"The Men Who Made Us Fat" (2012) is a BBC documentary series that investigates how the food industry engineered the obesity epidemic through the deliberate addition of sugar, fat, and salt to processed foods.

The Series

"The Men Who Made Us Fat" is a three-part BBC documentary series presented by Jacques Peretti. It investigates:

  • How high-fructose corn syrup was introduced into the US food supply in the 1970s
  • How the food industry engineered "hyperpalatable" foods to override satiety signals
  • How the food industry funded research to blame consumers (lack of willpower) rather than their products
  • How the fast food industry expanded globally, exporting the obesity epidemic

The High-Fructose Corn Syrup Story

The first episode focuses on the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) into the US food supply in the 1970s. HFCS was cheaper than sugar and could be added to virtually any food product. It transformed the American diet:

  • Soft drinks switched from sugar to HFCS
  • Bread, condiments, and processed foods were sweetened with HFCS
  • The average American's fructose consumption doubled within a decade

High-fructose corn syrup was introduced into the US food supply in the 1970s. Within a decade, the average American's fructose consumption had doubled — and the obesity epidemic had begun.

The Hyperpalatable Food Story

The second episode investigates how food scientists engineered products to be "hyperpalatable" — to override the brain's satiety signals and encourage overconsumption.

The "bliss point" — the optimal combination of sugar, fat, and salt that maximizes palatability — was systematically engineered into processed foods. These foods are designed to be addictive, not nutritious.

The Global Expansion

The third episode documents how the fast food industry expanded globally, exporting the obesity epidemic to countries that had previously been free of Western diseases.

The pattern is consistent: when McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and processed food enter a new market, obesity and diabetes follow within a generation.

The Industry Response

The food industry's response to the obesity epidemic has been to:

  • Blame consumers for lack of willpower
  • Fund research suggesting that all calories are equal
  • Promote "personal responsibility" as the solution
  • Lobby against sugar taxes and food labeling requirements

This is the same playbook used by the tobacco industry.