Former FDA Commissioner Criticizes Food Industry in Book on “Conditioned Hypereating”
Former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner David Kessler has reportedly written a book, titled The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite, that criticizes the food industry for contributing to a culture of “conditioned hypereating,” a phenomenon allegedly comparable to drug addiction that encourages millions of people to eat high-fat, high-sugar foods even when not hungry. The book cites neurological research suggesting that foods high in fat and sugar can trigger dopamine pathways in the brain, which then becomes conditioned to associate specific aromas, tastes and places with positive experiences and to thus promote overeating.
According to Kessler, people prone to hypereating must learn to resist temptations in an environment rife with inexpensive high-fat, high-calorie foods. He also apparently hopes more restaurants will rein in portion sizes and reveal calories on menus. “The food industry has figured out what works. They know what drives people to keep on eating,” Kessler was quoted as saying. “It’s the next great public health campaign, of changing how we view food, and the food industry has to be part of it.” See The Associated Press, April 20, 2009.
