How Does Junk Food Whet Your Appetite? (video)

Author: Victoria Aly Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: February 12, 2026

How Does Junk Food Whet Your Appetite? (video)

The more unhealthy food is consumed, the more the desire to consume it increases.

When the stomach is empty, it releases the hormone ghrelin . It interacts with the neurotransmitter in the brain, neuropeptide Y ( NPY ), which "turns on" the desire to eat. When this desire is satisfied, ghrelin levels fall and hunger passes.

After eating, another hormone is released into the blood - leptin . It interferes with the action of neuropeptide Y ( NPY ), further reducing the desire to eat. This is how the feeling of satiety remains.

If this system works and adequately regulates the feeling of hunger and satiety, why can't we refuse a piece of cake or potato chips?

According to some psychologists, in the past the body used these foods to survive because they contain sugar and fat. As a result, they have become extremely desirable.

Today they can be obtained from anywhere at any time. The problem is that instinct and desire remain. Thus begins the "struggle" to stop or at least limit their consumption.

Scientists have found that long-term intake of fats and sugars interferes with the system that regulates ghrelin and leptin levels . In the end, it turns out that the more unhealthy food is consumed, the more the desire to consume it increases.

How Does Junk Food Whet Your Appetite? (video)

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