Eating has become well rehearsed in our lives. So well rehearsed in fact, that it has become a habit that is so powerful that it drives our behavior and compels us to overeat way beyond what our body perceives as being 'full'. This, coupled with the trickery of the food industry, Dr. Kessler explains is the fundamental reason for which Americans are currently facing an obesity epidemic.
Dr. Kessler begins his book with a thorough explanation of the underlying mechanisms which drive habits and how our brain perceives basic desires and rewards. Anecdotal stories from his own personal life are backed up by studies which he presents to the reader to help educate us on the basic mechanisms which drive us towards specific foods. These foods which are highly coveted by the general population are those that offer the greatest content of sugar, fat and salt in varied quantities. This category of food is known to be 'hyper-palatable', thus landing them high on our totem pole for desires.
The next part of the book uncovers the secrets of the food industry in which he describes how marketers and developers take advantage of this highly coveted trio to design foods that we want more of. His research revealed the processes by which the industry aims to create food which is not only desirable but also easy for the consumer to ingest. He goes on to explain why our body craves these foods and how this craving creates a cycle of desire and reward that we are compelled to respond to.
Having laid the foundation for over-eating to take place, the author continues the book with a full explanation of how food begins to take our mind and body over, and how we become burdened by the choice between eating something which we know will satisfy us in the short term versus listening to our rational side which whispers the healthy alternative. This is the struggle that we face day in and day out when it comes to foods that we view to be hyperpalatable whether this be chocolate cake or fried chicken.
He concludes the book with a chapter which is entitled 'food rehab' where he constructs a method for which to halt this cycle of binge eating and re-wire the brain in order to make the healthy alternative seem more appealing.
Overall Impression:
I think Dr. Kessler has done a phenomenal job in this book of helping someone understand the driving forces involved in our appetites and WHY we are compelled to overeat time and time again. He clearly lays out a rational reason for our brains drive us to act this way and offers a solution which is not only reasonable, but achievable.
Personally, I have walked away with a greater understanding and awareness of my own relationship to food. I am able to better attack 'thin mint invasions' since reading this book more constructively and with better overall control. I am more aware of what goes into my mouth and more importantly, how it helps me function through my day. I have learned to link what I am eating to how I feel (regarding energy, fatigue) with greater understanding of how it will affect me 3 hours down the line. I highly recommend reading this book to use as a tool to help anyone understand the fundamentals that go into the relationships that we have developed and to be better attuned to what needs to occur to changing them and forming new, healthier habits.
How in tune with your food intake are you? Do you associate what you eat with how it affects your levels of production? Please leave a comment to be entered into the giveaway!! It ends on Monday June 15 at Midnight and winner will be announced on Tuesday!
Posts
