爲什麼已經吃到撐但嘴巴還是停不下來

Why it can be hard to stop eating even when you're full

爲什麼已經吃到撐但嘴巴還是停不下來

All foods are not created equal. Most are palatable, or tasty to eat, which is important because we need to eat to survive. For example, a fresh apple is palatable to most people and provides vital nutrients and calories.

並非所有食物都是生來平等的。大多數食物都美味可口，這一點十分重要，因爲人需要吃東西才能活下去。例如，對於大多數人而言，一顆新鮮的蘋果不僅汁多味美，而且還能提供重要的營養素和卡路里。

But certain foods, such as pizza, potato chips and chocolate chip cookies, are almost irresistible. They're always in demand at parties, and they're easy to keep eating, even when we are full. In these foods, a synergy between key ingredients can create an artificially enhanced palatability experience. Researchers call this hyperpalatability. Eaters call it delicious.

但某些食物，例如披薩、薯片和巧克力曲奇餅乾，卻令人無法抗拒。聚會時總能看到它們的身影，而且即便在已經吃撐的情況下，也還能再吃一點。在這些食物中，關鍵成分間的協同作用可創造出一種人爲增強的口感。研究員將其稱爲超美味性，大胃王稱其爲美味可口。

Initial studies suggest that foods with two or more key ingredients linked to palatability — specifically, sugar, salt, fat or carbohydrates — can activate brain-reward neurocircuits similarly to drugs like cocaine or opioids. They may also be able to bypass mechanisms in our bodies that make us feel full and tell us to stop eating.

初步研究表明，含有兩種或多種調味成分（特別是糖、鹽、脂肪或碳水化合物）的食物可激活大腦的獎勵神經迴路（與可卡因或阿片類藥物的作用類似）。這些食物或許還能避開我們的身體機制，而這種機制會提醒我們飽腹，不需要再度進食。

Our research focuses on rewarding foods, addictive behaviors and obesity. We recently published a study with nutritional scientist Debra Sullivan that identifies three clusters of key ingredients that can make foods hyperpalatable. Using those definitions, we estimated that nearly two-thirds of foods widely consumed in the U.S. fall into at least one of those three groups. Foods that are easily accessible and cheap are everywhere in our society. Unsurprisingly, eating them has been associated with obesity.

我們的研究集中關注獎勵食物、成癮行爲和肥胖。近期，我們與營養學家黛布拉·沙利文（Debra Sullivan）合作發表了一項研究，確定了使食物變得超級美味的三類關鍵成分。通過定義，我們估計全美三分之二的美食都在這三類成分之列。便宜易買的食物到處都是，而食用這些食物與肥胖有關也就不足爲奇了。

Documentaries in the last 15-20 years have reported that food companies have developed formulas to make palatable foods so enticing. However, manufacturers typically guard their recipes as trade secrets, so academic scientists can't study them. Instead, researchers have used descriptive definitions to capture what makes some foods hyperpalatable. For example, in his 2012 book, David Kessler, former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), wrote:

過去15至20年的紀錄片報道，食品公司已研發出使美味食品變得誘人的配方。但通常情況下，製造商會將這些配方視作商業機密加以保護，因此學術科學家無法對其展開研究。因此，研究員根據這些描述性定義來探究食物口感超讚的原因。例如，2012年，美食品藥品監管局（FDA）前專員戴維·凱斯勒（David Kessler）在其著作中寫道：

"What are these foods? .... Some are sweetened drinks, chips, cookies, candy, and other snack foods. Then, of course, there are fast food meals — fried chicken, pizza, burgers, and fries."

“哪些食物屬於這一範疇呢……。含糖飲料、薯條、餅乾、糖果和其它休閒食品。當然，快餐食品—炸雞、披薩、漢堡和薯條都屬於這類食物。”