Plot Synopsis

In this three-part series, Jacques Peretti tracks down those responsible for revolutionizing the world's eating habits, revealing how decisions made in America 40 years ago influence the way people eat -- and how they become overweight and obese. First, Peretti travels to America to investigate the story of high-fructose corn syrup, the sweetener that was championed in the United States in the 1970s by Richard Nixon's agriculture secretary Earl Butz to make use of the excess corn grown by farmers. Meanwhile, in 1970s Britain, food manufacturers used advertising campaigns to promote the idea of snacking between meals. Then, Jacques investigates how the concept of 'supersizing' changed our eating habits forever, speaking with industry professionals to examine the story behind the introduction of value meals, king-size snacks and multi-buy promotions. Jacques ends his investigation by examining how product marketing can seduce consumers into buying supposed 'healthy foods,' such as muesli and juices, both of which can be high in sugar. THE MEN WHO MADE US FAT also explores the impact of successive government initiatives and health campaigns, such as the proposal of 'traffic light labelling', the introduction of which the food industry lobbied hard against. BBC World News aired the U.S. premiere of this series on Friday, April 4, 2014 at 10:10pm ET.