DavidA.Kessler,TheEndofOvereating:TakingControloftheInsatiableAmerican Appetite(RodalePress,2009). Letmestarthere:Thisshouldberequiredreadinginschools. Thisfascinatingbookhasacuriouspedigree.KesslerisalsotheauthorofA QuestionofIntent,thestoryoftakingonthetobaccoindustry,andhislargeroleinit, isthemanmostresponsibleforourhavingnutritionlabelsonourfood,andwasone ofthemostrespectedcommissionerseveroftheFDA.And,ashetellsusnearthe endofthebook,heisamanwhohashadtroublecontrollinghiseating,whohas ownedsuitsinmanysizes,andwhosestruggleswereinpartamotivationtowrite thisbook.ItispublishedwithRodalePress,whochosetomarktheirpresencewith assmallalogoasIhaveseenonabook,andnocontactinformation.Perhapsitis notneededthesedays,yetaquickvisittotheirwebsitedidnotshowthisbookatall prominentlydisplayed.Asearchyieldedonlythehardcoveredition,notthe paperbackIhaverighthere.Kesslerretainedthecopyright,andalso,weread,has trademarkedthenameFoodRehab.

b. Thestoryinthebookisstraightforward:Americansovereat,andithurts theirhealth.Oneofthemainreasonstheyovereatisthat,overthelast30years, foodprocessorsandrestaurantshavelearnedhowtoengineerfoodthatwillentice peopletoovereat.Theirknowledgeiseffective,andpeopleareconditionedto overeat.Kesslergivesclearadviceonhowtoresist. Thebookisabout250pages,notcountingnotes,andIfounditacompelling read.Igotuptoaboutpage20yesterday,andfinisheditthismorning.Kessleruses short(35pages)thatmakeaveryprecisepoint.Heisclearaboutwhenheis relyingoncarefullytestedevidence,aboutwhenthescienceisunclear,andwhenhe isusingmetaphororfactualdescription.Henamesnamesofrestaurantchainsand itemsontheirmenuthatareparticularlyegregiousexamplesofengineeredfood. Thisbookhasenoughpracticalinformationtosignificantlychangehowyouact aboutfood. Overeatingiswhypeoplegainweight.Period.(p.8)Whydopeopleeatall thetime,evenwhen,upondiscussion,clearlylinkedtounhappinessandillhealth? Researchers,includingKessler,haveinvestigatedwhathappensinthebodyand concludethatmuchinthewayofpooreatinghabitsiswhatweusuallycall addiction.Andfoodisanimportantsourceofmeaningintheday,inthelivesof thosedistractedbyfood. Thereisasciencetotherightlevelsoffat,sugarandsaltthatwillcondition animalstoovereat.Ratsandpeoplecanbeenticedtogorgethemselves,andwe knowhowputthatknowledgeintoboxesofcrackersandonrestaurantmenus.Rats andpeoplewillexpendconsiderableeffortinthepursuitofsugarandfat,andinthe rightcombinations.Ourbrainsarechangedbyrepeatedstimuliinthisdirection. Foodindustrypeopleknowthis,andworktoachievethis.Theymakemoneydoing it.Kesslerobserves,Whenitcomestofood,weare,inessence,followinganeating scriptthathasbeenwrittenintothecircuitsofourbrains.(p.62)Thesesections

