An executive of very large food company said, we would love to stop marketing to children,

but our stockholders won't let us.

I'm Bethany McLean.

Did you ever have a moment of doubt about capitalism and whether greed's a good idea?

And I'm Luigi Zengalis.

We have socialism for the very rich, rugged individualism for the poor.

And this is Capital Isn't, a podcast about what is working in capitalism.

First of all, tell me, is there some society you know that doesn't run on greed?

And most importantly, what isn't?

We ought to do better by the people to get left behind.

I don't think we shouldn't kill the capital system in the process. So, food, it's one of the great

pleasures of life. Or as Virginia Woolf famously said, one cannot think well, love well, sleep well,

if one has not dined well. Or there's Julia Child. People who love to eat are

always the best people. True, in my experience. Luigi, you're Italian. You should have an opinion on

this. Of course, I agree with you. And I think the best friends are made over a meal. But, of course,

food is also a business and a big business.

Packaged food and drink is just in the United States estimated to be $1.5 trillion in sales.

Worldwide, according to Statista, it's projected to grow to almost $13 trillion by 2028.

And it's becoming an increasingly controversial business. Food is this day's engineer to make us more. Food is becoming as addicted as cigarette by design, not by our choice.

If the huge, pun intended, increasing obesity is one of the biggest problems facing us. Who is the possibility

is it to change things? Should big food behave more responsibly? Or should the government step in?

Or are we 100% responsible for what we eat? And so if we want to eat also processed food,

...