A thoroughly research and greatly detailed look at food and diet, and the health crisis we somehow find ourselves in the middle of.

This book was rife with detail, almost to it's determent, because while the research enforced that the author had a good perspective on the topic and knowledge and expertise, it made the beginning of the book slow to read through plot wise. I didn't anticipate so many footnotes or that the book would be so science heavy. While there were super interesting bits of information highlighted in the book, I don't think this book was for me.

Mark Schatzker has done his research. At first I found the book a slow read because Schatzker went into a great deal of detail about the research done into many of the diet trends from the past years as well as research into health issues caused by nutrition deficiencies from the early 1900's. He was thorough but as I reflect back he was not stating facts just to add to the book's length. What he wrote about all tied together. His early chapters lay the groundwork for his final chapters. His research was global. Among the regions he did research in Italy stands out in my mind. He looked into why people in Italy, where the meals and the desserts are irresistible , sugar filled and plentiful, do not have the obesity issues that are seen in the U.S. Long back through the years and in various cultures he investigated the body's inner wisdom to eat what it needs and the impact of food technology on the body's ability to know when it needs to eat and when.
If you want to gain a thorough understanding of nutrition, the nature of craving and our eating habits then you will want to read this book. If you want to find a "quick fix" for weight struggles then this is not the book for you. You should, however, read it as there is no quick fix for obesity and its many complications.

THE END OF CRAVING by Mark Schatzker is subtitled "Recovering the Lost Wisdom of Eating Well" and, like Schatzker's other works (e.g., The Dorito Effect), has been of interest to our students and faculty. In his latest offering, Schatzker once again draws on his science and writing background to explore our increasingly dysfunctional relationship with food in an engaging and informative manner. Schatzker travels the world – sharing stories from Italy, India, the United States and elsewhere – in order to highlight the value of healthy, joyful eating and nutrition. He points to contrasts in government efforts to require additives like vitamins versus taking steps to promote lifestyle changes. A significant portion of the book is devoted to notes and references which will be a huge help to our student researchers interested in eating disorders, obesity, and mind-body connections.

"For all its high-flying technology, modern food has not advanced the behavior we call eating. It has turned us into something more like dumb farm animals."

This book has forever altered the way I think about food, eating, nutrition, etc. As someone who has a complicated relationship with food, I anticipated this book being a how-to on, well, recovering the lost wisdom of eating well. Schatzker falls short of laying out detailed instructions, but that's likely because the individual eater is waging a losing war against the food industry/the U.S. government and its vitamin- and nutrient-enriched foods. To curb the obesity epidemic, significant, sweeping changes and reform would need to take place, and, let's be honest, American society would lose its collective mind if the way we eat/what we eat was called into question.

Schatzker does a great job of making the complicated studies he cites comprehendible to the non-scientist reader, and the throughline of "liking" vs. "wanting" puts a lot of the concepts into clear focus.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Love a good blend of science and food study. I read THE DORITO EFFECT and it changed the way I looked at snacks and snacking. This new book is having a similar effect. The author has a fresh and charismatic writing style, and his presentation of studies in food topics such as the 'want' vs. 'like' theory, the role of dopamine in food intake, notions of caloric misalignment, etc, is as fascinating as it is complex. It's actually somewhat thrilling to have this education about how contemporary American society altered food and why, the changing ideologies around consumption, as well as the effects of all this on our bodies. I found it enthralling. This is the perfect time of year for this book: new year, new strategies, new information. Thanks.

Very interesting very informative will be using many of his ideas asa guide, Perfect time to change my eating habits.Will be recommending.#netgalley #avidpress

Aaaahhhh! I just about died when I flicked to the next page and saw the word "Acknowledgements". I was so sure we were about to get to the part of the book where we discussed what to actually DO about the problems so thoroughly identified and dissected and then...no.

It's not that there weren't hints and themes. Eat real food. Insist on the best quality of food and savor it unabashedly. Eat mindfully, joyfully, and unhurriedly. That's great, if not particularly revolutionary, but it also speaks to a narrow audience with the means to do that. Some practical, real-world guidance would not have gone amiss. Are there some "good enough" things that people can do? Some low-hanging fruit (minimize artificial sweeteners, perhaps?) where a moderate amount of effort would yield a significant benefit? What's the research on how to solve this problem? (short of moving to Bologna, that is...)

It's not that I don't appreciate a thorough examination of the available research in the fields of nutrition and neurobiology, nor did I mind the author's almost philosophical approach to the issue. But, after having made the case so thoroughly for the existence of a problem, it was frustrating to not get an equally detailed look at how to mitigate it.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very informative. I learned a lot from reading it.

PHENOMENAL READ! Mark references so many studies and makes them easily digestible for the non-scientist. Easy, informative, engaging book that I could read again and I’m sure pick up more knowledge. It certainly makes one reframe not only the food we consume but also how we approach it. Bravo Mark!

A very informative and well-researched book but just not for me. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I only hope I can follow some of Schatzker’s wisdom and advice as I work to undo the habits I developed during COVID (and over a lifetime). Wise and practical, this is a worthwhile wake-up call to enjoy life and eating from a more health and productive stance.

I read many diet books. This book was VERY interesting. I was very interested in all of the research about additives and how they effect our bodies. I am rereading parts of this book and I think that many people need to read this.

In the sea of books about diet and nutrition this is a shining beacon. Deeply researched but heavy scientific information is presented in an easy to understand and entertaining manner. An interesting dive into how we have become so disassociated from food and how our bodies as a finely tuned machine have become manipulated by the mass food industries. I really enjoyed the concept of how additives and other food chemicals leave us 'nutritionally bankrupt' and most interestingly, how the body copes with this.
Inspiring as well as theoretical, it's inspired me to take more pleasure in eating and in questioning what's in my food and simplifying my food life.

With the plethora of books on nutrition, diet, health and food disorders available, this book stands out as an entertaining and informative exploration of how we have lost the natural joy of eating.

This is not another “how-to” manual based on yet another theory or prescription for healthy eating. Rather, it is a well-researched treatise on the physiology implications of how our food supply has been manipulated and the subsequent distortion of our body’s natural wisdom regarding food. I found the distinction between “wanting” (desire) and “liking” (pleasure) particularly helpful. As the author notes, the most extreme expression of the disconnection between the two states is addiction.

One topic I found fascinating is the concept of “nutritive mismatch.” Our bodies are finely tuned to determine the usefulness of our food. When the anticipated nutritional/caloric value, primarily based on taste, is not delivered, our metabolism suffers. All the additives, preservatives and artificial sweeteners in processed foods may be great for convenience, shelf life and sales, but they leave our bodies nutritionally bankrupt, creating an “artificial, inescapable hunger.” Overconsumption and weight gain may be the unintended outcome. Ironically, the vitamins added to our food and taken religiously by so many may simply be adding fuel to the fire. While essential for converting food into useable energy, they also stimulate the appetite and encourage weight gain.

The solution? Returning to the basics of taking pleasure in the experience of eating real food – not chemically engineered products. Simple, but not necessarily easy.

I appreciated the author’s ability to weave historical perspectives with modern scientific findings. This book is definitely “food for thought” in the most positive sense.

My thanks to the author, Avid Reader Press/Simon and Schuster, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing a digital ARC in exchange for an independent, honest review.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.