Dr. Kessler has degrees in medicine and law, and has served as dean of the Yale University School of Medicine as well as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, where he was known for taking a tough stand on tobacco companies. Today, he is the author of a new book, "The End of Overeating."
"I used to think I ate to feel full," said Dr. Kessler, who admitted to having his own weight-related struggles. "Now we have the science that shows were eating to stimulate ourselves."
Dr. Kessler said he believes that foods that are high in salt, fat, and sugar actually alter brain chemistry in the same ways that addictive drugs do. The sight or thought of such foods can stimulate dopamine in the pleasure centers of the brain. For this reason, you can crave these foods when you pass a restaurant or see a food advertisement on television even if you are not hungry.
Dr. Kessler says that food deprivation only heightens the way the brain views food, which is why most diets do not work.
"How do we explain to America what is going on?" he asked. "How do we break through and help people understand how their brains have been captured?"
Labels: overweight, overeating, food_companies
Posted By: Aspen/CRC
