The Opioid Circuitry of Froot Loops & Frappuccinos

Dr. David Kessler, pediatrician and former head of the FDA, has written a book (official publication date Friday) titled The End of Overeating, which argues that obesity is not the result of character flaws but of chemical dependency on the junk in food. And not just junk food, either. Everyone from cereal companies to restaurant chains (from quesadillas at Chili's to Frappuccinos at Starbucks) does it, manipulating our tastebuds and appetite centers for maximum profit. Along with the new film Food, Inc. (playing at the Egyptian), the book is sure fuel the flames of food industry regulation, though not before our Fourth of July hotdog roast.