From the cognitive impacts such as the release of dopamine and the less scientific understanding that it just plain tastes good. While this may be an assumption, and everyone is different, for me the utility I gain from a cupcake is much higher than the utility I gain from say broccoli. While in the long-run the broccoli may make me feel better, in the moment my satisfaction is optimized with the sugary dessert. And with the prices often being lower and less effort being put into making it taste good, "bad" food is just too good. This is what makes issues such as obesity and diabetes so hard to combat, it is an absolute internal conflict. It comes down to cravings. When going to the store you are surrounded with colorful labels and advertisements that reach out to you and make you crave it. Also your past experiences with food (ie. marginalism) you remember the utility you had the last time you consumed something, and while with the theory of marginalism as you consume it more and more, that utility may fade, your body remembers the joy you had from the desserts you love.
Tips to fight junk food cravings:
- distance yourself from the cravings
- drink water (you may be thirsty, not hungry)
- eat mindfully
-NEVER go to the store hungry
Overall just look for balance in your diet and habits. There is no need to track your caloric intake and hate yourself for splurging on a dessert every now and then.
works cited:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-ways-to-stop-food-cravings
https://lifehacker.com/why-your-brain-craves-junk-food-and-what-you-can-do-ab-1469120841
This was interesting to read. I think an important step for combatting unhealthy cravings is to first acknowledge these cravings. People may not understand how "bad" the food they're eating really is and how it affects them. For example, it's easy to overlook the consequences of eating something like a candy bar or unhealthy cereals and justify consuming them, but once you understand their effects, you can focus on avoiding those foods.
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting to me how we only remember the foods that brought us joy, instead of the ones that are good for us and make our bodies feel better. It makes us want to ignore how unhealthy something is so that we can feel that joy again. I also related to the point about not going to the store while you are hungry. In the past when I have done that, I have bought way too much and typically less healthy options.
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