Is There A Science Behind Addictive Food?

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Have you ever wondered why you are not able to eat more than 3 pieces of raw kale, and somehow you can munch through a big bag of those “healthy” kettle kale chips in one sitting? Who knew healthy could also be so tasty, right? Wrong.

Well the truth is that you are not the only one who has done this, and definitely not the only one to fall into the belief that packaged foods could be healthy for us. After all they look so “real”.

The human brain is the control tower for all decisions. It basically runs the show. If there were a fight between say, our stomach and our brain, there is no doubt that the brain would win. And this is the working principle that the Food industry has been exploiting for the past century.

Food addiction and food addiction-led obesity have become rampant health concerns in a majority of developed countries across the world for the last 100 years, give or take. But if you think about it, the human body is made to metabolize food and absorb what it needs and expel the rest. I mean that is one of its primary jobs, isn’t it? And doesn’t our stomach signal us to stop eating once we have had enough? Yes, and Yes. This system has been working well since the beginning of our existence. But the system only works when there is real food involved. And the food industry has cleverly led us to believe two things.

1. The food we are eating is real

2. We can eat more

The Food We Are Eating Is Real

At a basic level, eating healthy is so easy. Eat real food and avoid the junk. But as you can tell, it is not always that simple. The topic of real fruits, vegetables and grains being genetically modified and O.D’d on growth hormones and pesticides is a different dimension altogether. Today we're only talking about the packaged foods that we find on the store shelves that are marketed as “real and healthy”.

In reality, these junk foods (yes, we're going to refer to them as junk foods) are products that resemble food and may contain actual food ingredients. It cannot be labeled as real or natural food, because in all honesty it isn't. Real food does not have a barcode on it nor does it have ingredients. Whereas, food we find on the shelves can be defined as, “Processed or packaged food that has little nutritional value”. It is engineered and produced in a way that the “real” part of it is barely existing. Nutritive qualities are minimal. Moreover, the slew of chemicals added to keep food shelf stable and irresistible makes it very hard for our stomachs to digest. The food stays in our guts so long that whatever nutrients may have been present in the food are unable to be absorbed by the body.

We Need To Eat More

The food industry is a multi-trillion-dollar industry that spends hefty sums trying to find out how to get you to eat more of what they market as food. When you eat some chips, a cookie or a few crackers, it may seem like you are not actually eating too much. While that may be true, what you're eating is chemically engineered to make you want to grab another bite. When you try to resist the urge to take that other bite, you are not only up against the food itself but also against food scientists, food experts and companies whose main goal is to manufacturer products that consumers will be hooked on to.

How do they do that?

The Science Behind Making You Addicted To Food

Why do we find ourselves going back to have a second serving of chips, when we have already had one? In the book, Salt, Sugar (how long does sugar last?), Fat: How the food giants hooked us, my most recent read, the writer Michael Moss talks in depth about how food companies keep the consumers wanting to return for more.

The secret behind food becoming addictive is “The bliss point”. “The bliss point” is that specific mix of ingredients that isn’t too much or too little and is just perfect to create the right balance of flavor to make you yearn for more.

The bliss point is reached with the addition of three key elements- Sugar, Salt, and Fat.

In terms of current sugar intake, developed countries like the United States of America are consuming between 70 to 77 kilograms per year. Compare this with the 1.8 two 2.7 kilograms per year consumed during the 17 century and you will be shocked!

The Happy Hormone

Treating yourself to a food designed with the perfect bliss point in mind, triggers the ‘happy hormones’ in your brain-Dopamine. A study published in 2018 determined that eating, much like many other pleasurable behaviors triggers the release of dopamine that gives us the exhilaration of reward receiving. This increases the chances that the associated action with reward receiving may be repeated frequently.

Processed foods these days are designed to do just that. To give you the joy after you eat and to trap you in the cycle of overeating.

Not just the taste, but also the structure and make of the food is such that it produces higher levels of satisfaction and craving. It is made to be highly palatable and calorie rich, inducing the pleasure and reward areas in your brain. The elements of food are processed to an extent that you can scarf it down real fast. This rules out all the fact that you have to chew, and before you know it you have wolfed on 500, 600 sometimes 900 calories! The irresistible cheetos or lays chips are specifically constructed to melt in your mouth. It wiles your mind into thinking that little to no calories were consumed and convinces you to pop some more. How sneaky is that!

But People Are Getting More Educated And Aware Of The Food Industry Trappings!

Most of us these days have become increasingly aware with the amount of sugars, salts and fats, among other ingredients that could be affecting our health.  The World Health Organization cautions as against the intake of free sugars, stating that doing so can reduce your chances of obesity and tooth decay. It is also interesting to note that the introduction of substitutes for sugar and the government guidelines to lower the intake of sugar and salt have produced only small reductions in our consumption.

So how does this industry stop this awareness from coming in their way of making profits?

Junk food companies have now been adjusting the ingredients in their popular foods to convince us that they are now more “healthful” to eat. They do this by going slow on say salt, for example, but increase the other hidden ingredients to compensate for the flavor while labeling their product as “low sodium”. So, there you are, convinced that this bag of kale chips is actually good for you!

How Do We Beat Unhealthy Food Addictions?

Getting out of the cycle of eating and overeating isn't a simple task, no doubt. Read our next blog to know how you can successfully beat your food addiction.

To overcome unhealthy food addictions, look for healthy alternatives. If you're suffering from late-night cravings, try switching out to these healthy snacks instead.