The reason so many people are obese, goes the thinking, is that our brains are still hard-wired like those of our primitive ancestors who never knew when their next meal would come. So they ate as much as they could whenever they got the chance-a habit still prevalent throughout the animal world. Our prehistoric relatives also developed a craving for fatty foods that provide maximum nutrition, although their lifestyles made sure the calories would be worked off rapidly.
Something similar seems to be going on in our business brains when it comes to advertising and promotion. When times are good, we see it as a time to gorge, and when business drops off, we go on a marketing diet.