Why we over eat certain things?

What do I mean by over eating certain things?

In this case, I’m talking about things that we eat and just can’t stop. We have gone in with the best intention to just have a few crisps, the next minute the whole bag is gone and we are left  thinking how did that happen? We are in that almost possessed rhythm of reaching back into the crisp bag or ice cream tub for just another hand/spoon full.  I’m sure we have all been there and get caught in it from time to time. 

So why do we do it?

Well, to start processed food is scientifically designed to be irresistible and is easy to eat in large quantities. They are close to the perfect balance between sweet, salt and fat. Fat combined with either sugar or salt and sometimes both is a golden combination for a hyper-palatable snack that we can’t resist. There is a whole industry dedicated to coming up with recipes for these types of foods to make it almost impossible to stop. If you feel out of control with certain foods, you are not alone. People that would consider themselves as healthy eaters (my self included) feel out of control around certain foods sometimes. Apart from the combination of fat, sugar and salt, texture density and size play a vital role in this as well. The perfect bite-size salty snack that you can easily eat in large quantities is doing its job really well. 

What can we do?

Have you ever said I can’t stop eating those apple wedges? If you think about it, it’s likely you have never binged on a whole food. Whole-foods are foods that haven’t been modified from their original form. A ready meal from the grocery store, pastries, fruit yoghurt, crisp – is all food that is designed to be hyper-palatable. Just knowing this will help you make better choices and prevent you from putting yourself in a situation where it will be difficult to stick to moderation.