4 Foods That Cause Cravings And Addictive Eating

Many people who take a GLP-1 weight-loss drug say that it takes the medication to finally stop their preoccupation with food, often called food noise.

Eating has always been a pleasure, but these cravings seem to be especially powerful in the modern diet. They can come from foods designed to keep us eating more, dietitians warn.

The biggest culprit is the highly palatable, ultraprocessed food stripped of fiber and pumped with sugar, salt and fat, plus extra ingredients like preservatives and thickeners, says Lisa Young, Ph.D., a registered dietitian and adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University.

Think chips, cookies, candy, frozen pizza and fast food.

“It’s thought that the sugar, fat and salt might stimulate the brain's reward center — somewhat similar to substances that