fat compass
Feeding formula: This is why chips are addictive
Why is it so difficult to control chip consumption?
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There are foods that cannot be eaten in a controlled manner – such as chips. Once tried, for many, the “flash” only ends when the bag is empty. That chips are addictive is not a myth. The feeding formula is to blame.
First one, then two, then three, then four and hey presto the bag is empty. You don’t eat a bunch of potato chips, even half a bag, then seal them up and put them back in the cupboard. Once you start nibbling, you only stop when the last crumb has disappeared from your mouth. At least that’s how it is for most people. Like other greasy foods, chips are addictive. That’s a fact. But why?
The answer is feeding formula. This describes a specific composition of nutrients in food, more precisely: the ratio of carbohydrates to fats. It is already known from experiments with animals that a certain mixture of these two components can trigger veritable binge eating. The feeding formula has a similar effect on humans. Star chef Nelson Müller pursued these and other questions in the first part of a new ZDF documentary series. In “The Fat Compass. Living well with burgers, chips and margarine”, the eating formula is broken down as follows: If a food consists of half fat and about one third carbohydrates (or: 50:35), then this mix activates the reward center in the brain. The result: we want more and more and more of it.
How to keep chip greed in check?
It is known that fat is a flavor carrier and carbohydrates provide energy. Whether that alone accounts for the potential for addiction is controversial. Because the rats in the experiment ate a lot more of the special feed composition than usual, almost a third more, but if they were given potato chips, there was no stopping them. The animals pounced on other snacks and sweets such as peanut chips and chocolate just as greedily. It is assumed that in addition to the composition of the food, other factors also play a role, such as the consistency, the smell, but also spices such as salt.
So what to do about the binge eating caused by chips? Nelson Müller advises: “Don’t eat chips straight out of the bag. It’s best to pour them into a bowl, maybe even into a smaller bowl. Then the whole thing looks fuller. This is how you can trick yourself into not eating too much fat .”
In “Der Fett-Kompass” (The Fat Compass), Müller explains why fat isn’t a bad thing per se and how you can maneuver your way through the food jungle despite temptations such as burgers, chips and margarine. Like the other parts “The Protein Compass” and “The Sugar Compass”, the episode is available in the ZDF media library.