As I've been trying to work my way through books purchased years ago that I never got around to reading, I've found myself wondering about the thought process from which some of these books were purchased. I think I've mentioned that before. Novels are novels, but many of the nonfiction books I've collected over the years speak more to the mindset of a moment than they do an overarching desire to learn about a particular topic or a passion for a certain something. When I pick up one of these books, I always end up wishing that I had read it much sooner after buying it. Then I'd at least have satisfied the curiosity that led me to get it in the first place.
David A. Kessler's The End of Overeating is such a book. My relationship with food has been an interesting one, and not really one I think I'll go into here, so I think at some point during one of my more challenging seasons I saw this book in a store, and the tagline ("Taking control of the insatiable American appetite") caught my eye.
What made it not very useful to me in this season is that I think I have taken control of the more insatiable parts of my appetite, or at least understood them. So as much as I appreciated Kessler's thoughts, they were either not applicable or already practiced. I did, however, find it interesting to understand more fully the lengths to which food companies have gone to tap this appetite pipeline. They have hit on such compelling combinations of fat, salt, and sugar that taste so good, people literally cannot stop eating. And the worst part is not so much the struggle to stop eating in the moment, but the fact that the more we eat this stuff, the more it rewires our brains to need it. It is exactly like a drug addiction in every way. Perhaps slightly less potent, and less damaging in the long term if you can kind of keep it under control, but otherwise no different. What's frightening about that to me is a) how easily we fall under the spell of things that make us feel good and b) how dangerous it is to have these sorts of "safe" addictions that are socially acceptable.
In a chapter about how our culture has come to need our food served with a side of entertainment, Kessler notes, "In marketing indulgence, the industry knows something about us that we don't fully know about ourselves. It knows that when we walk into a restaurant, we're seeking much more than a satisfying meal. We are hoping for a respite from daily pressures, and restaurants cater to that with food, imagery, and atmosphere that keep us entertained. In a world where people often feel under stress, 'Food is escape, more and more,' the [food] consultant said. 'The more the food industry behaves like the entertainment industry, the more profitable it is.'" So there you have it. We can't cope with our sad lives, so we turn to food in the same way we have turned to drugs, and for the same reasons. I'm just as guilty of this as the next guy. It's pretty depressing.
I disagreed with Kessler's assertion that the answer to this problem lies entirely in the brain. His rationale is that since we've wired our brains to respond to these "cues," then we must rewire it not to. And the brain certainly plays a role. I myself have drastically changed my thoughts toward food and that has gone a long way. But it doesn't take you the distance. There's this thing called a sin nature, and, as the Apostle Paul put it, "What I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." We've all experienced that. We all know what it's like to firmly tell ourselves, "No," and then watch as we, like recalcitrant toddlers, disobey ourselves with gusto. That Kessler doesn't address this is a bit surprising to me. The only conclusion I can come to is that he actually does eat perfectly and that he struggles with discipline in other areas. I guess those are the ones about which he is not writing books. In any case, I can tell you from firsthand experience that the only way to conquer a sin, and indulging in anything beyond the boundaries of what is healthy is sin, is through the power of the Holy Spirit. Period.
If you are interested in knowing more about how our brains respond to reward, how the food industry has exploited that response, and some practical tips for helping your poor brain out, read this book. Otherwise, skip it.
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