Just one more bite… this is a thought that goes in my head on a daily basis. I open the bag or box of snacks and grab a handful. As the clumps of food lay on my hand, I pluck out the individual pieces unconsciously, tossing them into my mouth. By the time I bite, I am already preparing to eat the next one. I know my stomach is grumbling, and my hands are filled with disgusting grease, but I can’t stop eating. I tell myself the same words over and over again: “Just one more bite”. I’ll feel the bad effects of the junk food later that day, but for some reason, I open up the pantry, and the same cycle continues.
Why can’t I stop eating these snacks? They don’t fill me up, they don’t make me feel good after eating them, but I continue to want them. There are lots of people who take part in this cycle of not being able to stop eating junk food, so I decided to figure out why this was the case. In doing so, I realized the issue of binge eating junk food isn’t totally the eater’s fault. There is so much science that goes into a little piece of junk food that keeps us eating.
The Hollow Bite
Cheetos. Pirate Booty. Corn Puffs. These are some examples of “airy” foods. When someone takes a bite out of one of these snacks, the piece quickly dissolves. After eating a bite of the “airy” snack, the brain thinks it isn’t eating as many calories, due to it melting. These companies do this on purpose. The brain doesn’t feel like it ate many calories, leading to it wanting more. This has been called “The Vanishing Caloric Density.” According to wholemindhealth.co.uk “The rapid disappearance of food particles from the mouth…minimizes the release of hormones that contribute to the feeling of fullness.”
Licking Fingers
Lots of junk snacks like Doritos and Cheetos are doused in powdery flavoring that sticks to the eater’s fingers. This is not just to add texture or more flavor; it is meant to be licked off of fingers. When the powder directly makes contact with the taste buds, the flavor lasts for longer on the person’s taste buds, making them crave the food even more. An ingredient that is in a lot of fast food, processed meat, and condiments is the ingredient called monosodium glutamate (MSG). It is an ingredient that makes the food more appetizing, and it increases appetite. The MSG is found in the powders of these snacks.
The Crunch Affect
The addiction doesn’t just come from the taste of the food. It is impossible to eat a chip without making noise. Lays chips, for example, have a light crunch. That crunch is specifically designed to be appealing to the human ear. According to randombio.com, the Lays chip sound varies from 50-56 dBA (decibel level). They provide a satisfying crunch that makes the human brain think, “Crispy”. The crispier the crunch, the fresher the food is. The fresher the food is, the more likely the human will eat the food. Chip bags are usually very airy, but not just filled with oxygen. According to pneumatech.com, the atmosphere “contains 78% nitrogen but also has an oxygen content of 21%.” Oxygen may help us breathe, but it doesn’t help the potato chip industry. “The oxygen reacts with ingredients such as the oil in potato chips and breaks them down. This reduces the shelf life of a lot of different foods.” So these companies insert nitrogen into the bag to make the chips seem “crunchier” and “fresher” to keep the consumer eating their product. The names of some chip products often have words like “munch”, “snap”, “pop”, and other sounds that mimic the sound of biting into a fresh chip to convince the human brain it is going to bite into something fresh.
The Bliss Point
Lots of addicting snacks don’t have one flavor that overpowers the snack. It is a mix of sweet, salty, and other flavors to keep the consumer wanting more. Foods like Oreos use a tactic that makes the product highly addictive. It is called the Bliss Point: the perfect combination of sugar, salt, and fat. When the body consumes this combination, the brain immediately craves that food. Sugar is essential for energy, fat can help absorb important nutrients, and salt helps balance body fluids. In a world with a scarcity of foods, humans have evolved to crave these three things. But now, these nutrients fill refrigerators and pantries all across the world. According to the National Library of Medicine, once the bliss point was discovered by researcher and psychologist Harold Moskowitz, a new era of unhealthy foods was created. The businesses that provide things such as candy, fast food, and snacks all started to use this discovery. The food industry exploded with profit, and diabetes and obesity rates saw an extreme increase across America. This is one of the main reasons why we can’t stop eating these foods. It is why peanut butter and jelly is the perfect combination, and trail mix is so appetizing. Peanut butter has lots of fat, while the jelly is very sweet. The sugary M&M’s and raisins, mixed with the salty nuts put in one bag, create an addicting mixture that is eaten everywhere, all due to the bliss point.
When you take that one more bite, or you can’t put down the bag of chips, you now know why. It isn’t just because they taste good or because you are just addicted to food; it is because these companies use all these tricks and hidden sciences to make you constantly want their product. It’s important to eat healthy and limit yourself while still enjoying your food. So take a step back, and put down that extra piece, and reconsider your thought of “just one bite”.
Sources
https://thinlicious.com/food-companies-keeping-you-addicted/
https://optimisingnutrition.com/bliss-point-food/
https://blackamericaweb.com/2015/10/12/5-most-addictive-snacks-in-the-world/
