Junk food is manufactured to get you hooked

The makers of such food blend its components in such a fashion that consumers get hooked onto it and crave for more.

Professor David Kessler, in his book titled, ‘The End of Overeating’ writes, “It is time to stop blaming individuals for being overweight or obese.”

“The real problem is we have created a world where food is always available and where that food is designed to make you want to eat more of it. For millions of people, modern food is simply impossible to resist," he added.

The bliss point
Prof Kessler claims that the manufacturers seek to trigger a ‘bliss point’ which makes the food ‘hyper palatable’, leaving the eaters eager to eat more.

The former head of America's food standards watchdog cites Heinz tomato ketchup and Starbucks white chocolate mocha Frappuccino as instances of modern foods that have been wangled to arouse feelings of gratification.

Kessler, who is now professor of paediatrics, epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, avers, "The right combination of tastes triggers a greater number of neurons, getting them to fire more. The message to eat becomes stronger, motivating the eater to look for even more food.”

Fat and sugar are culprits
During his stint at the FDA, Prof Kessler had established himself as a well known critic of the tobacco industry.

In his capacity of a commissioner, he had taken to task cigarettes manufacturers for making the product more addictive.

Ice cream, chocolate bars, snacks, ready meals and other such addictive foods can trigger the brain, the same way as tobacco does, claims Kessler.

The food scientist put the blame squarely on fat and sugar and claimed that precise combinations of such carbohydrates stimulate many people's appetites and that is what food manufacturers take advantage of.

"As more sugar and fat or salt is added, food becomes more pleasurable until we reach the bliss point, after which it becomes too sweet and the pleasure drops off," he said.