As former head of the Food & Drug Administration, Dr. David Kessler led the fight against tobacco interests and pushed for better labeling of food products.

One afternoon, he saw a guest on Oprah talking about her addiction to food. He just couldn’t understand why the desire to eat would be so difficult to control. So he began to investigate, and the result is his book, “The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite.”

Is the overwhelming desire to eat not your fault? Like cigarettes, are some food products designed to make you crave them? Are sugar and salt as bad as tar and nicotine? If you’re struggling with health and nutrition, Dr. Kessler has advice for identifying your triggers, understanding the science, and getting over the idea that willpower alone is enough.