Chapter 3 Why is it Difficult to Stop?

======================================================================================================

Many people feel as though something has taken control of them when it comes to food. At first, it’s a simple thought of, “I’ll start eating better tomorrow.” Over time, this turns into a belief that we lack the willpower to stop or that we need junk food to enjoy life. Breaking free from unhealthy eating feels like clawing your way out of a slippery pit: you catch glimpses of success, but a stressful moment or craving pulls you back down. Eventually, you find yourself reaching for chips or soda, feeling worse with every bite.

Ask someone hooked on junk food, “If you could go back to the time before you started eating these foods regularly, with the knowledge you have now, would you start?”

“No way!” is the reply.

Now ask someone who defends their eating habits and believes they’re harmless, “Would you encourage your children to eat like this?”

Again, “No way!” is the response.

Unhealthy eating is a strange paradox. The real difficulty isn’t explaining why it’s easy to stop—it’s explaining why it feels so hard to stop. Why would anyone continue eating foods they know harm their health, energy, and happiness? Part of the answer lies in social norms: everyone around us eats junk food, and it’s marketed as fun, comforting, and essential. Yet, most people who eat it wish they hadn’t started in the first place. They feel stuck, constantly trying to cut back, and yet find themselves reaching for the same foods time and again.

We spend a significant part of our lives feeling trapped. Foods designed to hijack our taste buds create a cycle of craving and regret. A sugary snack may bring a moment of pleasure, but it’s followed by guilt, fatigue, and frustration. Even reading about the harmful effects of junk food often makes people feel more hopeless. What sort of habit leaves you craving it when you don’t have it, but feeling worse when you do?

The most frustrating part? Junk food gives us nothing in return. Absolutely nothing.

Why is it So Difficult?

You might be thinking, “That’s all very well, but once you’re hooked, it’s incredibly hard to stop.” But why? Some say it’s because of the powerful cravings, but the reality is that the physical withdrawal symptoms from junk food are mild. Many people go through their lives without realizing they’re addicted, yet they struggle to change.

Others believe junk food is harmless and should be enjoyed guilt-free. But the truth is, it’s engineered to act like a drug. Foods high in sugar, fat, and salt trigger the brain’s reward system, creating a cycle of dependence. Ask anyone who claims they only enjoy “light snacks” if they’ve ever eaten an entire bag of chips or box of cookies in one sitting. The answer is almost always yes.

Enjoyment isn’t the issue either. Many of us enjoy certain foods without becoming dependent on them. For example, you might enjoy a special dessert on a holiday, but you don’t crave it every day. Junk food is different—it’s designed to make you keep coming back for more.

People often rationalize their habits with excuses like:

“I deserve this snack; it’s comforting.”
“It’s just a small treat; it won’t hurt.”
“I need sugar for energy to get through the day.”

But these are illusions. Junk food doesn’t relieve stress; it temporarily numbs it. It doesn’t provide lasting energy; it gives you a quick sugar rush followed by a crash. And it doesn’t comfort you—it creates a cycle of dependency and regret.

The Difference Between Habit and Addiction

Many people think unhealthy eating is just a bad habit, but that’s not entirely true. Habits are easy to break or change. For example, if you get a new job, you adjust to a different schedule without much trouble. But food addiction is different. It feels like a constant battle, where you’re always deprived when you don’t have your favorite snacks and guilty when you do.

Unhealthy eating isn’t just a habit—it’s an addiction. That’s why it feels so hard to stop. Most people believe they’re making a genuine sacrifice when they give up junk food, but that’s not the case. Once you understand the true nature of food addiction, you’ll realize there’s nothing to give up—only freedom to gain.

The Sinister Trap

Unhealthy eating is a subtle and sinister trap. Junk food companies know exactly how to hook us:

They engineer foods to be irresistible, using just the right combination of sugar, fat, and salt.
They market these foods as comforting, fun, and essential for social occasions.
They create portion sizes and packaging designed to encourage overconsumption.

Once we’re hooked, the trap is designed to keep us there. Stress, boredom, or even social pressure can send us straight back to the snack aisle. And when we try to stop, we often find ourselves in a cycle of cravings, guilt, and frustration.

Breaking Free

The good news is that breaking free isn’t about willpower, restrictive diets, or guilt. It’s about understanding the trap and dismantling the illusions that keep us stuck. Once you see unhealthy eating for what it really is—an addictive cycle with no real benefits—you’ll find it easy to stop.

In the next chapters, we’ll explore the two main factors that keep us trapped:

The nature of junk food and its addictive properties.
The societal brainwashing that normalizes unhealthy eating.

By the end of this book, you’ll see the trap for what it is and wonder why you didn’t escape sooner. The path to freedom is waiting—all you need to do is keep reading.