pediatrician and former FDA Commissioner
San Francisco Bay-area pediatrician and author of The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite; former Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration
PROFILE
David Kessler
Guest
FROM David Kessler
To the Point
America's Obesity Epidemic and the Culture of Fatness It's common knowledge that Americans live in an environment that promotes obesity. But, despite years of warnings, they're getting fatter than ever. The Centers for Disease Control and Duke University have reported that one third of children from two to 19 are overweight, and by 2030, 42 percent of adults will be obese. The question is what to do. Is the food industry just like Big Tobacco, marketing products that are harmful to health, rather than being nutritious? Is it time for new regulations? Is it all about brain chemistry? Are there cultural pressures that make some Americans fat because they want to be? Public agencies, universities and healthcare organizations conducted a conference this week called " The Weight of the Nation ," and next week HBO will air a four-part series by the same name.
To the Point
The Perils and Pleasures of Eating Thanksgiving is America's day to eat and talk about food: why we eat what we eat, why we eat so many bad things and how we can learn to enjoy more of the good things. Food preparation is not rocket science, it's brain science. We learn how food companies mix salt, sugar and fat to make combinations you just can't resist. We also hear how government subsidies favor processed food and how you can get in on what constitutes a promising food revolution. Finally, we talk about the joy of eating and how food shapes our memories of people and places, of childhood and family.
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To the Point
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