Have you ever opened a packet of biscuits and found you have eaten half without even realising? Or noticed a craving that feels almost impossible to ignore?
You are not alone, and it is not a lack of willpower. Much of what we eat today is not really food in the traditional sense. It has been designed to keep us coming back for more.
These are ultra-processed products, made from extracted ingredients such as refined oils, sugars, and starches. They are broken down, modified, and reassembled into something that looks and tastes like food.
The difference lies in the precision with which they are engineered to act on the brain’s reward systems.
Ultra-processed foods are built to deliver pleasure quickly and consistently.
Scientists use the term “bliss point” to describe the exact combination of sugar, fat, and salt that makes a product irresistible. When this point is reached, the brain releases dopamine, a chemical linked with enjoyment and motivation. It encourages us to repeat the behaviour again and again.
The more often we eat these products, the more our brains learn to expect the same rewarding feeling. It becomes a loop of craving and satisfaction that can be difficult to escape. The experience is intense and short-lived, leaving us wanting another bite, and then another.
When we eat ultra-processed food, the brain’s reward circuits light up strongly. These pathways are linked to pleasure, habit, and reinforcement. Over time, they can override the parts of the brain that help with self-control and decision-making.
This helps explain why stopping at one crisp or one biscuit feels almost impossible. It is not greed or weakness, but the natural response of a brain that has been overstimulated. The food delivers such a strong signal that it quiets the body’s more subtle messages of fullness and satisfaction.
Many ultra-processed products are marketed as healthy choices. You might see phrases like “low fat”, “high in fibre”, or “source of protein”. The problem is that these labels distract from what the product really is.
A low-fat yoghurt may have its fat replaced with added sugars or artificial thickeners. A cereal bar might contain vitamins but still rely on processed syrups and emulsifiers.
These products can look and sound wholesome, but they often leave the body in the same confused state as more obvious junk food.
The human appetite system evolved to handle whole, natural foods. It uses hormones such as leptin and ghrelin to signal when to eat and when to stop.
Ultra-processed foods disrupt these natural rhythms. Their refined ingredients are absorbed very quickly, sending rapid spikes in blood sugar and triggering hunger again soon after eating.
Because these foods are soft and easy to chew, they pass through the mouth quickly. The brain has less time to register fullness. The result is a mismatch between what the body needs and what the brain demands.
We eat more, feel less satisfied, and crave the same foods again.
Over time, eating ultra-processed food can become automatic. The habit forms quietly as the brain connects the taste and texture with comfort and reward. Eventually, we may reach for these foods when we are bored, stressed, or tired, not because we are hungry.
This pattern mirrors what happens with other forms of dependency. The product creates the craving for itself. The more we respond to that craving, the stronger it becomes. It can take patience and awareness to unlearn it.
The good news is that the body and brain are adaptable.
When we start to replace ultra-processed foods with simple, whole ingredients, our senses begin to recover. Natural flavours that once seemed dull start to taste vibrant again. The body regains its rhythm of hunger and satisfaction.
Cooking at home, even in small ways, helps to reset this relationship with food.
Preparing a meal engages the senses and brings back the natural pace of eating. It reminds us that food is meant to nourish and restore, not to manipulate or control.
Understanding why ultra-processed foods have such power over us is the first step towards change. These products are built to trigger pleasure and override control. Recognising this removes the guilt and replaces it with awareness.
Real food may not provide the same instant excitement, but it offers something far more valuable: balance, clarity, and a lasting sense of satisfaction. By choosing foods that work with our biology rather than against it, we can rebuild a healthier, more natural connection with eating.
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