We can all relate to this feeling: you’re
sitting casually watching TV and all of a sudden you have an urge for a
late-night junk food snack. It starts small and you tell yourself that you’re
not really hungry, that you really don’t need anything else to eat tonight.
Then it gets stronger, almost as if the potato chips are screaming at you from
the pantry. Ultimately you give in, finish the bag of chips and promise
yourself that this won’t happen tomorrow. You may attribute this behavior to a
lack of self-control… but did you know that these cravings have an evolutionary
component and, in some cases, junk food manufacturers have actually exploited
these properties to make them more addictive?
Before we go into the science of junk food
addiction, let’s define what I’m talking about when I say “junk food.”
Basically, junk food is a food that is high in fat or sugar and low in other
nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fiber. Examples could be potato chips,
ice cream, pastries, etc.
Now let’s go back to a time where there wasn’t
a fast food restaurant on every corner and humans spent most of their days
hunting and gathering food. In this era, there was a type of reward system that
developed in our brains when we did things to encourage survival. For instance,
a neurotransmitter called dopamine was released when we ate, creating a feeling
of pleasure throughout our bodies. This let us know that what we were doing was
good and encouraged us to keep doing it. Food that was high in fat provided
more calories and long-term energy storage and food high in sugar was dense in
short-term energy. These types of food were some of the most important for our
survival so they released even more dopamine and made us feel even more
pleasure.
Today, even though the average American is not
at a loss for calories we still have this reward system, causing us to choose
higher fat and higher sugar options. Unfortunately, we are no longer choosing
foods in their natural state that also have vitamins and minerals and fiber.
Instead we are choosing processed food that is actually manufactured to be
higher in fat and sugar so that it releases extreme amounts of dopamine in our
brain and creates an almost addictive state.
These junk foods cause a hormonal response in
our bodies, which causes us to gain fat and ultimately leads to diseases like
Type 2 diabetes. Moreover, although high in calories, most junk food is void of
other essential nutrients. So even though we may be eating more food than our
bodies need, we are starving our bodies of the important vitamins and minerals
that keep us healthy.
Remember, your love of junk food didn’t happen overnight so
don’t be too hard on yourself if it takes time to break. Focus on choosing
foods that make you feel good long-term rather than foods that just give you
the initial dopamine rush. You’re going to do great at making healthier choices
and quitting your junk food habit!
Guest post provided by
Tara Coleman. Tara is a nationally recognized nutrition expert, educator and
spokesperson. Visit her website taracoleman.com