<p>Love French fries? Sample this: Around 10 to 15 French fries translate to 150 calories, according to a Harvard Health study. To put things in perspective, it would take an average person 30 minutes of brisk walking to burn those calories. And remember, the usual serving at restaurants is usually three to four times that, meaning more calories and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and even mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. But you know all this, don't you? And yet you will reach out for another. What is it about junk food that makes us all behave like moths when they spot a flame?</p>.<p>Psychologist Archana Sundar lists out several reasons: “It’s cheaper, there’s easy access, we’re spoilt for choice, plus the increase in parental income has made junk food easily obtainable (for children).” Add peer pressure (one more, bro!) and social media temptation into the mix, and we have a problem as sticky as those caramel buns.</p>.<p>From a biological point of view, sugary and junk foods are high in refined sugars, salt, and unhealthy fats, which stimulate the brain’s reward system by releasing dopamine, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, similar to addictive substances, says Dr Esther Sathiaraj, Head, Clinical Nutrition, at Health Care Global. And if a handful of fries and crisps can bump up the release of dopamine, and buy you happiness, who needs wealth? Look at Elon Musk's complicated life, eh!</p>.<p>Bad jokes apart, the real issue is that ultra-processed foods are designed for hyper-palatability; they are meant to override natural hunger cues and urge overconsumption, says Dr Esther. (see box) In his book, The Dorito Effect, Mark Schatzker explores why and how the food industry is trying desperately to woo our taste buds and increase our cravings.</p>.The karipatta twist.<p><strong>Flat taste? Enter flavourings</strong></p>.<p>Schatzker goes back to the America of the 1960s, when the country was producing three times the amount of corn it produced in the 30s, thanks to breakthroughs in science and technology. There was just one problem here — the flavour of the corn was weaker. Ditto for other crops. And the same for livestock as well. Chicken, for instance, that once fed on wholesome plants and insects, were now being given mass-produced feed, leaving the meat bland and flavourless (now you know why the food our grandparents made was so much tastier!)</p>.<p>As natural food flavours became blander, the science of artificial flavourings was taking off. According to Schatzker, Dorito symbolises the coming together of these two trends. Cheese flavouring masked the flat taste of tortilla chips, and Dorito was born.</p>.<p>So, what is the problem here? Just this … the artificial flavouring tricks our bodies into believing it’s the real thing, a phenomenon that is repeated ad nauseam in the food industry. A manufactured grapefruit juice that uses artificial flavouring tricks our body into thinking it’s real grapefruit. But what we get are empty calories, thanks to the high-fructose corn syrup. Raspberry-flavoured doughnut? Mango-flavoured yoghurt? Yup, same story again.</p>.<p>But, since our body hasn’t really got the nutrients it needs, our olfactory senses once again make us reach out for those flavoured bites of sweet nothings. And the vicious cycle goes on (see box).</p>.<p>Over time, these manmade flavours warp our sense of what food actually tastes like. Plain yoghurt just doesn’t make the cut anymore while processed apricot-, mango- and anything-else-you want-flavoured ones are our new normal.</p>.<p><strong>Breaking it down: Sugar, salt, fat</strong></p>.<p>Apart from flavourings, the fast food industry has also latched on to the triumvirate of salt, sugar and fat — a concept popularised by Michael Moss in his book, Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us.</p>.<p>To be fair, our love for sugar and fat is inbuilt in us. For our hunter-gatherer forefathers, concentrated calories — read sugar and fat — provided a boost of energy, increasing chances of survival and offering an evolutionary advantage. For the same reason, we love starchy foods because they can be converted into sugar.</p>.<p>It's no surprise, then, that the processed food industry uses sugar to make us hunger for their products. Our desire for sugar isn't limitless, though. There is a point when even those with the sweetest of tooths will say no to sugar — this is the threshold that American market researcher and psychophysicist Howard Moskowitz calls the ‘bliss point’ of sweetness. Bliss points vary for different age groups — high for children and about half of that for adults, which is still very high. And food companies spend a neat sum trying to figure out the bliss point for different foods.</p>.<p>But while we know when something is too sugary for us, the same is not true for fat. We don't have taste buds for fat as we do for sugar, says Moss.</p>.<p>As a result, food companies have a field day when it comes to fat, cramming it into almost everything — from biscuits to soups and ready-to-eat meals that are rarely considered fatty foods. Fat makes food look and taste good. And yes, it offers a longer shelf life too.</p>.