Can Eating Junk Food Be An Addiction?
April 3, 2010 by Paul Balck · 2 Comments
Can Eating Junk Food Be An Addiction? – We have all had that feeling, the sensation of being full but still hungry or eating even though you know you only had your lunch 45 minutes ago. A lot of people feel like they have no choice but to eat and some new research suggests that this might actually be a fact.
A test which was conducted on rats showed that when they were subject to mass amounts high calorie food, they quickly gained weight. On the same scale, even though the rats knew they would get an electric shock if they continued to eat, they did so anyway.
On a different note, when fed what is considered a healthy diet for a human, the rats failed to put on any weight, and knew when to stop. It may be to do with the flavors produced, but it might just be the fact that our bodies enjoy chomping the calories.
One startling finding is that when the rats were originally given the basic healthy human diet, they refused to eat it. Maybe they were expecting a McDonalds’ burger or something? Maybe they just felt like that was not their food anymore?
What researchers are suggesting is that junk food produces chemicals or hormones in the brain that give a sense of satisfaction or positivity, which means we constantly want to consume them.
The problem with over eating is that it becomes a habit, much like smoking. Once you start over eating, stopping becomes a huge problem, which is why many people eat themselves into obesity!
Related News
No related posts.
Anything that produces pleasure in the short run,but hurts the quality of your life in the long run (e.g.being overweight )is an addiction. Research shows that “short term pleasurable events can produce neurochemicals that produce pleasure and lead to “detox effects” when you quit.It’s important to not condemn one’s self ,but istead try to analyze what the food is temporarily helping you with.Food is often helpful in the short run as an aid for depression,anxiety, or feeling too “hyper”.
-Barry L.Aaronson,Ph.D.-Irvine,CA
All I know is if I give in and eat carbs, I want more and more. I’ve lost 60 pounds and have kept it off for 14 months to date. However, I still have that desire that has to keep buried. I know if I give in to eat something like McDonald’s it will be very hard to get out of my system again.
I do treat myself to things on a daily basis, that allows me to continue on Maintenance.
Thanks for the article!
~Sheri