It's Official! Junk Food IS Addictive! (1 Viewer)

[Steve Christou]

[scoffing cheeseburger]...what we *munch* always suspected...*munch*munch*


JUNK food IS addictive, scientists said yesterday – and their discovery could cost fast food giants billions in compensation.

Boffins claimed their studies showed that the high doses of fat and sugar in some foods can be as habit-forming as cigarettes or hard drugs.

The evidence supports the claims of hundreds of thousands of obese people worldwide that they are not to blame for their overeating.

Scientists studied the biochemical changes in the brains of rats fed different diets. When the fat rats had their sugary food taken away they showed similar symptoms to junkies deprived of drugs.

Researcher Matthew Will said: “Our study suggests a high-fat diet alters brain biochemistry with effects similar to those of drugs such as morphine.”

Their studies have shown that overeating is triggered by chemicals called opioids, which reduce the feeling of being full.

When the release of opioids was blocked obese people found they wanted to eat a third less food.

Meanwhile, researchers at Rockefeller University in New York say regularly eating fatty foods changes the body’s hormonal system so that diners want more fat.

*belch*

 

[Micheal]

I knew it!! Now I can eat until I explode and my wife can rake in the ca$h!!

 

[Jay H]

Hmm, I would say that cycling is addictive, perhaps spiders too.

I wonder if this is the same guy who thinks Stonehenge is female genitalia?

Jay

 

[brentl]

female genitalia = McDonalds

That's an interesting thought Jay

Too many jokes come to mind ... must resist!

Brent

 

[MarkHastings]

Too many jokes come to mind ... must resist!

I can't...

How about Burger Kings: "Have it your way"?

 

[AllanN]

[Homer Simpson]mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm cheeseburger[/Homer Simpson]

This reminds me of the "Fat F&$ks" Track on the Denis Leary CD Lock 'N Load

 

[Max Leung]

So, uh, now that we know that fast food is addictive, um, like, does this mean that the "victim" can do something about it? If you know you are suffering from an affliction, does this mean you don't have to act on it anymore?

How can knowing that you are addicted to something mean you shouldn't do anything about it? Hey, you're a junk food addict...you know it, we know it, but you won't do anything about it because you claim to be helpless against an "addiction" = you're a TOTAL LOSER!

It's the same with my smoker friends: many of them know it is bad for them, they know it is addictive, they know they are broke because of it, but they won't do a thing about it because "hey, I'm addicted, therefore I am not responsible -- woe is me". I have no sympathy.

On the other hand, I know of one ex-smoker who instantly gave up smoking. Went cold turkey -- no side effects, no withdrawal symptoms, no ill effects at all! He just decided, "I don't need this shit", and quit, just like that. An amazing demonstration of self-suggestion, power of the mind, and so forth. What does he have that none of the others did? Willpower? Balls? Superb neurological control? Superior genes?

 

[Steve Christou]

I wonder if this is the same guy who thinks Stonehenge is female genitalia?

Well didn't he write that bestselling book 'Do Hotdogs Depict Male Gen... nnnngggaaah indigestion, damn those burgers... burgers I damn thee... nnggg must call... lawyer... sue the shit out of..innnggg MacDonalds... must fight addiction... but first... have to finish off this delicious... last..cheeseburger.. nggggggg...*munch*munch*

 

[Tony Whalen]

I dunno Max. Hardest thing I ever did was giving up smoking. Haven't had a cig for 15 months now. It was DAMN hard, but I did it.

Now I gotta give up cheeseburgers? I don't THINK so.

 

[Max Leung]

Steve, maybe you have lactose intolerance! Just don't add cheese next time.

Tony, at least you tried! The young smokers tend to give up too easily. Let me guess, you're over the age of 30 right? Most of the ex-smokers I know are around 35 or so, so maybe it's a hormone thing.

What are the withdrawal symptoms like? Is it completely pshychological, ie. the habit that is hard to beat, and not necessarily the chemical effects?

 

[MarkHastings]

The young smokers tend to give up too easily

This sounds like the beginnings of a Seinfeld bit...

How lazy do you have to be to give up at giving up something

Max, Cigarettes have warnings on them, junk food doesn't. I know common sense should always prevail, but we live in a world where addictive things must contain warnings of some sort.

Can you imagine warning labels on your Big Mac?

 

[Jay Taylor]

Scientists have also discovered that 100% of deaths worldwide would not have occurred if the deceased’s mother had not given birth to the deceased.

Making moms responsible for all of the world’s deaths should restore the good name of unfairly stigmatized leaders such as Adolph Hitler, Osama Bin Laden and Attila the Hun.

In light of this remarkable discovery numerous other studies are planned to see what else can be blamed on mom.

Jay Taylor

 

[ThomasC]

Can you imagine warning labels on your Big Mac?

If people are stupid enough to think that the coffee isn't hot, yes.

 

[Neil Joseph]

Having not read any posts in this thread thus far (so as to have an unbiased opinion) I offer the following suggestion/thought...

Personally, it would not surprise me if the food companies (giant conglomerates) are not working hand in hand with the health industry so that each profits. What if the food companies add chemical (additives) in certain foods that cause this... addicitveness in foods, particularly those that are high in carbohydrates. This would cause the general public to gain weight. It is a known fact that it is not so much the "fat" in foods that causes weight gain but the carbs, that when injested, turn into fat. This would explain why todays "low fat" aware public is more overweight than ever.

Couple this with the health industry that places a higher value on sickness treatment than sickness prevention. Medication that needs to be taken once a day for a lifetime provides a lot more money than medication taken for a short time that cures the ailment, or even worse, prevention from sickness in the first place.

Couple both of these with the employment industry that believes in keeping you just fit enough to last a few years with the company after which, an employee will be replaced with a.... cheaper version. This could be one of the reasons that companies prefer not to keep older employees because we become more expensive the older we get.

Forgive me if any of this touches on a nerve.

I do however feel that the bottom line here is $$$ if you think about it.

 

[Max Leung]

Shameless book plug:

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal

It's all about the $$$. Please support this author's work.

I like the chapter on food flavourings...

 

[MarkHastings]

I do however feel that the bottom line here is $$$ if you think about it.

That's what it's ALL about. I doubt the makers of the new burger with 4 strips of bacon, cheddar cheese and fries are concerned about satisfying peoples hunger, or the makers of "Oreo" and "Reeses Peanut Butter Cup" cereal are really concerned about kids getting a good jump on their morning routines by providing a nutritious breakfast.

They're in it for the money.

 

[Paul McElligott]

Shut up and pass the ketchup...

 

[Mick Wright]

A little over a year ago, I said enough and stopped drinking soda, eating fried food, cut out all sugar, and just about all the other unhealthy foods. I shook like a junkie for about two weeks but I made it, and today I weigh about 50lbs less than I did then (about 6'2" 180 now). I've since tried to convince everyone I know to stop consuming trash like cokes, fried food, etc but they don't want to hear it, so I give up. People are going to do whatever the hell they want no matter what the consequences on their health.

You could probably put cigarettes in a black pack with a skull and cross-bones on it and people would line up to get their hands on them. :rolleyes

 

[Jason Pancake]

When it comes down to it this study is suggesting that people are not responsible for their own behavior even though they were perfectly aware of the consequences of their actions. At what point does personal responsibility fit in here? The truth is that people are presented with a choice. Some people do not have the willpower to make the healthy choice. Some people do. Regardless of what other influences there are it all comes down to a choice. To deny that people are free to make such a choice is to deny that people are free at all.

-Pancake

 

[Jay Taylor]

Well said Jason!