Blog 17: Summarizing and Responding to "The End of Overeating."

         The article “XXXL” by Elizabeth Kolbert began referring to a former commissioner of the food and drug administration, David A Kessler. Kessler argues that processed food is making people addicted to it. Food industries are fashioning products so they become addictive. Fashioning is also known as “eatertainment” which fat, sugar, and salt are the principal elements in foods. Kessler continues comparing Cinnabons and Starbucks’ strawberries & Crème Frappuccinos as drugs. By doing researches on rats Kessler proves that rats’ brains react to sweet and fat foods the same way as an addict respond to cocaine.

        I think David A. Kessler is right when he mentions that processed food makes people addicted to it because it is not easy to stop eating it and it is like a drug for our body.

        Fast food companies are adding addictive ingredients to the food we ingest daily such as sugar, fat, and salt. These elements as Kessler mentions in the article are “the crucial elements” which are increasing people’s cravings and making them addicted to it. Several times I caught myself craving “Crush” which is my favorite drink and I cannot stop drinking it. Once I had taste it I feel satisfied, but also wanting another one. Even though I know that is very bad for my body because it is not more than sugar and fattening me, but it is my addiction and my brain that needs “crush” sugar every single day to be satisfied as an addict need a dose of drug.

        In addition, these companies are introducing new products and also they are trying to get people attention making their food visually disable as possible. Now Days companies are all the same, McDonald’s and Burger King are making bigger their meals and they are adding toys for kids in “happy meals” to catch kid’s attention. There is nothing wrong, but these companies are doing this to keep their consumers excited and also keeping them to buy their food. Starbucks is another company which is making people addicted. Their variety kind of coffees is really a drug for people, but the funny in these frappuccinos sold in Starbucks’s is that coffee is the least that they include in them. My best friend weakness it is Starbucks frappuccinos, every day he has to get his coffee drug as he call it, but frappuccinos the least they have is coffee.

        In conclusion, I think that these food companies have been doing an excellent job keeping us addicted to their food. Nevertheless, these companies are giving unhealthy high caloric food just to make profit. Even though there are some companies which have the calories for the aliments that people are consuming, but they still have it anyway. I think that it is up to the people to decide what way of life they want to have unhealthy or healthy.