The End of Overeating

Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite

By: David A. Kessler MD

Narrated by: Blair Hardman

Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Most of us know what it feels like to fall under the spell of food - when one slice of pizza turns into half a pie, or a handful of chips leads to an empty bag. But it's harder to understand why we can't seem to stop eating - even when we know better. When we want so badly to say "no," why do we continue to reach for food?

Dr. David Kessler, the dynamic former FDA commissioner who reinvented the food label and tackled the tobacco industry, now reveals how the food industry has hijacked the brains of millions of Americans. The result? America's number-one public health issue.

Dr. Kessler cracks the code of overeating by explaining how our bodies and minds are changed when we consume foods that contain sugar, fat, and salt. Food manufacturers create products by manipulating these ingredients to stimulate our appetites, setting in motion a cycle of desire and consumption that ends with a nation of overeaters. The End of Overeating explains for the first time why it is exceptionally difficult to resist certain foods and why it's so easy to overindulge. Dr. Kessler met with top scientists, physicians, and food industry insiders.

The End of Overeatinguncovers the shocking facts about how we lost control over our eating habits - and how we can get it back. Dr. Kessler presents groundbreaking research, along with what is sure to be a controversial view inside the industry that continues to feed a nation of overeaters - from popular brand manufacturers to advertisers, chain restaurants, and fast-food franchises. For the millions of people struggling with weight as well as for those of us who simply don't understand why we can't seem to stop eating our favorite foods, Dr. Kessler's cutting-edge investigation offers new insights and helpful tools to help us find a solution. There has never been a more thorough, compelling, or in-depth analysis of why we eat the way we do.

©2009 David A. Kessler, M.D. (P)2009 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

No thanks, I'm not hungry

I had to laugh at some of the reviews - readers said this book made them hungry! While the first 2 hours or so focus on endorphin studies in animals (zzzzz), it does become more interesting if you keep listening. There are some disturbing facts about the restaurant industry; but I really think this is one of those rare books that is actually better read, as opposed to listened to. It was just OK for me.

Will have to wait and see....

I liked this book a lot but I won't know how good it really is until I try to put some of the tips in it to use. If it helps me lose just a little weight, it will be worth it!

Perfect read for struggling over eaters

One of the most insightful Reeves that I've been gone through on this platform. It has a lot of great material, studies and info, and the end of the book has a lot of practical help for anyone who suffers from overeating or stress eating or anything inside of that vein.

Awesome....I’m listening again right now.

This book is mind opening. It truly shows how the food industry is working against us strictly for monetary gains. This author helps by giving insight, as well as strategy to overcome and end overeating.

Really a fresh look at the subject

I reccomended it to patients whom it helped them to actually lose weight. Good especially for those with knowledge of evidence based science. Very well written, with a positive outlook.

Amazing

Would you consider the audio edition of The End of Overeating to be better than the print version?

I listened to the audio version while driving to and from work, and now use the print edition for reference, so I'm not sure that one is necessarily better than the other - they each serve a separate purpose for me.

Which scene was your favorite?

I really appreciated all of the advice on how to change eating behavior. I think there were some useful tools presented, and that is definitely a section of the book that I will listen to again.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I looked forward to sitting in traffic so I could learn more, so yes, I would say that is true.

Any additional comments?

Don't listen to the book when you're hungry, especially in the chapters where he is describing restaurant food. I had to stop listening a few times when it was making me want sugar on fat on sugar on fat on salt on fat. Generally speaking though, the material was fascinating, and while some of it was obvious, I didn't realize that there was such a focused effort on manufacturing foods that would make me want more of them. I was a little naive about that - I actually thought most of the manufacturing and processing of foods was driven by cost (ingredients are cheaper) or improvements in technology. Or maybe it's really about ALL of that. At any rate, it was thought-provoking and has given me a better understanding of what ingredients may be doing for the flavor of food, and what they might be doing to my children and me.

It's easy to see how America got fat!

Very interesting look at how culture, society, and business shape our eating habits. Contained a lot of clinical study detail. That might get boring for some, but the author tried to keep it in layman's terms. I followed it all well. Not so much a book about "what you need to do" but more about "why we do what we do" and practical suggestions about how we can help to re-teach ourselves successful eating behaviors.

Very informational

The majority of this is book is spent explaining how the clever combination of sugar, fat, and salt can make food almost irresistible. It isn't until the last few chapters that the author explains what we can do to combat it. These are good strategies, but I was hoping for a little more given I had to wait so long to hear them.

A real eye opener

Read this if you want a concrete way to change your relationship with food and become healthier. You don’t have to be driven by cravings because there are options. As Dave Ramsey says about mine management: “Live like no one else so you can live like no one else.”

The Science Behind Why I'm Fat

The last 3 chapters brought the entire book togetger.
Good narration. Good summarization of the science.