"the end of overeating" by David A. Kessler

Yesterday I was given the Book The end of overating by David Kessler as a present from my parents for Valentines Day. My god father, and my Dads close friend and roommate from college, says this book is his bible. He says of all books to help loose weight this is the the most influential.

On Valentines Day I opened up the book and started to read, however I started to read the ending of the book due to it being what looked like to the most influential part of the book by glancing at the table of contents. When glancing at the table of contents the first three parts of the book seemed to focus on this weight problem in America and looking at what causes this habit of eating unhealthy things.

Parts 4-5 of the book seem to be that step by step guide to overcoming weight problems. Part four is titled The Theory of Treatment, part five is titled Food Rehab. Here Kessler gives some really good examples and tips about what to do that really make sense to me, and what I will ultimately try to do this semester. This is going to be my weight loss bible this semester as well as the rest of my life.

Kessler describes conditioned hypereating, which he states dates back to the 1980's, is in large part due to the the food industry knowing how to get people to keep eating past the point of fullness. Kessler says about the food industry, "They know that sugar, fat and salt sell"(xiv of introduction). Kessler describes conditioned hypereating as a "cue-urge-reward-habit-cycle"(p. 181). Cues kessler says are the "stimulus" or easier to understand an "invitation to the brain"(p.181). The act of over eating Kessler says is the "habitual response". James Leckman, professor of child psychiatry and pediatrics in the Child Study Center at Yale University School of medicine describes how urge is built in. Leckman says that people have an ability make a choice when an urge for food arises. Leckman says how the problem comes about and what the problem leads to, "If you give in to those urges too often, the system becomes dysregulated. Then you're hypersensitive to these cues"(p.181). Later Kessler associates food like smoking to explain the reward. Kessler explains that even if a person has not smoked for "decades" they "still feel the urge for a cigarette at certain times. Cigarettes are still "hot" stimulus with a promise of reward"(p.183). This same idea applies to food.

In order to succeed in avoiding the cue-urge-reward-habit-cycle, Kessler says, "cognitive and behavioral tools" will be needed. These tools are the steps which I have so far read about and really make sense to me. These will by my cornerstones to eating right.

Cornerstones for me to eat right will be addressed tomorrow.....