Why Can't I Stop Eating?

June 1, 2000
As more and more Americans discover that crash diets and diet pills don't work, they are turning to self-help books that stress taking responsibility for one's weight and eating more healthily. Why Can't I Stop Eating? focuses on understanding how addictive substances, such as carbohydrates, sugar, and caffeine, react in the body. Danowski and Lazaro, a recovering food addict and a medical director of three addictions hospitals, respectively, believe that carbohydrate addiction is the main reason why 50 percent of Americans are overweight. The authors cite research illustrating physiological reasons for food cravings (especially carbohydrates) and downplaying the effectiveness of weight-loss drugs like Fen/Phen. They also provide exercises that clarify which foods trigger overeating and diets that emphasize low carbohydrate intake. Jeffrey and Norean Wilbert, a food therapist and a registered nurse, respectively, suggest that "fattitudes"--self-defeating behavior that causes overeating--are the main obstacles to maintaining ideal weight and present helpful exercises to identify them. This book's philosophy is that even people genetically prone to obesity have emotional (perhaps unconscious) reasons to be overweight. Because both of these titles are clearly written and will appeal to general readers, they are recommended for larger public libraries.--LeAnna DeAngelo, Springfield, MI

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