But doctor, I am hooked!
The words are no doubt uttered more by smokers than the obese but in both cases they are true. A few decades ago, cigarettes ads and vending machines were everywhere. Now ads for fattening, junk food and their vending machines are everywhere -- in banks, hardware stores, bookstores and transit stations. In both cases the marketing has produced oral addictions that people have to give in to and "feed" every few hours. In both cases, people experience acute withdrawal symptoms from their addictions when they want to stop -- and anger at those who point out their addiction. Including doctors.
Still, if quitting an addiction were not possible, there would be no ex-smokers or formerly obese people. We can and should resist obesity-causing junk food and its advertising. Forty-two percent of Americans once smoked and now 42 percent are obese. We are not better off.
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