Lets face it, one of the reasons we find it really hard to lose weight is because we love the relationship we have with food. We love the taste of it, the smell of it, the feeling of contentment and satisfaction it gives us and to top it all, the sheer variety and choice available, is irresistible. No wonder we are all getting fatter!

Researchers in the United States have found evidence to suggest that people can become overly dependent on the sugar and fat in fast food and that Hamburgers and French fries for example, could become as addictive as heroin, scientists have claimed. Dr John Hoebel and his colleagues at Princeton University in New Jersey based their theory on a study of rats, so, could this explain the soaring figures of obesity we are now suffering in the western world?

Many people suffer with cravings for certain types of food, and the trigger for some people, could be an advert displaying their favourite Big Mac and this instantly makes them want one. This is quite normal and most of us will experience cravings for certain foods at times but it can also lead to an addiction that’s difficult to stop.

So, how do you know if you have an addiction to certain food? Well, its not always very easy to put your finger on it but for example, if you are going through some emotional turbulence in your life, and it’s leaving you feeling depressed, you may get the urge to eat certain foods because you know they will give you a sense of well being, even though you know it’s bad for you. Sweet things are some of the biggest culprits but its hard to say exactly why certain foods are addictive.

It could simply be because of the chemicals it contains or maybe it’s the psychological effects associated with certain foods. In any event, some foods seem to be more addictive than others. Chocolate My favourite and known by some as the food of the Gods. It’s said that chocolate contains substances that can trigger mood enhancing chemicals in the brain, making us feel happy and satisfied. Is this why a report says that women prefer chocolate to sex?

Sugar Thought to be very addictive and no wonder, its in much of the things we eat! Is it addictive because of the instant energy surge we get from it? A good way to test if you are addicted, is to avoid anything containing sugar and see how long it takes before you start feeling tired and irritable. If this happens, it’s a sign that you are having withdrawal symptoms. It’s said that heroin addicts consume lots of sugar to help alleviate the awful symptoms of withdrawal and stem the craving for heroin.

Caffeine Coffee is the main caffeine culprit and especially if it’s the strong freshly ground type. It is well known for being addictive and if you can’t get your daily coffee fix, it can leave you feeling a bit shaky and bring on mood swings including irritability.

Put simply, caffeine can affect you just like any other drug and the more caffeine you take in, the more your body develops a tolerance to it and before you know it, you will need more and more for it to have the same effect. Its when you try to reduce the amount of caffeine that you will experience the withdrawal symptoms. There are many foods that we can get addicted to and it seems that we Human Beings are very susceptible to becoming addicted to all sorts of things and not just food either, cigarettes, alcohol and gambling to name just a few.

Check out the video link below now, because it gives you a fascinating insight into all the reasons why we become addicted to food in the first place.

Watch the interesting video below!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3214100593069532942&hl=en