Book
Kessler DA. The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite. New York: Rodale Books; 2009. 336 p.
Why we cite it
A popular account of how the food industry engineers hyperpalatable foods (**previously "the definitive"**, corrected 2026-09-02, card 6NM98H) by combining fat, sugar, and salt to hijack brain reward circuits. Introduces the concept of "conditioned hypereating" — compulsive eating driven by dopamine-mediated conditioning to food cues. Draws on interviews with food scientists and neurological research. Central to the project's work on hyperpalatability, food reward, and understanding why modern processed foods are difficult to stop eating.
About the author
**David A. Kessler, MD, JD** was Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (1990-1997) under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. MD from Harvard Medical School (1979); JD from the University of Chicago Law School (1977). As FDA Commissioner, enacted the standardized Nutrition Facts label on food packaging and led tobacco industry regulation. Subsequently Dean of Yale School of Medicine (1997-2003) and Dean and Vice-Chancellor at UCSF School of Medicine. Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UCSF. Co-chaired Biden-Harris COVID-19 transition advisory board and headed Operation Warp Speed. Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
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