<p>As for salt, it contains no calories like sugar and fat, but it does contain a mineral that's essential for the body: sodium. However, various studies have shown that we’ve been overdoing the sodium bit, leading to increased incidences of hypertension. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition's ‘Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024’, as well as the WHO recommendation, we should limit our intake to 5g, or 1 teaspoon, per day. But the average Indian eats 11g of salt/day — more than 100 per cent of what we require.</p>.<p>Despite this, food companies continue to ply us with salt. For one, it enhances the flavour of food while hiding unpleasant tastes that often remain in processed foods. And, like fat, it increases shelf life too. Of the food product, that is. As for us humans, well, do we want to spend the rest of our lives racing madly on the treadmill? Knee pain? Let’s keep that for another day...</p>.<p><strong>Our bodies choose what we crave</strong></p>.<p>Food companies were cottoning on to the link between flavours, taste and cravings around the time Chicago paediatrician Clara M Davis conducted an experiment over six years with infants, aged between six and 11 months.</p>.<p>The tiny tots — who had just been weaned and had had no previous experience with food — were allowed to choose from a variety of 34 foods. The 15 infants created 15 different eating patterns. Sometimes, their choices were strange and unconventional, such as a pint of orange juice and liver for breakfast or eggs, bananas and milk for supper. But all their choices, no matter how weird they seemed, were exactly what they needed. A nutritious diet, in short.</p>.<p>Davis acknowledges what she calls the study’s “trick” — the food list. She pre-selected foods she deemed appropriate. What would have happened if they were offered processed foods? Well, we see it happening all around us!</p>.<p><strong>Why it’s hard to break the cycle</strong></p>.<p>* Mood swings: “Food for me, specifically sweet food, has always been about celebration or escape. Basically, I want sugary snacks when I’m happy as well as when I’m sad,” says Rila (name changed). But when she tries to stay off sugar, she finds that it affects her mood negatively, “making me irritable and annoyed.". The science is simple — if sugar can hike dopamine levels, lack of it can also lead to a disruption of the neurotransmitters, leading to mood swings. Over time, repeated exposure leads to cravings and a cycle of dependence, making it challenging to give up, Dr Esther adds.</p>.<p>* Lack of time: Given the hectic schedules of modern-day living, ready-to-eat foods are always at hand to make life easier. And when we do get a wee bit of time, isn’t it a decidedly better option to binge-watch the series you haven’t had time for all week? Okay to lose money to gain time is the mantra, and our bodies aren’t thanking us for it.</p>.<p>* Not so tasty: Let’s face it — natural food is usually not tasty. Think homemade healthy, wheat pizza that looks like it’s part of an austerity drive over cheese-and-sauce-slathered, store-bought ones. And we know which is the clear winner, taste-wise.</p>.<p>* Hormones: Stress (cortisol), hunger (ghrelin), and fullness (leptin) affect cravings. Hormones that regulate hunger and satiety can be dysregulated by poor sleep, stress, and high-sugar diets, says Dr Priyanka Rohatgi, Director and Consultant, Global Health and Wellness, USA.</p>.<p>* Emotional factors: Stress or boredom further reinforce these food choices, making it psychologically harder to switch to healthier options, says Dr Esther. Therefore, breaking this habit often requires structured nutrition counselling and behaviour change strategies, she adds.</p>.<p><strong>How to curb your cravings</strong></p>.<p>Food cravings can be controlled by following some strategies, says Dr Rohatgi. She suggests a few relatively easier ways to do so:</p>.<p>1. Biological</p>.<p>* Blood sugar balance: To avoid spikes and crashes, eat regular, balanced meals with protein, fibre, and healthy fats. Limit refined carbs and added sugars as much as possible.</p>.<p>* Attention to gut health: Include prebiotics (garlic, onions, oats) and probiotics (yoghurt, kefir) to improve gut microbiota balance. Also, fermented foods should be considered to reduce sugar-loving microbes.</p>.<p>* Stay hydrated: Sometimes, thirst is mistaken for hunger or cravings.</p>.<p>* Prioritise sleep: Poor sleep increases ghrelin (hunger) and decreases leptin (satiety), thus worsening cravings.</p>.<p>* Staying active and moving regularly: Physical activity helps regulate appetite hormones and improves mood, and, in the long run, helps reduce emotional eating.</p>.<p>2. Psychological and behavioural</p>.<p>* Mindful eating: Slow down and pay attention to hunger cues; this helps reduce impulsive eating.<br />* Manage stress: Use non-food stress relief like deep breathing, walking, journaling, or talking to someone. * Change your environment: Keep junk food out of sight or out of the house. Replace with healthier snack options like nuts, fruit, or dark chocolate.<br />* Identify triggers: Track cravings to find patterns (time of day, mood, location) and plan alternatives. * Allow occasional treats: Complete restrictions can backfire. Enjoy small portions mindfully to reduce guilt and binge cycles.</p>
