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When Unhealthy Foods Hijack Overeaters' Brains
Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler holds up a piece of carrot cake at a bakery. Kessler has a new book out on addiction-like overeating. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer
April 22, 2009
Retrain the brain to think, “I’ll hate myself if I eat that,” Kessler advises. Lay down new neural reward circuits by substituting something else you enjoy, like a bike ride or a healthier food.
Make rules to resist temptation: “I’m going to the mall but bypassing the food court.”
And avoid cues for bad eating whenever possible. Always go for the nachos at your friends’ weekend gathering spot? Start fresh at another restaurant.
“I’ve learned to eat things I like but things I can control,” Kessler says. But he knows the old circuitry dies hard: “You stress me enough and I’ll go pick up that bagel.”
EDITOR’s NOTE — Lauran Neergaard covers health and medical issues for The Associated Press in Washington.
suriitano
7 months ago
4 comments
I just came from the grocery today . While there, I was drooling over a 99cent super cheesy bag of cheetos. It took a moment to convince myself not to buy it. What made my arms stop from reaching out at the bag of junk was the thought of having to live with the cholesterol, fat, glycation, and other bad things that may result from eating this crap over and over again. If I don't stop it now, I will never stop later. Well, I hope I can do it over and over again, and I hope by "conditioned hypereating" brain will change.
Thanks for this article!