Ugh… stress eating! We’ve all done it. But did you ever
think about why? Also, why do we crave junk food when we stress eat? It’s all a
science my friends, and I’m going to tell you all about it.
Food Scientist, Steven Witherly has dedicated the last 20
years of his life to studying what makes food addictive and what properties
cause us to have cravings. He explains in his report, “Why Humans Like Junk
Food,” how the sensation of eating and the macronutrients (proteins, fats, and
carbs) present cause different foods to be more pleasurable than others. The
sensation of food includes things such as taste, smell, and texture (also known
as orosensation). Orosensation proves to be extremely important. Companies have
spent millions of dollars to research aspects like the most desirable crunch of
a potato chip. In regards to the role of macronutrients, companies, such as
Frito Lay and Cocoa Cola spend a lot of money and time perfecting the blend of
fats, sugars, and salt that will excite the brain to ensure that costumers will
continue to come back for taste after taste.
There are certain scientific strategies companies use to
make food more addictive. Witherly found that the following 6 reasons are the
biggest contributors to what makes certain foods so desirable.
Dynamic contrast refers to different textures within a single piece
of food. Take an oreo for example. The initial crunch of the cookie is
extremely exciting and then the creamy oreo filling that follows makes for a
great mouthfeel overall. Salivary
response is how much a food causes a person to salivate. The more saliva
produced when eating, the better someone is able to taste the food. This is why
emulsified foods and foods that have a glaze or sauce are extremely
pleasurable.
Rapid
food meltdown and vanishing caloric density simply means how fast
food dissolves in your mouth. When food melts in your mouth it sends a signal
to your brain that tricks it into thinking you’re not full, even if you’re
consuming a lot of calories. A perfect example of this is Cheetos. Witherly
says Cheetos are, “one of the most marvelously constructed foods on the
planet…”. The initial crunch followed by the orange puff’s uncanny ability to
dissolve in your mouth within seconds is extremely pleasurable to one’s palate.
The fact that the Cheetos dissolve so quickly tricks the brain to make you
think you are eating less than you actually are. This is why people are able to
eat so many in one sitting.
Sensory
specific response is the next important factor when it comes to
making junk food desirable. Overtime, you can become immune to tastes or they
can become less interesting to you. Junk food companies are extremely aware of
this, which is why many different types of junk food are specifically designed
to eliminate the sensory specific response.
Calorie
density is another very important aspect that food companies take
into account when producing food for consumers. Junk foods specifically are
designed to trick the brain into thinking that you’re getting enough nutrients
from them. Receptors send messages to the brain about the different
macronutrients present in food. Usually junk foods provide just enough
nutrients to trick the brain into thinking it’s getting enough energy without
filling you up. This is another reason why overeating junk food is so common.
Lastly, food, believe it or not, can bring out certain
memories or feelings from the past. When you eat a specific food you like, your
brain releases hormones that bring about a happy feeling. The next time you
smell that food or eat that food, it’s almost inevitable that the same feeling
will be brought out again. Food companies spend a ton of money researching the
most pleasurable flavors and addictive sensations to help sell their products.
So the next time you’re stressed out and are craving some
Panda Paws ice cream and potato chips, you can thank the scientists for making
those products so dang irresistible!
Sources:
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