To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever felt stuffed to the point of discomfort in my life ― and it’s not for want of trying.
I can snack and snack and snack, and instead of having the “full” feeling that keeps some people from continuing, I feel the opposite: something comes over me that seems to physically prevent me from stopping.
Dr Chris van Tulleken thinks he knows why.
The doctor told the i that those of us who can’t leave a pint of ice cream unfinished aren’t just deficient in willpower.
“A neuroscientist has used MRI scans to make sure that your brain’s reward centre lights up each time you eat the ice cream, so you keep wanting more,” he told the publication.
Why are some foods so addictive?
Food manufacturers, especially those who make what are known as ultra-processed foods (UPFs), are keen to create what’s known as “hyper-palatability.”
This means something is so delicious, we don’t just want to eat more ― we’re driven by more primal forces to get as much of the product into us as possible.
There have been attempts to get the US Food System Database to assign a “hyper-palatable” score to food because the addictive effect is usually reached by scientifically engineering the perfect mix of sugars and fats.
This tends not to be good for us. A study published in the scientific journal Nature found that we tend to eat more calories when the food we’re given is hyper-palatable.
Food manufacturers use neuroscience to create the “perfect,” irresistible food product, often paying scientists through the nose to formulate the most addictive food that takes advantage of how our brains are hard-wired.
Some measure the brain responses of taste testers and change the recipe if it doesn’t get those “keep going” instincts going as much as possible.
What can I do about it?
If you’re struggling to stop snacking, especially on UPFs, Dr van Tulleken thinks the change should start at the government level, with better labelling and more regulation.
He also thinks that the more you know about how harmful some of your favourite snacks can be, the less likely you are to overindulge in them.
“We have evidence that once people understood what cigarettes were actually doing to them, they wanted to smoke less,” he told the i.
You can speak to a GP if you are worried about your eating habits.
Eating enough protein and fibre, both of which help to keep you fuller for longer, throughout the day may help to curb some cravings too.
