Mika Brzezinski Addresses Food Addiction in Her New Book “Obsessed: America’s Food Addiction and My Own”

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  • Journalist and MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-host, Mika Brzezinski is releasing a new book this week about her struggle with food addiction. The book is titled “Obsessed: America’s Food Addiction and my Own.”
  • Brzezinski appeared on Today this morning to discuss the book and defend any critics who might think because of her trim figure that she has no place to write on the topic of food addiction. However, the author contends her addiction to food looks just like anyone else’s, obese or not. “This book is all about the need to nurture a conversation and start turning back the tide of the obesity epidemic,” she said.
  • Though her weight wouldn’t reflect it, Brzezinski likens her food addiction to an alcohol or drug addiction, because she feels powerless over it. Even while writing the book Brzezinski admits she “fell off the wagon,” several times, one night eating an entire jar of nutella after what she calls a binging episode induced by the insomnia medication, Ambien.
  • The book also looks at a growing amount of science to the addiction of fat, sugar and carbs. Brzezinski believes this growing body of research suggests there may be a road to becoming obese that has nothing to do with self control.
  • Inspiration for the book came from a close relationship with co-author Diane Smith. The pair had always struggled with food, however, Smith had gained nearly 100 pounds since their meeting. “We ended up challenging each other [to get healthy,” she said. “I told her ‘You need to lose 75 pounds by the time this book is written, and I’m going to figure out to be 10 pounds heavier.’ “I went from a size 2 to a size 6. We’re both healthier.”

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