Salt, sugar, fat, and food addiction

At least 1 out of 3 Americans are obese or overweight. The rate has doubled in last 3 decades. The food industry claims they are just giving consumers what they want.

A researcher and former FDA commissioner counters that argument by saying the food industry has conditioned us to eat too much by adding optimal levels of salt, sugar, and fat to food to keep us eating beyond satiety. It's not just a matter of will power, it's an addiction we are dealing with.

He says we need food 'rehab' to change our habits--beginning with full disclosure by the industry of what is in the food they sell, and growing awareness by consumers of what is in the food we eat. Only an educational campaign on the scale of the dangers of smoking will help reverse the trend.

I think this is a problem most of us grapple with. The holidays have even more temptations to over-indulge. The only thing I know to do is slow down, pause and reflect about what I am eating, take smaller portions (but not deprive myself either, which leads to greater cravings). I try to avoid fast-food restaurants, who are the worst offenders. It ain't always easy.

What other strategies do you have?

Read this short article for background:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/north_america/jan-june09/kessler_06-16.html

While I am still overweight, I have slowly over years lost over 65 lbs. I didn't diet or deprive myself. What I did do was slowly change the way I ate, cutting out various unhealthy foods, but not all at once. As I did, I found I did not crave them as much and I naturally ate healthier choices, craved healthier choices.

I do stay away from fast food outlets as much as possible. The biggest benefit was to eat more unprocessed foods, more whole grains and healthy oils. I eat almost no transfat and relatively little saturated fat compared to most people. But I don't eat a low fat diet; my body craved things like olive oils and fatty fishes so I ate those things. Later, it was widely reported that those things were healthy and to no longer avoid them and seek them out. But at the time, the advice was to go as low fat as poss. and avoid all fats, including nuts, avocado, olive oil, etc. Fortunately I listened to my body and ignored that. So what I ate was satisfying and delicious.