diet Book (2016).

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