Appetite for Destruction

We are literally eating ourselves to death. In the move from cooking to convenience food we have given up control of what we eat. As a result our food is heavy on sugar, fat and salt, and light on the nutrients our body needs. This is causing a hidden health crisis that will swamp our hospitals just when the baby boomers want their hip operations. Gareth Morgan and Geoff Simmons latest book cuts straight to the bone of what ails us, and what we can really do about it.

We are literally eating ourselves to death. In the move from cooking to convenience food we have given up control of what we eat. As a result our food is heavy on sugar, fat and salt, and light on the nutrients our body needs. This is causing a hidden health crisis that will swamp our hospitals just when the baby boomers want their hip operations. Gareth Morgan and Geoff Simmons latest book cuts straight to the bone of what ails us, and what we can really do about it. This book focuses on food. Smoking has been largely knocked on the head, so the major threat to our health is now the shortcomings of our diet. What and how we eat drives most of our biggest killers – diabetes, strokes, heart disease, even cancer. So if prevention of illness is the path to a less costly public health system, then food seems like an obvious area to focus on.

Dr Gareth Morgan is an economist, public policy analyst, portfolio investor, motorcycle adventurer and philanthropist. Through the Morgan Foundation Gareth has instigated a series of books on issues of public interest. He has also co-authored with his wife Joanne, 5 books on their offshore motorcycle trips, and has written three books on personal investment. See ‘Other Titles’ for more information. His latest project “Our Far South” set out to raise New Zealanders’ awareness of the importance of the area between Stewart Island and the South Pole – the race for resources, the sensitivity of Antarctica to climate change and the threat to biodiversity or our subantarctic islands from overfishing, marine pollution and climate change. This project led on to Gareth’s participation in further conservation projects – Predator Free New Zealand, Million Dollar Mouse, Stewart Island Treasure, and New Zealand’s Cleanest River. Gareth is a shareholder in Welnix, which owns the Wellington Phoenix Football team and part of the Hurricanes rugby franchise. Gareth’s directorships have included a national legal firm, publicly listed companies, advisory boards of government departments, New Zealand’s largest web site auction house TradeMe Ltd, and Leite Verde SA a Brazilian dairy industry business. Gareth graduated from Victoria University with a PhD in economics 1982.