The End Of Overeating: Taking Control Of The Insatiable American Appetite (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
I thought this book would an overview of how food is engineered to make us eat more. The author really gets into the science of food but he doesn't do much else. It's pretty much chapter after chapter of descriptions of the chemicals found in this food or that- it got a little boring after awhile. I wanted him to move past that and comment on the culture that supports this and how some people have a pre-disposition for over-eating. I thought it was very interesting in the beginning when he interviewed people about their favorite foods and why they think they overeat. I wish the bulk of the book had been that way with studies complimenting their stories. After discussing part of this book in my psychology class, I decided to look into it. I'm very torn between thinking this book was great, and thinking it was totally useless. The good: The author really explains WHY we eat the way we do, in an easy-to-understand, yet very informative way. The bad: He repeats this information over, and over, and over, in every way possible. Yep. Got it. It's drilled in there now. The ugly: His method for reprogramming our brain to stop responding to bad-for-you foods, isn't a method at all. He tells you to create rules that work for you, and stick with them. Uhhhh..... Yea, ok. I'll get right on that, after I eat a cookie. The reason I chose 3 stars instead of just 1, is because he shines light on how awful the food industry is. The Cheesecake Factory--which I used to see as a nice restaurant--now just looks to me like a super-expensive fast-food restaurant. The information was helpful, but this book didn't give me any help on changing the fact that I want to go eat a cupcake right now. I'll just make sure it's made from scratch, and not full of processed gunk.
What do You think about The End Of Overeating: Taking Control Of The Insatiable American Appetite (2009)?
Some pretty interesting science. Makes me want to redouble my efforts to eat fewer processed foods.
—Jess
Very informative & useful in the battle of weight loss / maintenance
—VampAngel
Great Read. Very informative and an interesting perspective
—nick1
