Have you ever had a moment at a party or while sitting on the couch where you feel as if you just cannot stop eating those chips and cookies? Well this is not an uncommon scenario but not for the reasons you may think.
The problem is not that millions of people lack willpower but rather their willpower is unable to compete with the billions of dollars that are spent every year to override that willpower. These dollars have been used to design and engineer foods so that consumers eat more and more. The addition of salt to sweet foods such as cookies and sugar to savory foods such as tomato sauce is one of the things that has made foods so addictive. Both salt and sugar have been shown to have opioid like qualities and activate the same regions of the brain as cocaine. Adding addictive substances and engineering flavor profiles is one of the reasons why it can be so hard to stop eating those chips or cookies.
To learn more about the food industry and the science behind it check out these great articles:
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html?fbclid=IwAR1sXcJSfrGcGVLwqfeGbCAg0oCbwvJ0jslrHOR9mG2WYsSXEREo9OR5MRY
https://www.ecowatch.com/food-companies-making-products-addictive-2632845184.html?rebelltitem=2#rebelltitem2
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