We’re all human. We all get urges to eat what we’re not “supposed” to.
So, what do you do when junk food cravings strike full force? How do you fight the urge? Today’s article focuses on – what can feel like – the impossible: how to stop eating junk food.
Why you can’t stop eating junk food
Let’s start by addressing the problem. You already know that junk food is unhealthy. You know that it can cause weight gain, cholesterol problems, and a range of other health conditions.
But despite those reasons, you’re still unable to beat your junk food cravings. You feel like you can’t stop eating junk food, even though your rational side is telling you not to.
If you’ve noticed you can’t stop eating junk food, it’s likely down to your dopamine.
How junk food manufacturers know how to “hit the bliss point”
Dopamine is a motivation hormone, and it uses rewards to encourage your brain to repeat a certain activity or behaviour.
Say, for example, you’ve spent an hour working out at the gym, your brain would be rushed with dopamine. That dopamine – well recognised as a post-workout high – is used to encourage and motivate us to go back to the gym the next day and do it all over again.
Dopamine works on an “action equal reward” basis, motivating us to repeat said action.
Why Junk Food Cravings Exist
How does this dopamine hit relate to junk food? Well, junk food manufacturers understand the power of dopamine hits.
They’ve crafted a perfect combination of salt, saturated fats, sugar, and artificial flavourings. The result? Hacking your dopamine to create a “bliss point.” This bliss point is addictive and tells your brain that eating junk food should be repeated.
So, if you can’t stop eating junk food, it’s often down to fighting your hormones: a task far harder to conquer than battling rationality.
But it’s not impossible. When you’re armed with the knowledge of how to stop eating junk food, a range of strategies to beat your junk food cravings, and the willpower to keep it up, you’ll be able to stop eating junk food and embrace healthier alternatives.
What happens when you eat junk food?
Now that you understand what’s got you hooked on junk food, let’s take a look at why junk food is so bad for you. Is it really as bad as people say?
The term “junk food” really is descriptive of what it is: junk.
Low in nutrients, high in saturated fat, and extortionate levels of added sugar and salt: junk food is no picnic for your body.
With 7% of people in the UK eating junk food every day, the health consequences are dire.
Consequence of junk food 1: weight gain
One of the most well-known consequences of eating junk food regularly is significant weight gain. From 2021 to 2022, child obesity in the UK increased by 50%.
It’s no surprise that junk food causes weight gain. The NHS even position “eating large amounts of processed or fast food” as one of the core reasons for suffering from obesity.
This year, a study – published in Cell Metabolism – took place. The researchers from The National Institutes of Health aimed to discover just how much weight you can gain from eating junk food alone and why.
The study – in a nutshell – proved that eating processed foods results in 20% more calories than eating healthier alternatives. Those calories cause weight gain.
The study also demonstrates that we soak up more of the calories in highly processed foods due to a lack of insoluble fibre.
