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Why Snack Food Is Addictive: The Grand Unified Theory of Snack Appeal
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July 6, 2011
10:58 pm
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fleeber:

I haven't read Barrett's book.  I found the studies I referenced by searching with Google Scholar and PubMed, and am familiar with the concept (which is by no means original to her) through my previous studies of evolutionary biology.  The conclusions seemed obvious to me.

It looks like an interesting book, though!

JS

July 15, 2011
2:02 pm
It is About Correct
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[...] If you were to design a profitable and successful snack food, you’d want it to have several characteristics: http://www.gnolls.org/2074/why-snack-food-is-addictive-the-grand-unified-theory-of-snack-appeal/ [...]

August 13, 2011
3:01 am
Insulin doesn't
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[...] and be replaced by those that did. The problem is when reward is not accompanied by nutrition. Why Snack Food Is Addictive: The Grand Unified Theory of Snack Appeal Reply With Quote   + Reply to [...]

August 13, 2011
12:53 pm
Great snacking makes
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[...] Snacks are designed to be unfilling but supernormally stimulate the senses. They are also fattening because they don’t fill you up. Here is a great link that covers it in far more detail than I can. Why Snack food is Addictive: The grand Unified Theory of Snack Appeal [...]

August 26, 2011
6:10 pm
Casual Friday: Editi
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[...] “Predators gorge and fast; Prey grazes” [...]

August 26, 2011
6:17 pm
Tahitian Moon
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Thank You so much for posting this. It explained something that I have been trying to figure out for years. I didn't understand how I could eat a ton of donuts or Mickey D's and still be hungry. I am new to the primal/paleo community, but I have never felt better. My only regret is that I didn't find you sooner. I have spent a small fortune on Jenny Craig/Weight Watchers and Conventional Wisdom Diets. I can't wait to read more of your work.

August 28, 2011
2:22 pm
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Tahitian Moon:

I'm glad you found this article illuminating!  I do my best to explain things in a way people who aren't already familiar with the paleo jargon can undersatnd.

It's extremely important to understand that healthy food tastes good.  That's why you'll be able to stick with paleo, when you couldn't stick with Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers...fatty meats taste good for a reason.

Welcome to gnolls.org...I hope you'll stick around!

JS

September 22, 2011
9:03 pm
julie
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What about snacks such as English peas, carrots, cucumbers, peaches? They're not meat. BTW, I also picked meat out of my food as a kid, but to throw it out, not eat it. I can stand it a bit more now, but my eating is more as MP says - Eat Food, not too much, mostly plants. Each to their own. I enjoy your in-depth well thought out/researched articles, but your push to eat as predator leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

September 23, 2011
5:58 am
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julie:

I'm sure it's possible to binge on carrots...but in a world with seven billion people, it's possible to find a single example of anything.  In practice, I'm sure it's vanishingly rare...carrots have a respectable amount of nutrients per calorie (one 8" carrot = 30 calories), so they're unlikely to trigger a binge.  On the other hand, it's quite possible to binge on cling peaches, and probably even the regular kind...I know someone that's suffered grape binges.

As far as my dietary recommendations, you're free to take them or leave them as you wish.  It's more difficult to get proper nutrition on a low or zero-meat diet, but so long as you eat eggs and coconut products it's quite possible...and fishatarian paleo is quite healthy if you can afford it and you are cautious of methylmercury content.

If I demanded that all my readers agree with me in every respect, I'd have very few left.  Feel free to stick around.

JS

 

October 13, 2011
1:55 am
Jimmy
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Sign me up for news

October 14, 2011
8:40 pm
Great snacking makes
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[...] Snacks are designed to be unfilling but supernormally stimulate the senses. They are also fattening because they don’t fill you up. Here is a great link that covers it in far more detail than I can. Why Snack food is Addictive: The grand Unified Theory of Snack Appeal [...]

October 19, 2011
9:58 am
Tim
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This is a great article, especially the amount of reasoning behind the way we work, rather than just the nutritive value of foods.

October 21, 2011
2:16 pm
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Tim:

Thank you!  It's important to start with real-world observed behavior, instead of starting with a neat theory and bending reality to fit it.

JS

December 15, 2011
9:59 am
The Comprehensive Gu
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[...] normal. When we’re not hungry and we still crave food, we have a problem, and when we crave foods that our bodies aren’t designed to eat we have an even bigger problem. The types of foods we crave, the timing, and intensity of those [...]

January 23, 2012
8:08 am
Sugar Addiction or F
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[...] Originally Posted by magnolia1973 fat is what tells me to stop eating Why Snack Food Is Addictive: The Grand Unified Theory of Snack Appeal - GNOLLS.ORG Female, 5'3", Starting weight: 160lbs. Current weight: 140lbs. Would like to be in 120s, [...]

January 31, 2012
8:04 pm
jacob
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very, very useful, thanks! great info + links

February 1, 2012
2:40 pm
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Jacob:

Thank you!  If you want to go deeper into the biology of hunger, you can read my epic series "Why Are We Hungry?"  Part 1 starts here.

JS

April 23, 2012
4:37 pm
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eddie:

That link doesn't show me anything...try finding the original image instead of redirecting through Google.

JS

April 24, 2012
1:35 am
eddie watts
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it's okay was just a joke, happy eggs are probably the best eggs in the uk but the box is brightly coloured and has a cartoon chicken with a massive happy grin.
from the above it therefore cannot be good for you!!

i just reread this post as i overheard something in the office along the lines of "why is it that all the food that is good for you tastes bad and all the bad stuff tastes so good?"
naturally i sent them this article 🙂

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