The term "addiction" has been subjected to legal debate. Many court cases revolved around the term, but most of them failed to make the big food companies back down.
Tobacco was perhaps the major consumer item that battled against government rules and business interests hired very clever lawyers. Addiction was often a key factor, but for years tobacco lawyers were able to dismiss the notion. Ironically many of the tobacco companies had excess money and invested much of it with big food companies where its legal expertise would be helpful.
From an unguarded comment a tobacco lobbyist defined addiction as "a repetitive behavior that some people feel difficult to quit" that was adopted by the author. Some substances are not as addictive as assumed, for example cocaine.
In the first part of the book, Michael Moss explains how evolution has developed to boost human survival mostly under greater environmental limitations. Upright on two legs allowed humans to see further and walk more to get a greater variety of foods. Fire allowed easier digestion which in turn allowed for a smaller stomach. A smaller stomach allowed for a bigger brain (obviously other factors involved). Deeper research revealed that humans are the only animal that tastes with its nose adding to the intensity of flavor.
It was advantageous for the body to store fat as it was really energy that make long treks to get a variety of food (with vitamins and minerals) more easily.
Roy Wise, a researcher at McGill University discovered that a stimulus to a rat's brain could motivate it to eat large quantities of food that had previously been ignored. We (and food scientists) realized that the brain had as much to do with a desire to eat as the stomach. The brain retains a memory of various tastes and craves sugar, fat and salt. The sooner these tastes reaches the brain, the sooner the demand for more.
In the second part we learn how businesses have exploited opportunities. Legal issues were examined in detail to make sure they could present optimal appeal to consumers. Labeling requires more detail than in the past, but it is still possible to hide some details. For instance serving sizes tend to be less than what people actually eat. They employ scientists to maximize food appeal and the costs.
Society has been changing. A great percentage of women have taken jobs and are looking for easy ways to feed their families. Many people eat while watching television. Food can be comforting when dealing with stress and some contend modern life provides much of that.
Advertising has increasingly become more sophisticated and targeted. In an advertising agency I was able to look at data reports for radio and tv. First you got quarterly views/listens for a particular outlet, but then you could view by age and sex. The advertising firm made their decisions by comparing the cost of reaching a very specific target group. Undoubtedly they have become even more precise in targeting.
Dieting has not escaped food scientists. When they sensed that more people were becoming conscious of their weight and health they searched for ways to retain their loyalty. Looking for sugar and fat substitutes was relentless. Some substitutes have been associated with increased risks of cancer and other diseases.
All sorts of diet groups emerged and for most consumers a familiar pattern developed of initial loss of weight followed by a relapse. Another understanding was learned: the importance of metabolism and how our bodies reacted to changes in diet. In order to survive hundreds of thousand years ago the body had to adjust in times of famine by burning less energy.
One example of how McDonald's can be harmful was provided by Morgan Spurlock who I did a blog on a few years back. http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/03/the-greatest-movie-ever-sold.html
Many read his book with the motivation to improve their eating habits and therefore their life. First the author would claim information is power. You know better what your body (brain) wants and you have a better idea of what big food wants to do. You know the body reacts quickly to tastes, so you will feel full sooner if you eat slow. One given example was to snack on pistachios with their shells on. Chewing gives your brain more time to process information. Beware of colorful packaging on the shelf and discard at home before eating.
Another blog from a few years ago deals with the habit of being distracted while you eat. See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2011/09/mindless-eating-cf-mindful-eating.html
Acknowledgements are often glossed over, but some reveal what motivated the author. Michael Moss had written another food book and had won a Pulitzer Prize. One morning after a barbecue followed by finishing next morning's breakfast before lunch he had a craving for leftover kabobs. He became curious as to why. His research went to a psychiatrist studying how heroin went from cravings to addiction and the whole subject of motivation and how we could be manipulated. Legal experts and scientists provided most of the facts and made for a fascinating account of what effects all of us. He also thanked his wife and two sons for tolerating his experimental cooking and constant talking about his research.
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