The Axis of Food Evil: Fat, Sugar and Salt

(CBS)  Once we're grown up we're all individually responsible for what we eat. But what about those people who tempt us with all these delicious no-no's? Shouldn't they share at least a part of the blame? Serena Altschul has been looking into that:

---

The next time you come down with a case of the munchies, consider calling on Dr. David Kessler.

He and Altschul recently made a take-out run to some of America's most popular dining spots - the ones whose ads promise total tastebud-overload, like Chili's, Friday's, and Applebee's.

We brought back loads of goodies, but Dr. Kessler provided the real food for thought.

"The fat, the sugar and salt have been layered and loaded into this food," he said. "If I just gave you a package of sugar and say, 'Go have a good time' - "

"I'd pass," said Altschul.

"That's not going to do it for you, right? But when you think about it, I mean, what is this? It's the multi-sensory experience. It's the roller coaster in the mouth."

In the brain, too, in the so-called "hedonic hot spots" - regions that respond to hedonistic behavior, whether it's taking recreational drugs or eating food with complex flavors.

"Do you look at food as if it were a drug?" Altschul asked.

"It affects the same circuits in the brain," Dr. Kessler said. "It affects the learning memory, motivational, habits, circuits. It activates those circuits. Difference is, food we need to live. We need food to survive."

Visit CBSNews.com's "Healthy Living" Section

Dr. Kessler's recent book, "The End of Overeating" (Rodale), is the latest salvo in a career-long crusade to improve public health.

You may remember him from his years as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, when he waged war on big tobacco.

Now, Dr. Kessler's gunning for what he believes to be another culprit. You might call it an "axis of evil ingredients": fat, sugar and salt, which Dr. Kessler says stimulates you to eat more.

"So even though we're talking, right? You really have your attention focused on those buffalo wings," he said.

"It's true, this has to be one of the more difficult interviews I've done," Altshcul said. "I love wings. Isn't that terrible?"

"Right, and so it shows you how your brain works," he said.

But is it fair to demonize the food industry for selling us treats we're more than eager to eat?

After all, restaurant owners say they're simply in the business of giving customers what they want.

"If we're not responding to customers we won't be in business very long," said Michael Gibbons, chairman of the National Restaurant Association - and a restaurant owner himself. "So if we see the trend towards more nutrition, more nutrition information, more options, more alternatives on the menu, that's where we're going."

Gibbons points out that Americans now get one-quarter of all meals from restaurants - and that healthy choices are becoming more prominent on menus.

But a look at nutrition guides from a few popular chains shows that high-fat, high-salt offerings still rule the day.

"A lot of people will say, 'Why isn't willpower enough? What wrong with good old willpower?'" asked Altschul.

"Once your brain is activated, if you just try to fight it you're going to end up wanting it more," Dr. Kessler said.

But to the restaurant association's Michael Gibbons, when it comes to avoiding temptation, common sense is the best prescription.

"I don't like to think of us as being helpless to resist," Gibbons said. "I mean, again, I'm not a scientist, I'm not a doctor, but I believe I can make my own choices. I think I'm independent and I have the ability to reason and make choices that I think are wise."

So as Americans continue to get more and more meals from restaurants, the question of mind-over-mozzarella sticks will grow ever-larger - and if we're not careful, so will our waistlines.


For more info:
"The End of Overeating" by Dr. David Kessler (Rodale Books)
National Restaurant Association


More Stories and Videos from the "Sunday Morning" Special Edition, "Size Matters":
Obesity: A Weighty Issue
At Duke, Doctors Teach Obesity Ownership
Physique Helps Mo'Nique Strike It Big
In Slim Role, Bertinelli Beats Back Bulge
A Parisian Food Fight
A Body of Work: Artistic Ideals of Beauty
Slideshow: Body Art
Welcome to Thin City: Colorado's Low Rate of Obesity
Nancy Giles with Big Questions on BMI

[yourdreamin]

The story is only partly correct in that, yes, it is the sugar -- and all the forms it takes. You've heard it all before from the low carb folks: avoid sugar, processed flour, pasta, white potatoes, drinking milk (adults), and the HFCS that is added to your tomato soup! Instead, go ahead and have the mozzarella sticks, some meat or fish along with fresh (green) vegetables, perhaps a glass of wine, and have a great day. You won't be hungry in an hour and will accidentally lose some pounds in the process. Am still waiting for the fed to invert the silly food pyramid....but not holding my breath. Cheers.

[SunDog8259]

Yeah, 9 months have already gone by and in spite of new diet research very favorable to a low-carb way of eating and reading the books: "Good Calories Bad Calories", "The Great Cholesterol Con" and watching "fat head" the movie I am still hearing the "low-fat is healthy" mantra from mainstream media and diet 'experts.' Tisk tisk ... maybe in 10 years? How much collective weight did people gain in 9 months trying to stay on a low-fat low-calorie diet while constantly hungry?

[CathyNehl]

It would be nice of more restaurants trained their employees on product information. Knowing where your products come from is a way for consumers to make more informed choices as to what they prefer to order on menu's.
If menu's were to call out GMO free that would be helpful as well.

[johnrusselll]

Avoid genetically modified foods and foods made with ingredients made from GM foods. By avoiding GM corn, GM soy, GM cotton-seed and canola and the derived ingredients high fructose corn syrup and maltodextrin, I avoid the Bt-toxin that contributes to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and loss of memory. By not eating foods containing this neurotoxin, I no longer need to take Metformin for diabetes or atenolol for high blood pressure. Also avoid the poison called aspartame and avoid trans-fats (hydrogenated oils & fats) that interfere with the metabolism of sugar. Of course, also avoid excess sugar and salt. .

[grepasa]

Dr. David Kessler is not a former surgeon general as stated in your subheading above. Dr. David Satcher is, who was featured in this segment of the program: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/25/sunday/main5419040.shtml

Would you mind posting the video of Dr. David Satcher? Thanks!

[displeased]

The axis of food evil: Mexican restaurants, Chinese restaurants, and all fast food corps.

[voxpopulus]

I live in Asia. Everyone here eats in Chinese restaurants. They are not as fat as Americans.

[why_ma_raner]

The book is fantastic (The End To Overeating). I got it through iTunes for my iPhone and listened to it on my commute. Coming from a family of what he calls Conditioned Hypereating, every thing he said fit with what I had experienced and observed for 50 years. Get it. Learn it. Change your life.

[Sloughfoot]

"You still gonna die."