<p>Love French fries? Sample this: Around 10 to 15 French fries translate to 150 calories, according to a Harvard Health study. To put things in perspective, it would take an average person 30 minutes of brisk walking to burn those calories. And remember, the usual serving at restaurants is usually three to four times that, meaning more calories and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and even mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. But you know all this, don't you? And yet you will reach out for another. What is it about junk food that makes us all behave like moths when they spot a flame?</p>.<p>Psychologist Archana Sundar lists out several reasons: “It’s cheaper, there’s easy access, we’re spoilt for choice, plus the increase in parental income has made junk food easily obtainable (for children).” Add peer pressure (one more, bro!) and social media temptation into the mix, and we have a problem as sticky as those caramel buns.</p>.<p>From a biological point of view, sugary and junk foods are high in refined sugars, salt, and unhealthy fats, which stimulate the brain’s reward system by releasing dopamine, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, similar to addictive substances, says Dr Esther Sathiaraj, Head, Clinical Nutrition, at Health Care Global. And if a handful of fries and crisps can bump up the release of dopamine, and buy you happiness, who needs wealth? Look at Elon Musk's complicated life, eh!</p>.<p>Bad jokes apart, the real issue is that ultra-processed foods are designed for hyper-palatability; they are meant to override natural hunger cues and urge overconsumption, says Dr Esther. (see box) In his book, The Dorito Effect, Mark Schatzker explores why and how the food industry is trying desperately to woo our taste buds and increase our cravings.</p>.The karipatta twist.<p><strong>Flat taste? Enter flavourings</strong></p>.<p>Schatzker goes back to the America of the 1960s, when the country was producing three times the amount of corn it produced in the 30s, thanks to breakthroughs in science and technology. There was just one problem here — the flavour of the corn was weaker. Ditto for other crops. And the same for livestock as well. Chicken, for instance, that once fed on wholesome plants and insects, were now being given mass-produced feed, leaving the meat bland and flavourless (now you know why the food our grandparents made was so much tastier!)</p>.<p>As natural food flavours became blander, the science of artificial flavourings was taking off. According to Schatzker, Dorito symbolises the coming together of these two trends. Cheese flavouring masked the flat taste of tortilla chips, and Dorito was born.</p>.<p>So, what is the problem here? Just this … the artificial flavouring tricks our bodies into believing it’s the real thing, a phenomenon that is repeated ad nauseam in the food industry. A manufactured grapefruit juice that uses artificial flavouring tricks our body into thinking it’s real grapefruit. But what we get are empty calories, thanks to the high-fructose corn syrup. Raspberry-flavoured doughnut? Mango-flavoured yoghurt? Yup, same story again.</p>.<p>But, since our body hasn’t really got the nutrients it needs, our olfactory senses once again make us reach out for those flavoured bites of sweet nothings. And the vicious cycle goes on (see box).</p>.<p>Over time, these manmade flavours warp our sense of what food actually tastes like. Plain yoghurt just doesn’t make the cut anymore while processed apricot-, mango- and anything-else-you want-flavoured ones are our new normal.</p>.<p><strong>Breaking it down: Sugar, salt, fat</strong></p>.<p>Apart from flavourings, the fast food industry has also latched on to the triumvirate of salt, sugar and fat — a concept popularised by Michael Moss in his book, Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us.</p>.<p>To be fair, our love for sugar and fat is inbuilt in us. For our hunter-gatherer forefathers, concentrated calories — read sugar and fat — provided a boost of energy, increasing chances of survival and offering an evolutionary advantage. For the same reason, we love starchy foods because they can be converted into sugar.</p>.<p>It's no surprise, then, that the processed food industry uses sugar to make us hunger for their products. Our desire for sugar isn't limitless, though. There is a point when even those with the sweetest of tooths will say no to sugar — this is the threshold that American market researcher and psychophysicist Howard Moskowitz calls the ‘bliss point’ of sweetness. Bliss points vary for different age groups — high for children and about half of that for adults, which is still very high. And food companies spend a neat sum trying to figure out the bliss point for different foods.</p>.<p>But while we know when something is too sugary for us, the same is not true for fat. We don't have taste buds for fat as we do for sugar, says Moss.</p>.<p>As a result, food companies have a field day when it comes to fat, cramming it into almost everything — from biscuits to soups and ready-to-eat meals that are rarely considered fatty foods. Fat makes food look and taste good. And yes, it offers a longer shelf life too.</p>.