Is Fast Food Addictive?
Scientists have finally shown in lab studies what makes fast food addictive. A recent Scripps Research Institute study has shown that foods high in saturated fat, calories and sugar cause the body to release an increased amount of leptin, a hormone that tells the brain that the stomach is full.
In the study, rats were divided into three groups. One group ate only junk food. The second group of rats ate only healthy food. A third group of rats ate a combination of healthy and junk food. What scientists discovered was that the rats who ate only junk food needed more and more junk food in order to feel satisfied or “full.”
photo credit: Adam NFK Smith
In addition to gaining weight, scientists said after several weeks, the rats were no longer able to tell if they were hungry or not. They ate constantly, which they attributed to the high levels of leptin in the rats’ systems. After 40 days, when the junk food was taken away from the animals, the rats starved themselves for weeks.
The Laboratory of Addictive Disorders assistant professor Pietro Cottone said the affect the food had on the rats could be likened to the compulsive disorder that drives drug addiction.
The Scripps study is significant, but it’s not the first study to draw the attention.
In 2004, the world watched in horror as filmmaker Morgan Spurlock embarked on an experiment that forced him to eat at McDonald’s three meals a day for a month. The experiment was documented in the award-winning film “Supersize Me.” Spurlock’s film was released shortly after the tobacco industry came under fire and R.J. Reynolds paid $15 million in punitive damages. Americans were looking for a new villain.
There was talk of litigation against McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants. The bad press triggered minor changes. Many of the restaurants began providing what they claimed were healthier options like salads and stopped using trans fats. Some talked of changing their menu boards to include calorie counts.
But the lawsuits were mostly thrown out, the old menu boards stayed and the salads were not big sellers. To make the salads more appealing, little by little, more fat and calories were added. Now, at many fast food restaurants, salads are the most unhealthy choice you can make. For instance, Wendy’s Chicken BLT Salad with Homestyle Chicken Filet has a whopping 790 calories and 53 grams of fat. In comparison, a Wendy’s Classic Single with Everything has 420 calories and 20 grams of fat.
As a result, Americans who have come to rely on convenience foods have only gotten bigger. Obesity is now considered an epidemic, but unfortunately nothing much as been done to remedy the situation. Twenty-five percent of patients considering bariatric surgery are denied coverage by their healthcare policies three times before getting approval. Many are never approved. Also excluded from many of these policies are weight loss programs of any kind, even when recommended by the patient’s primary physician due to risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. Generally, being overweight is considered a pre-existing condition.
More proof that America isn’t making the necessary changes to stop the epidemic can be found in the schools. The nation’s largest provider of school lunches, Aramark Services, has teamed up with McDonald’s and Pizza Hut to feed students. Some noise has been made over unhealthy lunches for children, but not enough to matter. The almighty dollar drives the low-quality food provided to schools.
If you are waiting for your insurance company to see the light or waiting for the government to step in and make fast food healthy, you are likely headed to an early grave. The time to take action is now. Get help with your fast food addiction. Suggestions include visiting your family doctor, a dietitian and possibly a counselor or psychiatrist. Fast food addiction is real and should be tackled on multiple fronts.
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