Salt Sugar & Fat - Part 2

 June 30, 2009

Interview with Dr. David Kessler, author of The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite
__________________

Mike Carruthers:
When people have an overeating problem it’s seldom because they’re overeating broccoli and cauliflower – no it’s typically foods that are high in fat, sugar, and salt. How do you fight those cravings.

Dr. David Kessler:
The best way is to want something more - then you’re going to focus on what you want more rather than on fat, sugar, and salt.

     David Kessler, M.D.

Dr. David Kessler, Former Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and author of the book The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite says the research is clear that fat, sugar, and salt are the big problem foods because they stimulate the brain to want more and more. So how do we change our view of these foods?

Psychologists call it a "critical perceptual shift" – how did we change tobacco over the last thirty years? We used to view a cigarette as something that was desirable, something that made us cool, and something that was glamorous. Now we look at the cigarette as a deadly, addictive product – we changed how we perceived the stimulus.

And similarly we can change the way we view fat, sugar, and salt…

Certain people, some that are vegetarian – why? Because they’re able to look at animal fat and protein and say, “I don’t want that”. I look at huge portions now and I say, “ Boy that’s two to three times the amount of food I need – I don’t want that.”

For many of us fat, sugar, and salt make us feel better and that has an incredible power over us.

Because once you think it’s going to make you feel better, the most powerful rewards are the ones that change how you feel. And if you believe it’s going to make you feel better you’re going to go for it – you’ve got to find something else you want that’s a substitute reward.

To listen to the complete unedited interview, click here.