<p>As for salt, it contains no calories like sugar and fat, but it does contain a mineral that's essential for the body: sodium. However, various studies have shown that we’ve been overdoing the sodium bit, leading to increased incidences of hypertension. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition's ‘Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024’, as well as the WHO recommendation, we should limit our intake to 5g, or 1 teaspoon, per day. But the average Indian eats 11g of salt/day — more than 100 per cent of what we require.</p>.<p>Despite this, food companies continue to ply us with salt. For one, it enhances the flavour of food while hiding unpleasant tastes that often remain in processed foods. And, like fat, it increases shelf life too. Of the food product, that is. As for us humans, well, do we want to spend the rest of our lives racing madly on the treadmill? Knee pain? Let’s keep that for another day...</p>.<p><strong>Our bodies choose what we crave</strong></p>.<p>Food companies were cottoning on to the link between flavours, taste and cravings around the time Chicago paediatrician Clara M Davis conducted an experiment over six years with infants, aged between six and 11 months.</p>.<p>The tiny tots — who had just been weaned and had had no previous experience with food — were allowed to choose from a variety of 34 foods. The 15 infants created 15 different eating patterns. Sometimes, their choices were strange and unconventional, such as a pint of orange juice and liver for breakfast or eggs, bananas and milk for supper. But all their choices, no matter how weird they seemed, were exactly what they needed. A nutritious diet, in short.</p>.<p>Davis acknowledges what she calls the study’s “trick” — the food list. She pre-selected foods she deemed appropriate. What would have happened if they were offered processed foods? Well, we see it happening all around us!</p>.<p><strong>Why it’s hard to break the cycle</strong></p>.<p>* Mood swings: “Food for me, specifically sweet food, has always been about celebration or escape. Basically, I want sugary snacks when I’m happy as well as when I’m sad,” says Rila (name changed). But when she tries to stay off sugar, she finds that it affects her mood negatively, “making me irritable and annoyed.". The science is simple — if sugar can hike dopamine levels, lack of it can also lead to a disruption of the neurotransmitters, leading to mood swings. Over time, repeated exposure leads to cravings and a cycle of dependence, making it challenging to give up, Dr Esther adds.</p>.<p>* Lack of time: Given the hectic schedules of modern-day living, ready-to-eat foods are always at hand to make life easier. And when we do get a wee bit of time, isn’t it a decidedly better option to binge-watch the series you haven’t had time for all week? Okay to lose money to gain time is the mantra, and our bodies aren’t thanking us for it.</p>.<p>* Not so tasty: Let’s face it — natural food is usually not tasty. Think homemade healthy, wheat pizza that looks like it’s part of an austerity drive over cheese-and-sauce-slathered, store-bought ones. And we know which is the clear winner, taste-wise.</p>.<p>* Hormones: Stress (cortisol), hunger (ghrelin), and fullness (leptin) affect cravings. Hormones that regulate hunger and satiety can be dysregulated by poor sleep, stress, and high-sugar diets, says Dr Priyanka Rohatgi, Director and Consultant, Global Health and Wellness, USA.</p>.<p>* Emotional factors: Stress or boredom further reinforce these food choices, making it psychologically harder to switch to healthier options, says Dr Esther. Therefore, breaking this habit often requires structured nutrition counselling and behaviour change strategies, she adds.</p>.<p><strong>How to curb your cravings</strong></p>.<p>Food cravings can be controlled by following some strategies, says Dr Rohatgi. She suggests a few relatively easier ways to do so:</p>.<p>1. Biological</p>.<p>* Blood sugar balance: To avoid spikes and crashes, eat regular, balanced meals with protein, fibre, and healthy fats. Limit refined carbs and added sugars as much as possible.</p>.<p>* Attention to gut health: Include prebiotics (garlic, onions, oats) and probiotics (yoghurt, kefir) to improve gut microbiota balance. Also, fermented foods should be considered to reduce sugar-loving microbes.</p>.<p>* Stay hydrated: Sometimes, thirst is mistaken for hunger or cravings.</p>.<p>* Prioritise sleep: Poor sleep increases ghrelin (hunger) and decreases leptin (satiety), thus worsening cravings.</p>.<p>* Staying active and moving regularly: Physical activity helps regulate appetite hormones and improves mood, and, in the long run, helps reduce emotional eating.</p>.<p>2. Psychological and behavioural</p>.<p>* Mindful eating: Slow down and pay attention to hunger cues; this helps reduce impulsive eating.<br />* Manage stress: Use non-food stress relief like deep breathing, walking, journaling, or talking to someone. * Change your environment: Keep junk food out of sight or out of the house. Replace with healthier snack options like nuts, fruit, or dark chocolate.<br />* Identify triggers: Track cravings to find patterns (time of day, mood, location) and plan alternatives. * Allow occasional treats: Complete restrictions can backfire. Enjoy small portions mindfully to reduce guilt and binge cycles.</p>