Final answer:
The opposite integer that represents Jackson eating 17 pounds of food is -17, which reflects the concept of losing the same amount of weight.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks to identify the integer that represents the opposite of Jackson eating 17 pounds of food. The opposite of a positive number is its negative counterpart. Therefore, the integer that represents the opposite of eating 17 pounds of food is -17. In this context, 'opposite' refers to the conceptual opposite in terms of weight. If Jackson had gained 17 pounds from eating, the opposite situation would entail losing 17 pounds, which is represented by the integer -17.