It is amazing isn't it, how anything that tastes great is probably terrible for us? Sugary, salty, fatty foods are bad for us but they taste so good! Junk food isn't just palatable, it is thought to be actually addictive. Podcaster and Twitter personality Trung Phan put out this thread on junk foods to help us understand what it is about junk food that is so appealing to us.
This is a popular tortilla chip made from corn. The Pepsi Co product is extremely popular and very addictive. It is meant to be. Here’s why:
The produce in its natural form is not addictive. However, it is processed and transformed into something completely different which then becomes addictive.
Rather than just the fat or just the sugar it is a combination of the two that is so irresistible.
Half the calories of the snack come from its fat content. Most of the other half comes from carbs; i.e. the corn.
Crisp, brittle foods such as Doritos which are cooked, mashed into pastes and then deep fried are palatable for their texture and consistency.
First, of course, there is the salt and sugar which we all crave. Plus they add MSG or monosodium glutamate along with powdered flavouring. Interestingly the balance of flavours is such that we end up with that no-one-can-eat-just-one situation.
A lot of street food vendors in India have hit on this idea – add cheese to everything… with good reason.
Research has shown us that the texture of food is a big part of why we eat it. Softer foods that require less effort to chew and swallow are attractive. Plus easy chew-ability makes us eat faster and more.
Make that all of us, not just the Americans.
The masala at the bottom of the packet and the residue on the fingers – we all love that don’t we.
They literally make us drool. Plus, the bright colours are visually attractive.
The products we buy are carefully designed to make us keep coming back for more. Not just junk food but also social media algorithms, games, TV, apps and so on.
…Bag. When we reach for the second bag we probably rationalise our weakness by telling ourselves – it’s all mainly air anyway. But we know it isn't.
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