In affluent modern societies we are bombarded by advertisements that deliberately remind us of the look, smell and taste of calorie-dense foods. And in response to these powerful cues, our brains react exactly as they were designed to, triggering a strong desire to eat them.
Here's how food cravings work and what you can do if you find yourself on the hunt for sweet or salty foods. What triggers food cravings?
A food craving is an intense desire or urge to eat something, often focused on a particular food.
We are programmed to learn how good a food tastes and smells and where we can find it again, especially if it is high in fat, sugar or salt.
Something that reminds us that we enjoyed a particular food, such as an eye-catching advertisement or a delicious smell, can trigger a craving for it.
The cue triggers a physical response by increasing saliva production and gastric activity. These reactions are relatively automatic and difficult to control.
What else influences our choice?
While the effect of cues on our physical response is relatively automatic, what we do next is influenced by complex factors. Whether or not you eat the food may depend on things like cost, whether it's readily available, and whether eating it would be consistent with your health goals, but it's usually hard to keep healthy eating in mind. That's because we tend to prioritize more immediate rewards, like the pleasure of eating, over those that are deferred or abstract - including health goals that will make us feel better in the long run.
Stress can also make us eat more. When we're hungry, we choose larger portions, underestimate calories, and think eating brings us greater satisfaction.
We look for something salty or sweet
What if a cue prompts us to seek out a certain food, but it's not available?
Previous research suggested that you would then seek out anything that makes you feel good. So, if you see someone eating a doughnut but there isn't one around, you might have some chips or even drink alcohol.
But our new research confirmed something you probably knew: things are more specific.
If the advert for crisps makes you look for food, it's likely a piece of cake won't do - you'll be looking for something savoury. The cues in our environment not only make us crave food in general, but they also make us seek out certain "categories" of food, such as salty, sweet or crunchy.
Your eating history and genetics can also make it difficult to suppress food cravings. But don't beat yourself up - relying on willpower alone is difficult for almost everyone.
Food cues are so strong that they can cause us to seek out certain foods even if we don't feel a particularly strong desire to eat them. The effect is stronger if the food is readily available.
This helps to explain why we can eat a whole large packet of crisps that is in front of us, even though our pleasure diminishes as we eat. Sometimes we use finishing the packet as a signal to stop eating rather than hunger or craving.
Is there anything I can do to resist cravings?
To a large extent, we have no control over the cues in our environment and the cravings they trigger. But there are some ways you can try to control the situations in which you make food choices.
Acknowledge your craving and think of a healthier way to satisfy it. For example, if you have a craving for crisps, could you have some lightly salted nuts instead? If you want something sweet, you could try fruit.
Avoid shopping when you're hungry and make a list beforehand. Using click-and-collect or 'delivery' options in supermarkets can also help avoid adverts and impulse buys in the aisle.
Have fruits and vegetables readily available at home - and put them in a visible place. Have other nutrient-rich, fibre-rich and unprocessed foods on hand, such as nuts or plain yoghurt. If you can, remove foods high in fat, sugar and salt from your surroundings.
Make sure your nutrition goals are adequate. This means that they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
Be kind to yourself. Don't beat yourself up if you eat something that doesn't meet your health goals. Just keep trying. | BGNES
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