Dessert Activates the Chemical Reward System In the Brain

"Well maybe I'll have one more..."

After eating a doughnut or a cookie it is almost impossible to not even immediately start considering having another one. Why do such delicious foods put us in such a predicament? It is because of levels of two hormones known as ghrelin and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) both of these hormones work to stimulate hunger and activate similar receptors in the brain that certain drugs do.

These hormones make you crave certain foods because it triggers the pleasure/reward part of the brain as opposed to the hunger part. People with increased levels of this tend to have bigger problems with pleasure eating, activating the chemical reward system in the body which overpowers the brains ability to signal the body to know when to stop eating. 

These habits are driven by pleasure and not energy deprivation. While many of the physiological effects are not fully understood, this phenomenon will contribute to a surge in epidemic obesity. So good luck with “one more Oreo”