The Psychology of Overeating

This is a fascinating and important book that makes the connection between food and the culture of consumerism. In the introduction, Cargill maps the complex determinants of overeating into various categories with sub-branches: economic and cultural, including consumerism and various food industry practices; biological, with our taste for sweetness and research based on neuroendocrinology; and psychological, especially in terms of defences. She uses as a framework of five understandings of consumerism developed by Gabriel and Lang: consumerism as a moral doctrine, as a political ideology, as an economic ideology for global development, as a social ideology and as a social movement. The overall context is the rise of consumer culture, originally in the US, leading to global hyper- consumption and production but also with its own psychopathology corresponding to the empty self to be filled with consumer goods. An interesting factor was the shift from correct to anti-thrift aka credit, or rather debt, which drives our obsession with economic growth; then there is the rise of overeating itself since around 1960.

The next chapter is devoted to the psychological effects of consumer culture with limitless desires, and supply creating its own demand through advertising. More than 50% of the Planet's resources ever consumed have been since 1945. A huge research effort goes into the development by food scientists of ultra-processed (hyperpalatable) food and its key components of sugar, salt and fat, as well as identifying bliss points that can tip people into addiction and keep the tills ringing in what is a very competitive market. This is all enhanced by sophisticated psychological manipulation and neuromarketing to maximise 'hedonic reward', itself based on neurochemical findings. Sugar and fizzy drinks are covered, as is the search for new lifestyle markets, for instance among seniors.

Eating disorders such as binge eating have entered the DSM, which the author interprets as a form of cultural psychopathology related to disease mongering, overdiagnosis and overtreatment. This brings her to the symbiosis between Big Food and Big Pharma, who supply each other with demand, as illustrated in a neat figure (p. 119) where Food Industry sells hyperpalatable foods > binge eating > DSM codifies disorder > American Psychiatric Associations sells DSM > Big Pharma sells pills and back round the cycle. She cites the term phamerging markets to identify where Big Food and Big Pharma are focusing their efforts – on the emerging middle classes in places like China and India. The book then considers the shortcomings of the regulatory system before concluding on a note of hope that there are various Slow movements emerging to counter consumerism and with a more balanced approach to well-being and less overall impact on the planet.