Robyn O’Brien, mother of four and author of The Unhealthy Truth, spoke at TEDxAustin recently about what led her from blue yogurt and “Leggo my Eggo” waffles to a crusade for better food for America’s kids. A former food industry analyst, she discussed what she discovered about food allergies and novel proteins in our food, the different rules food corporations follow abroad, and the costs for our health–all in a way that anyone can understand.

In speaking about our healthcare costs in the U.S.–16 percent of our GDP, the highest in the world–she said, “This very easily could be effecting our global competitiveness, because rather than driving profitability toward our core competencies in the global marketplace, we’re managing disease.”

You can watch her talk in its entirety here: