We all love junk food, though we know that junk food is unhealthy and is bad for us, there’s something about it, that we cannot stop ourselves from eating it, but have you ever wondered what is it that makes junk food so addictive? It’s not your fault; junk food is addictive because food companies have designed it to be that way. In this article, we will find out, what makes junk food so addictive.
How food addiction works is that people tend to get cravings when the brain starts calling for certain foods, these foods are often unhealthy or nutritious. And even though we know that these foods are unhealthy, our brain tends to find reasons to eat junk, some people can easily control these cravings, while others cannot, this is very complex, however, junk food can be very addictive, they can be as addictive as drugs. For some people, eating junk food can lead to full-blown addiction, which shares the same biological basis as drug addiction.
What makes junk food addictive?
There are a lot of reasons why junk food is very addictive; it is not just because you lack willpower, junk food is made in such a way that you get addicted to them easily, according to a study, they are engineered to be hyper-palatable so that they taste really good, on top of that they are high in calories, and can also cause significant blood sugar imbalances. These factors can cause food cravings. One of the main reasons why junk food is so addictive is because of the human brain. Your brain generates dopamine and other feel-good chemicals when you eat food.
This is why many people enjoy eating food, this is especially the case with junk food, and eating junk food releases massive amounts of feel-good chemicals when compared to healthy food. Another reason why junk food is addictive is because of the specific balance of flavors that isn’t too much, but isn’t too little, and leaves your brain craving more. This is called the bliss point, The product can’t be too flavorful, or it overwhelms the brain and dampens your desire for more. And boring flavors don’t engage the brain enough, and no matter how much you eat, it never feels like enough. For most companies, reaching the “bliss point” is a simple process: just add sugar.
Other junk foods trick us into eating more than we ever should, The puffy snacks melt in your mouth, tricking your brain into thinking there are no calories in it and convincing you to keep eating it forever.
