Cravings for junk food are a common reason that people ‘fall off the wagon’ with their healthy eating plans. They can lead to unhealthy eating habits and are often one of the biggest obstacles to weight loss.
For example, have you ever found yourself craving a second helping of dessert even after a filling dinner, or finishing the whole sharing-size bag of crisps or chocolate? You are not alone! It can be incredibly hard with some foods to know when to stop.
But, what is it that makes certain foods seemingly irresistible? And, what keeps us coming back for more, even when we know we’re full?
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just down to a lack of willpower on our part. In fact, the food industry deliberately engineers foods to taste the best they possibly can with the goal of overriding our internal ‘stop’ signals and encouraging us to buy and eat more.
Research suggests that our taste system can be tricked when salt, fat, and sugar are carefully combined in expertly measured amounts to be ‘just right’. At this so-called ‘bliss point’, we keep coming back for more, even when our bodies are trying to tell us to stop because we keep experiencing pleasure.
Our bodies respond to foods that hit the bliss point by triggering reward pathways in our brain and encouraging dopamine signalling. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (chemical messenger) in the brain that is involved with feelings of euphoria, bliss, motivation, and pleasure.
The result of this is a feeling of pleasure, that acts like a high, and encourages us to keep on coming back for more. This leads to a perpetual cycle of cravings, eating more junk, weight gain, and even more cravings!
This also explains why we often reach for these types of foods when feeling sad or stressed, as they make us feel better in the short term. The feeling doesn’t last for long, so we’re often coming back for more to feel better again.
So, what can we do to break the cycle?
The first thing is to start getting curious and recognise how you feel when you crave or eat a particular food, rather than trying to completely ignore your cravings. For example, perhaps you’re feeling stressed, sad, or excited?
Once we recognise the root cause of our cravings, we often become less interested in the habit itself and take away some of its power. Maybe you can find another avenue to address the feeling, such as taking a walk, calling a friend, or listening to music.
At Second Nature, we know that changing our eating habits can be one of the most challenging aspects of being healthy in the modern world. Get ongoing support and guidance from a registered dietitian or nutritionist throughout the Second Nature programme. You’ll also have access to hundreds of delicious, healthy recipes, habit tracking tools, daily educational articles, and a peer support group that will motivate and encourage you throughout your journey.
Second Nature offers a sustainable way to change your mindset, lose weight and keep it off and is approved by the NHS. 94% of our members lose weight and keep it off for at least 12 months - all without calorie counting or restriction.
