A very interesting article in the New York Times attempts to explain how and why we end up overeating.
Dr. Kessler is the head of the Food and Drug Administration, and here is what he has to say:
In an experiment of one, Dr. Kessler tested his willpower by buying two gooey chocolate chip cookies that he didn’t plan to eat. At home, he found himself staring at the cookies, and even distracted by memories of the chocolate chunks and doughy peaks as he left the room. He left the house, and the cookies remained uneaten. Feeling triumphant, he stopped for coffee, saw cookies on the counter and gobbled one down.
Why does that chocolate chip cookie have such power over me? Dr. Kessler asked in an interview. Is it the cookie, the representation of the cookie in my brain? I spent seven years trying to figure out the answer.
The result of Dr. Kessler’s quest is a new book, “The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite” where he attempts to deconstruct the problem of “compulsive hypereating” and suggests means and ways to control it.
Do read the rest of this article. Interesting stuff!
