It Isn't Just Oreos That Are Addictive

The Connecticut College study adds to a growing body of evidence that people get hooked on sugar, fat, and salt. Of course, the purveyors of fast food already knew this. Since 1971, when the US government decided to pay farmers to grow vast amounts of corn as a matter of national security, food manufacturers have had an incentive to use low-cost high-fructose corn syrup in snack foods, and the low cost of the ingredients enables them to offer snacks cheap.

Add a little GMO soybean oil for the greasy component, and you have created an addictive concoction that keeps people coming back for more and more. Apparently you also set up people for addiction to higher-priced drugs like heroin.

So if you are fan of fast food, and you don't really have the money to eat right, what can you possibly do to keep from becoming even more addicted? Here are some suggestions:

• Especially if food is on sale, save it for later. People eat food sooner when they pay less for it. But if you buy a bunch of Oreos, or chips, or bean dip, or hot dogs to save money, put them in a cupboard or in the refrigerator or in the freezer (if freezing won't ruin them) at least for a day so you won't want to scaft them all down.

• If a food item comes with a bonus pack, it's probably relatively healthy for you. Food marketers know that consumers want price breaks on junk foods, but they want bonus packs for healthy foods. If a food item comes with a bonus pack, at least the manufacturer thinks it's good for you.

• Pay cash rather than using a credit card. Get cash on your card to pay with food, if necessary. People tend to pay cash for foods they know are healthy, but to buy junk food on credit.

• If you don't want your kids nagging you for junk food, try to cut back on TV. American children see an average of 40,000 TV commercials for food every year, 72% of them for foods that are high in sugar, fat, and salt, to which they become addicted.

• And don't eat junk food in front of the TV. When you eat in front of the TV, you have to eat longer to feel full, because your attention is on the program rather than on what you are eating.

It is hard to eat healthy on a budget in the USA. But you can at least shake addictions to fast food and junk food if you know how it controls you.