We Pay More to Get More of the Food We Crave More

Craving Shatters Our Health Goals

Our minds play tricks on us sometimes and this includes when we crave for foods too. Cravings are irresistible, increase our weight-gain ratio, make us unstoppable until we get our desired food and hinder our health plans. Recent research adds another disadvantage to our cravings-makes us pay more for the unhealthy foods we crave and pay bizarre amounts for higher portions of the foods we crave. This research is detrimental in that it might even negate the effects of eating healthier as craving overpowers healthy eating by sky-rocketing the value of unhealthy foods relatively.

Marketing is an art, supermarkets play on the psychology of people and there is increasing interest in sectors such as marketing, psychology, economics and medicine to know how our psychological needs affect our behavior. Craving is an important aspect here because this psychological state of mind evokes addiction, eating disorders and obesity too as elaborated in the website www.firsteatright.com.

A recent research conducted questioned subjects on their willingness to pay for certain snack foods before and after their craving for the same. Results showed that subjects were willing to pay for certain foods after they were exposed to it and this was prevalent even if the subjects were hungry before and after the exposure. The study also found that, subjects were willing to pay more for high-calorie items such as Snickers or butter popcorn when they craved more compared to healthier options such as granola bars.

Finally, people were ready to pay massive amounts for higher portions of the craved items implying that craving boosts the economic values of the craved foods.
​
Craving is an unhealthy policy and when it is accompanied by multiple other disadvantages it makes it ugly and unworthy. It is better to stop craving for foods either with healthier food options or other methods. Some options include:

1. Call up your long-distance friend right away and speak with him/her
2. Go out for a stroll or listen to some peppy music of your choice
3. Take up your favorite book and start reading voraciously
4. Try to munch on healthier alternatives such as unsweetened yogurt with fruits or granola bars