Most of us know what it feels like to fall under the spell of food -- when one slice of pizza turns into half a pie, or a handful of chips leads to an empty bag. But it's harder to understand why we can't seem to stop eating -- even when we know better. When we want so badly to say "no," why do we continue to reach for food?
Dr. David Kessler, the dynamic former FDA commissioner who reinvented the food label and tackled the tobacco industry, cracks the code of overeating by explaining how our bodies and minds are changed when we consume foods that contain sugar, fat, and salt. Food manufacturers create products by manipulating these ingredients to stimulate our appetites, setting in motion a cycle of desire and consumption that ends with a nation of overeaters. The End of Overeating explains for the first time why it is exceptionally difficult to resist certain foods and why it's so easy to overindulge.
Dr. Kessler presents groundbreaking research, along with what is sure to be a controversial view inside the industry that continues to feed a our nation -- from popular brand manufacturers to advertisers, chain restaurants, and fast food franchises. Dr. Kessler's cutting-edge investigation offers new insights and useful tools to help us find a solution. There has never been a more thorough, compelling, or in-depth analysis of why we eat the way we do.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
What did Kessler do as long-time head of the Food & Drug Admin. when Big Food was going crazy with chemicals, additives, etc.?:
The author, a pediatrician, was commissioner of the US Food & Drug Admin. under President Geo. HW Bush & Bill Clinton; has been dean of the medical schools at Yale and the Univ. of Calif., San Francisco See last paragraph: I was constantly wondering WHEN the author was going to discuss his attempts, or lack thereof, as long time head of the U.S. Food & Drug Admin. to stop Big Food's shocking use of chemicals, preservatives, additives, and other sometimes dangerous and unhealthy non-food... more info
brilliant analysis of the problem, a less than compelling solution:
I have read many explanations for the so-called "obesity epidemic" in the U.S. The phenomenon is undoubtedly multifactorial, with possible contributors including the success of anti-smoking public health campaigns and consequent postcessation weight gain, the aging population, and ethnic shifts that increase the representation of groups that place less cultural emphasis on thinness, to list a few. Overeating, however, is clearly key. The big question is not why increases in caloric intake lead to... more info
Kindle Version - footnotes not linked:
The Kindle has a working table of contents. However, the Endnotes, which account for almost 30% of the book are not keyed in the text. I haven't seen a paper version, maybe that is the technical difference between end notes and footnotes.
Quick read, but shallow & superficial overview of modern food industry:
I expected a bit more from Dr. David Kessler, who is a foremost authority in health issues and a medical doctor to boot. There is nothing particularly wrong about the content of the book, but the title is extremely misleading. Only one short chapter at the end of the book even discusses the subject (ending overeating), and then Dr. Kessler's suggestion is "eat sensibly" and "avoid temptation". Gee, my mom could have told me that. Come to think of it, she did. 9/10s of the book consist of information... more info
