Could You Be Addicted To Junk Food?

You think that being addicted to food is just a myth? You think that it's only people without will-power that can't stop eating? Well, it's not a myth. I found this post in WebMd.com and thought I needed to reblog it. Many of us don't realize that the food cravings they have might be more than just a craving and that their overweight problem is not really their fault. Processed foods contain chemicals and if you eat processed foods all day, day after day, you can become chemical dependent or addicted to those chemicals. 

Most all processed foods contain the same chemicals that are used to flavor and preserve the food. Small children can easily form a dependence to these foods and can become cranky and irritable for no apparent reason. It's very obvious in the case of sugar, but this can be the result of other chemicals too. Most processed foods have hidden sugar which means a sweetener with a different name, usually a chemical name, so you don't know what it is. Look for products that are high in calories. If they don't have sugar on the label, they have some sort of sweetener, maybe a sweetener you shouldn't have.

Question: If junk food is so bad for the body and bad quality overall, why is it so popular? You'd think no one would touch it."

Answer: That's an excellent question, and I certainly can't say that I have the answer. I do have some thoughts on the subject -- and maybe one or more are correct, so here goes:

First, let me back up and define 'junk foods.' It's the stuff you eat that has little to no nutritional value, usually combined with ingredients that are bad for you, or is high in calories when consumed in excess.

So that means candy, chips, cookies, cake, sugary soft drinks, greasy burgers, hot dogs, French fries, ice cream, and most things that served at fast food restaurants qualify as junk foods. Yes, but it's not only fast-food. Watch out for all restaurant food. Most restaurant food is manufactured and not in the restaurant. They buy foods that are ready to heat and eat. Ask yourself why so many menu items are deep-fried. The come in the back door frozen and they can stay frozen until you order it. Fish, for example, even frozen fish will cook in a deep-fryer in seconds. There's no extra work for the restaurant and you get your order quick and hot. Chain restaurants like manufactured food because it's less work for the cooks and they don't need specially trained people, so the menu prices are lower and the profits are higher.

So why do so many people eat junk foods? Here are three possible reasons:

#1 It's Cheap

I think one big reason junk food is popular is because a lot of it is cheap to buy. I mean you can go to most any fast food restaurant and order something off a 'dollar' menu of some sort. If you have a couple of bucks in your wallet, you can buy a full meal. Another reason fast food restaurants are very popular is because of the convenience.

Same story at the grocery store. Cheap snacks, inexpensive high-sodium and high-fat meals can be found on the shelves. Healthier foods -- like fresh fruits and vegetables -- tend to be more expensive. Those bags or cups of instant ramen noodles cost less than 50 cents, whereas an orange costs a dollar.

Although a lot of junk food is cheap to buy up front, I think the argument can be made that cheap junk foods end up being more expensive in the long run due to their negative impact on health. That's true but, and here's where the addiction comes in, foods high in salt or sugar or even fatty foods can cause you to crave more. Eating addictive foods will fill you up for the moment but leave you wanting more in an hour or so.

#2 It's Easy

This reason goes along with the being cheap part. Junk food is lurking in vending machines, convenience stores, and even stores that don't typically sell food items might have snacks and sodas near the cashiers. And those instant meals I already mentioned? They're easy to prepare, and you can store a bunch of them in your kitchen cabinets for a long time.

Of course, fast foods live up to the name. You can order a fast food meal and then eat it a minute or two later. Or you can order your meal from your car to save time and then wolf it down while you drive away.

#3 It's Sweet, Fatty or Salty (Or All Three)

Rarely do junk foods tempt you with delicate or complicated flavors. They pretty much hit you hard with sweet, fatty and salty flavors. I think those simple flavors might be preferred by people who are picky eaters -- it could be the slightly bitter flavor of many vegetables turns some people off, especially kids.

But it's more than flavor. Various combinations of sugar and fat make for textures people like. Fat makes foods feel smooth and creamy, like ice cream. Starchy potato and corn chips cooked in hot oil have a satisfying crunch. That's not to say that healthy foods don't have a nice texture, but sometimes the textures of fresh fruits and vegetables take a little getting used to.

Then It Becomes a Habit

Since junk foods are easy to find, easy to make, and a lot of them just flat out taste good, consuming them becomes a habit. That's the real problem. I mean eating a candy bar now and then or snarfing down a bag of fries once in awhile isn't all that big a deal. But when junk foods make up a big part of your daily diet, then you run the risk of becoming overweight and obese, plus you're not going to get enough of the nutrients and fiber your body needs for good health.

So, next time you find yourself standing in line at a burger joint or staring at a vending machine, think about how your choice could affect your health. Then walk away and find something better. That sound reasonable, right. But often we find ourselves trapped. We neglected eating and now we have to eat something but we don't have anything and can't leave the workplace so we go to the vending machine.

I got use to packing my food and bringing it with me. I'd bring nuts and fruit, a sandwich and bottled water. Tens of thousands of workers every day pack their food and carry it with them. This isn't a new concept. Not everyone can go out to lunch.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my Ebook at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet.

“How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?”, is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.