5.0 out of 5 based on 4 reviews. – Customer review on 28/09/2009

Makes a heap of sense. If you were looking for brain based research about eating, look no further. And if you lose weight really easily but can't keep it off this book is for you. But it is not easy to change. That's not the book's fault, though.

4.0 out of 5 based on 4 reviews. – Customer review on 12/01/2010

I found it informative and interesting - the connections between dopamine, endorphins, food, learned behaviours, and the development of what Kessler calls conditioned hypereating (eating out of desire for attractive food and/or the effect of carbohydrate on mood, rather than eating out of hunger) - but it is a bit dense at times.

So far I've learned

- rats find sucrose almost as addictive as cocaine, and will do almost as much work for it;

- rats lose interest in snack food if you dose them with Naltrexone, blocking their opioid receptors;

- statistically, the American trend to obesity started in the 1980s, in response to a change in the type of food available;

- some people's desire for food increases once they start eating - eating highly palatable food increases desire;

- children unconciously compensate for eating higher calorie food by eating less other food, but this effect decreases as the child ages, and it has also been decreasing over the past three decades. (They test this by feeding children two seemingly identical sweet drinks, one high-calorie and one low-calorie, and seeing how much of the freely available other food they choose to eat.)

4.0 out of 5 based on 4 reviews. – Customer review on 01/12/2009

A good read - a bit repetitive at times but worthwhile getting through. Dr Kessler discusses scientific experiments on rats investigating their eating behaviours around different foods and in particular foods high in fat and sugar. He names the combination of fat, sugar and salt as irresistable and describes the reward mechanisms that drive us to overeat foods high in these three components.

The book reveals a fresh look at what drives overeating and why we do it - this knowledge can be enough for some of us - realising what we are doing to stop overeating.

Recommended reading.

5.0 out of 5 based on 4 reviews. – Customer review on 23/08/2009

The book title the end of overeating taking control of the american appetite. But this book is useful for an Australian audience, as we mimic the takeaway fast food lifestyle in America. With Australia seeing a rise in diabetes and obesity as we move to super size portions and sugary foods. This book is a useful guide for anyone wanting to
get their eating habits in check and develop a slightly healthier lifestyle.