I. love. cake. cookies. pies. Anything sweet and full of fat, it seems. I also love vegetables and other things, but these sweet monsters exercise a particular pull on me. Why do we love cake (and other fattening foods)? And what do we do about it when it’s true?

I’m not so worried about my figure; there’s health to think of. Plus the uncomfortable feeling that something as cute and innocuous-seeming as a cupcake is the boss of me.

So: I continue to struggle to find a way to enjoy foods without letting them take over or endanger my health. This is the time of year that this effort becomes more challenging. 

Why do I like cake? David Kessler’s The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the American Appetite has satisfying answers on why some foods never satisfy, driving us to overeat. He explores how eating has become an area of our lives where we don’t really understand what we’re doing or why. Nor, oftentimes, do we understand why certain foods exercise the pull they do over us. Check out these highlights from the book for a few of the insights that it offers.

What I liked best about this book was how it changed the way I view an encounter with tempting foods. No, I am not now Ms. Self-Control, but I do find that it’s easier to resist commercial items. I can understand that they’ve been engineered, not to satisfy my craving, but to encourage it. I really don’t like the idea of being manipulated in this way.

Another thing I appreciated was the readability and moments of personal reflection that Kessler offers. Unlike many “dieting” books (and that’s not what this is), Kessler’s book doesn’t feel preachy. We get the sense that he, too, is on the same journey. You can get a sense of what he’s like on this edition of Fresh Air.

The problem of showing “love” through food is a topic for another day, although my passion for baking always raises some concerns for me; I want others to enjoy yummy foods from time to time, but I don’t want to derail their health efforts.

Here’s a sweet treat that won’t overwhelm you with calories. It’s the “Love Cake” song. A couple of British (?) girls singing about cake, what’s not to love? I watch it whenever I need a little lift that doesn’t mean blowing my eating goals for the day. Watch it with me now:

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