Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler believes it's time to treat certain foods the way we treat cigarettes

with warning labels, marketing restrictions, and public education campaigns.

But food is not tobacco.

And regulating our way out of the obesity epidemic may not be as simple as that makes it sound.

Welcome to the Nutrition Diva podcast, where we take a closer look at nutrition news,

research, and trends so that you can feel more confident about what you eat.

I'm your host, Monica Reynagle,

and if you caught last week's episode, you'll remember that we were talking about the idea of food addiction, and whether that's a helpful way to understand compulsive eating behaviors.

In that episode, I shared several excerpts from a recent conversation that I had with

Dr. David Kessler, the former FDA Commissioner and author of the new book, Diet, Dr. Dr. Dr.

and dopamine. And in this new book, Kessler argues that the obesity epidemic has been driven

in large part by the proliferation of foods that hijack our

brain's reward pathways, in much the same way that addictive drugs like nicotine or heroin do.

In last week's episode, we looked at the science that supports and challenges the idea of food as an addictive substance. We also

explored the pros and cons of using that framework to explain eating behaviors. And today,

we're going to pick up where we left off. Because if we do accept this idea that certain foods

are engineered to override our natural satiety signals

and encourage overconsumption, well, then what?

What does that mean for individuals trying to navigate that landscape?

And what might it mean for policymakers, regulators, and public health professionals?

Dr. Kessler, for one, believes that these ultra-formulated foods should be subject to

stronger regulation, marketing restrictions, and public education campaigns.

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