How Is Fast Food Addictive?
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Convenience & Cravings
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Several aspects of fast food combine to create a detrimental habit. Fast food is, at its core, fast; people become hooked on the convenience of drive-through or delivery, with negative results in the long term.
There are also claims of structural changes to the brain because of high fast-food consumption, with effects similar to drug and nicotine addiction. These, combined with lavish multimillion dollar advertising campaigns designed to lure consumers, create the perfect environment for unbeatable cravings.
A Widespread Problem
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A USDA report on fast-food consumption states that "three of 10 consumers agreed that meals at a restaurant or fast-food establishment are essential to the way they live," with 75 percent of young people between 11 and 18 eating at fast-food establishments at least 3 times a week. A 2009 article in England's Daily Mail states that the middle class is falling into a fast food stupor. Writer Fiona Macrae states, "The picture for the nation's health is bleak, with one in three Britons eating takeaways at least once a week."
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Signs of Addiction
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Addictionsweb.com outlines 4 different attributes of fast food addiction. First is a constant craving for sugary or oily foods; high sugar and fat content is common in fast food, with a lack of it bringing on shakes and behaviors similar to substance abuse withdrawal. Second is a feeling of weakness stemming from structural changes in the brain. Third is a feeling of euphoria and completion after a fast food meal. Scientists found during lab tests that when "[they] stimulated the rats' brains with a synthetic version of the natural opioid enkephalin [a pleasure chemical] . . . this caused rats to eat up to six times their normal intake of fat." Fourth is a habit of eating fast food more than twice a day. If these signs are present, chances are that a fast-food addiction is rearing its head.
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References
- Photo Credit 2008 Christian Cable / Creative Commons
