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Is junk food addictive?

The more you read about junk food, the more concerning it becomes. As the global obesity crisis intensifies, junk food giants continue to invest millions into creating new, irresistible concoctions that fuel overeating. But is junk food addictive? The answer might be more complex than you think.

Steven Witherly, a food scientist with over 20 years of experience, explores why certain foods are more enjoyable—or even addictive—in his book Why Humans Like Junk Food. Understanding these concepts can increase awareness and help spark change in addressing junk food addiction.

What makes junk food addictive?

Junk food addiction stems from how these foods are engineered to be hard to resist. Manufacturers use various food science tricks to ensure you keep coming back for more. Let's explore some of these concepts that contribute to junk food addiction:

Dynamic contrast

Junk food is designed with high dynamic contrast—think of a crunchy sweet outer shell that reveals a soft, gooey inside. This sensory variety enhances the pleasure experience, making the food more addictive, contributing to junk food addiction.

Vanishing calorie density

Dr. Robert Hyde’s theory of "vanishing caloric density" explains why foods that quickly disappear in your mouth are more rewarding. The brain perceives that fewer calories are being consumed, encouraging overeating. This is why foods like popcorn, cheese puffs, and ice cream are so easy to overindulge in, feeding into junk food addiction.

Sensory specific satiety (SSS)

Sensory Specific Satiety (SSS) refers to the diminishing pleasure response as you continue eating a specific food. Junk food is often either highly complex or deliberately bland to reduce SSS, allowing you to eat more without sensory burnout, a factor that fuels junk food addiction.

Evoked qualities

Junk food manufacturers use flavours that trigger cravings by evoking memories of past food experiences. The combination of familiar flavours in items like tortilla chips creates a powerful craving, making the food hard to resist, promoting junk food addiction.

Energy density theory

High energy density foods, rich in fats and carbohydrates, offer greater sensory pleasure. The brain naturally prefers these calorie-dense foods, which explains the irresistible allure of many junk foods. This preference is a significant contributor to junk food addiction.

Post-ingestional conditioning

Regular consumption of junk food conditions the brain to crave more of it, much like an addiction. The high sugar and fat content in junk food can even change the brain in ways similar to recreational drugs, reinforcing the addiction and making it difficult to overcome junk food addiction.

Salivary response

Junk food manufacturers often add ingredients like lactic acid or citric acid to increase saliva production, enhancing the taste and making the food more pleasurable, and therefore more addictive. This manipulation plays a key role in junk food addiction.

Super normal stimulus

Larger-than-expected portion sizes can make energy-dense foods even more desirable. This "supersize me" effect leads to overeating, driven more by portion size than by taste alone, further contributing to junk food addiction.

Casomorphins

Casein, a milk protein found in many junk foods, breaks down into casomorphins during digestion. These morphine-like molecules can make food more addictive by delaying satiety and encouraging overeating, a mechanism that underlies junk food addiction.

High glycemic starch

Foods with high glycaemic starch cause rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin, creating potent food memories and encouraging overeating. The brain perceives these foods as having high survival value, reinforcing the desire to consume them, thereby feeding into junk food addiction.

How to break junk food addiction

Understanding the science behind junk food addiction is the first step towards breaking free. Here are some strategies:

• Awareness: Recognise when you’re being influenced by junk food's addictive qualities. Awareness can help you make more conscious choices and combat junk food addiction.

• Pause Points: Slow down and take a moment to think before reaching for junk food. This simple act can make a big difference in overcoming junk food addiction.

• Healthy Substitutes: Replace junk food with healthier options that satisfy cravings without the negative effects, helping you break free from junk food addiction.

If you've ever wondered is junk food addictive and why certain junk foods are nearly impossible to resist, now you have the answers. While it can be discouraging to learn how stacked the odds are, this knowledge empowers you to regain control. By becoming aware of these factors, you can take steps to change your eating habits and overcome junk food addiction.

Resources:
Mindless Eating - Brian Wansink
Why Humans Like Junk Food - Steven Witherly

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