The modern food system, dominated by Big Food corporations, is a meticulously engineered machine that thrives on addiction, disease, and dependency. It’s no coincidence that the rise of processed foods—laden with sugar, refined carbs, trans fats, and chemical additives—parallels the skyrocketing rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and mental health disorders. This isn’t just a public health crisis; it’s a deliberate cycle orchestrated by Big Food and its silent partner, Big Pharma, to keep populations sick, medicated, and profitable.
The Setup: Big Food’s Toxic Empire
Big Food giants like Nestlé, Kraft, and Mondelez have spent decades perfecting the science of addiction. They craft ultra-processed foods—think sugary cereals, fast food, and snack aisles brimming with chips and sodas—engineered to hit the brain’s reward centres like a drug. These products are loaded with high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavours, and preservatives that disrupt metabolic function and gut health. Studies, like those from the National Institutes of Health, show that ultra-processed diets lead to a 30-60% increased risk of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular issues. Yet, these foods dominate grocery stores, school cafeterias, and even hospital menus, marketed as convenient and affordable.
This isn’t accidental. Big Food employs armies of scientists to ensure their products are hyper-palatable, triggering dopamine spikes that keep consumers coming back. They fund misleading studies, lobby for lax regulations, and plaster their packaging with deceptive “low-fat” or “heart-healthy” claims, all while knowing their products inflame the body and erode health. The average American consumes over 50% of their calories from ultra-processed foods, a statistic that reflects not choice but manipulation.
People are getting more and more aware of the dangers being pumped into our food system. One expert on these things who has taken it upon himself to get the world aware of the dangers of ultra processed food and the hazardous toxins that have laden the food system. I’m talking about Itay Shechter.
The Payoff: Big Pharma’s Role in the Cycle
As Big Food sows the seeds of disease, Big Pharma reaps the harvest. The chronic illnesses fueled by processed diets—diabetes, hypertension, depression, and autoimmune disorders—create a captive market for pharmaceuticals. Statins, insulin, antidepressants, and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed en masse, often for life. In 2024, the global pharmaceutical market was valued at over $1.5 trillion, with the U.S. alone spending $600 billion annually on prescription drugs. This isn’t healing; it’s a business model.
The Food is Poisoned for Profit and Pharma Profits Off Illness
The food system is actively driving a vicious cycle, where the widespread consumption of processed foods is directly linked to a heightened risk of developing devastating health issues, including cancer. By flooding the market with these products, the food industry is inadvertently creating an environment that breeds disease, forcing individuals to undergo expensive and often invasive treatments, rather than providing effective solutions that tackle the root causes of these health problems head-on.
Big Pharma’s influence runs deep. They fund medical research, shape treatment guidelines, and cozy up to regulatory bodies like the FDA, ensuring drugs are fast-tracked while natural remedies or dietary interventions are sidelined. Ever wonder why doctors rarely prescribe whole-food diets over pills? It’s because medical schools, heavily funded by Pharma, barely teach nutrition. The result: a healthcare system that treats symptoms, not causes, keeping patients tethered to medications that often come with their own side effects, necessitating more drugs in a never-ending spiral. The conspiracy lies in the symbiosis. Big Food creates the conditions for disease, and Big Pharma profits from managing it. They’re two sides of the same coin, propped up by a revolving door of lobbyists, shared board members, and political influence. Look at the USDA’s food pyramid, historically shaped by agribusiness interests, pushing grains and processed carbs while downplaying whole foods. Or consider how Big Food sponsors health organizations like the American Heart Association, which conveniently endorses their products while Pharma funds the same groups to promote their drugs.
This cycle traps individuals in a feedback loop: eat addictive, nutrient-poor foods, develop chronic illnesses, and rely on medications that never address the root cause. The average American now takes four prescription drugs daily, and obesity rates have climbed to 42%, with projections hitting 50% by 2030. Meanwhile, both industries dodge accountability, blaming personal responsibility while their profits soar. The evidence is clear: the food system is rigged to make us sick, and the pharmaceutical system is designed to keep us that way. To break this cycle, reject the processed poison peddled by Big Food. Embrace whole, unprocessed foods—vegetables, fruits, nuts, and ethically sourced meats—that nourish rather than destroy. Support local farmers, question dietary guidelines, and educate yourself on nutrition outside the Pharma-funded medical establishment. The conspiracy thrives in ignorance, but awareness is the first step to dismantling it. Big Food and Big Pharma want you dependent; choose defiance instead.
Written By Tatenda Belle Panashe