onthescienceofbrainchemistry,andhowitisusedbytheengineersoffood,are verycarefullywritten,andlargelyconvincing.Ofcourseindustrypeoplehave knownwhattheyaredoing.Afterhepresentedanoverviewoftheproblemsto executivesasabigfoodcompany,oneofthemsaid,Everythingthathasmadeus successfulasacompanyistheproblem.(p.241)Kesslersummarizes,the industryhascrackedthecodeofconditionedhypereating,andlearnedexactlyhow tomanipulateoureatingbehavior.Ithasfiguredouttheprogrammingthatgetsus topursuethefooditwantstosell.(p.244) Thefoodindustrychangedinthisdirectionmostdecisivelyduringthe1980s. Foodwaspitchedmoreasentertainment,mealswereredesignedtospeedand increaseconsumption,andlotsmorefatandsugarwereaddedbythedesignersof engineeredfood.Wheretraditionalcuisineismeanttosatisfy,Americanindustrial foodismeanttostimulate.(p.94)And,asKesslerdetailsinchaptertwenty,the industryisactivelyworkingtohidethisfromconsumers.Deceptionisanimportant partoftheracket.Evenwhatlooksliketraditionalfoodisusuallymisleading,in Kesslerstelling.AsianfoodisAmericanized,mostlythroughtheadditionoffat andsugar.Again,hedescribesthefareinpopularchainrestaurants,notjustfast foodones,wherevegetabledishesturnintomorefatdeliverysystems.Hehasa briefdescriptionoftheflavorindustryinchaptertwentythree(readerswhowant moreshouldcheckthefascinatingarticlebyRaffiKhatchadourian,TheTaste Makers,TheNewYorker,November23,2009,p.84+),andinthenextchapter describeshowhighlyprocessedfoodcanbemadetolooklikecomplex,nutritionally balancedmeals. Kesslercontributeshisowntheoryofconditionedhypereating,bywhichhe attemptstoexplainovereatingasanacquiredautomaticresponsetofoodcuesthat competeswithourconsciouscapacitytosayno.(p.145)Partofthesuccessofthe foodmakingandsellingtechniquesliesintheknowledgeoffoodengineering.Part ofitisalsoinalargeincreaseintheavailabilityofstimulatingfood(p.172)andthe changesinbehavioramongeatersforexample,snackingusedtobefairlyrare, nowitisthenorm. Insomeexamples,Kesslerseeswhathewantstosee.Heinterpretsbad mannersinrestaurantsassignsofthemagicalpullofengineeredfoods.Arecent houseguesteatsrathercarefully,andmanagedtowolfdownamealIpreparedwith aferocityunmatchedbyanyofthecats.Heisonveryconvincinggroundswhen relyingonevidence,suchasovereatersdramaticallyunderestimatingwhattheyeat, orthefrequencyoftheirsnacksduringtheday. Kesslerdevotesamajorsectiontoatheoryoftreatingconditioned overeating.Briefly,theapproachistogainawareness,tolearnacompeting behavior,developnewthoughtstoquiettheoldones,andgetthesocialsupportyou needtostickwithit.Oneneedsspecificbehaviororientedrules,heargues,instead ofgeneralnostrumsabouteatingbetteroravoidingsweets.Oneneedsanaction

plantooverridetheundesiredhabit.Hehasasubstantialsectiononhis trademarkedapproach,FoodRehab. Measuredbythenumberofpagesdevotedtosolutions,Kesslerputsmost responsibilityontheshouldersofindividualconsumers.Theworldisasitis,and thisistheoneyouneedtolearntolivein.Hedoestraveltomakethepitchto industrypeople,andhedoesnotsomechangesintheirbehavior.JusttonightI heardaradiostoryontheCDCreportthatgrowthinobesityrateshasleveledoff. Thetrendisnotasbadasitwas.And,Kesslerdidnameallofthoseplacesthat engineeryourfood.Heisastrongadvocateofcompleteandinformativelabeling. Isupposeitismyowndesirethathewouldputanequal,ifnotgreater responsibilityonindustry.Hereportsoneformerfoodexecutiveassayingthat,in the1980sandsincethen,greedtookover.Theyareouttomakemoneyoffofyou, andyourhealthmattersless.(seep.128)TheywayIalwaysparaphrasethisto friendsis,itisimportanttorememberthattheyhateus. Themoresystematiccritiqueisworthexploring.Whydidthischangeso muchinthe1980s?Whatelsewasgoingon?AsRobertPutnamhasargued(forthe 1980sandformostofthe1970s),thiswasalsoaperiodwherewewerefirstdealing withtheconsequencesoflargeshiftsinthewaypeoplespendtime,andtheamount ofcivicengagementonthepartofregularcitizens.Thiswasatimewhenwewere watchingmoreandmoretelevision.(seehisBowlingAlone.)Thiswasalsoatime whenanewpoliticalerabeganantiunion,antitax,antiaffirmativeaction,anti government,andantiregulation,coupledwitharevivedrhetoricaboutthewonders ofthefreemarket.Itwasprobablynotacoincidencethatgreedtookover.The publichealthproblemsthatunderliemuchofKesslersanalysisareplausibly anothernotchinthehandleoftheReaganerainwhichwestillreside.(Shameless plug:ItriedtodescribesomeconsequencesoftheantigovernmentattitudeinThe WarAgainsttheCommonGood,coauthoredwithDavidSchuman.)Idonotmeanto complainthatKesslerdidnotwritethebookIwantedhimtowrite.Farfromit. Thisbookisimportant.Giveittosomeone.Getoneforyourself.