"Natural Flavor" ingredient exposed?

Why avoid stuff that tastes good just because it tastes good? Why does doing something you enjoy have to equal addiction?

It does not. People just use the word "addiction" because it makes them feel like they are blameless for what they put in their own mouths. If they are "addicted" then they have no feeling of responsibility.

There is nothing particularly natural about natural flavors. It's not a big plot though. Yes, it makes food more palatable. So do herbs and spices, cooking methods, etc. I enjoy my strawberry candy even if it does come out of a beaver's *kitten* gland. But none of this stuff can compete with actual food.

There is no "addiction", as you so ignorantly put it, but a lack of self control by the consumers, the fat, lazy, and obese populace.

No name calling first of all (the ignorantly part was unnecessary).

And an "addiction" is by definition "Physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects." so in short it means "to have no self control" so thank you for your two cents but maybe you need to stop looking for ways to attack me and just play along in this conversation without personal bias towards people who aren't as smart as you (clearly me).

Do you know what "name calling" means? No one called you a name. You posted one article without any other sources, research, or ANYTHING, and said, "Well, I believe it!" That is ignorance, and he used that adjective to describe your claim.

I am allowed to believe what I want with how much or how little information that it takes to convince me. If you are trying to force me to be skeptical of everything I read then this is a battle not worth fighting. Your job in life isn't to convince ME to believe what you believe; it's to know that you are confident in what you are believe despite what everyone else thinks.

I am not trying to sway anyone here. I was asking your opinion on this controversial journalist entry. So are you saying that you disagree? What is your UNSCIENTIFIC response to this then? My unscientific response is I do think they are modifying their foods to trigger emotional responses to food causing to crave the processed foods and not the raw foods.

I am allowed to believe what I want with how much or how little information that it takes to convince me.

I am allowed to believe what I want with how much or how little information that it takes to convince me.

I am allowed to believe what I want with how much or how little information that it takes to convince me.

Oh.

I'm having a hard time understanding why I would respond with emotion and not logic or rational thought to something. You are literally asking me to not question things I read, to just believe everything because we "all need something to believe in," and to give an "unscientific" response to a supposedly "scientific" article?

Regardless, I'm just pointing out that everything you said IS the definition of ignorance, so if someone uses that adjective to describe a post of yours that expresses it, it's not name calling. If someone comes up to me and says, "I think that dolphins are immortal" and I say, "Where is your proof?" and they say, "Well, I just believe it. One article said so."

Guess what word I'd use to describe their "claim."

Why can't it be both?

What you mean like moderation? Eating well and finding ways to still enjoy your favorite meals?

Pfft! Like that could ever work!

And when you look at that burger you're thinking "moderation? That burger would feed a family of 8 in my opinion. I never said don't eat a burger, I'm saying look at that monstrosity! Who in their right mind is going to single handedly eat that burger? And if they are, they better be a body builder who has their TDEE some where in the 4,000's.

but it has eggs on it!!! thats ok right!?!?

Quit trolling me. I am not an alarmist or an extreme "clean" eater. I am a human being trying to figure out why things are the way they are, just like you. Any more harassment and I'm reporting you. Yes, eggs are just fine. If you came here for the lulz I'm just going to ignore you.

aw c'mon! Lulz are fun...that was funny.

It would be funnier if I wasn't the butt end of that joke. You try being attacked for once and see how you like it. :mad:

When you make definitive statements of absolutes on the internet amongst a world full of people with different personalities, you set yourself up to be at the butt end of a joke. Seriously, this board isn't full of clean eaters. The front page of this website says "Eat what you want and still lose weight." Not everyone is going to agree with you and some are likely to find some humor at your expense. If you want to have a convo with individuals who absolutely agree with everything you say, then go find a clean-eaters group. I know there are some out there.

Why avoid stuff that tastes good just because it tastes good? Why does doing something you enjoy have to equal addiction?

It does not. People just use the word "addiction" because it makes them feel like they are blameless for what they put in their own mouths. If they are "addicted" then they have no feeling of responsibility.

I saw that report on 60 minutes, and its only common sense. They make food taste better.

When food tastes better people want to eat it more, the same reason someone would want coffee with heavy cream instead of skim. There is no "addiction", as you so ignorantly put it, but a lack of self control by the consumers, the fat, lazy, and obese populace.

I'm sorry, but that wording is rather harsh. I thought we were here to support one another in our weight loss goals, not call names and belittle people.

awwww I'm sorry, I forgot we live in Pleasantville.

There is nothing particularly natural about natural flavors. It's not a big plot though. Yes, it makes food more palatable. So do herbs and spices, cooking methods, etc. I enjoy my strawberry candy even if it does come out of a beaver's *kitten* gland. But none of this stuff can compete with actual food.

wait.. strawberries come from where?

Dude, seriously, just eat the strawberry goodness and move along. You'll be a happier man for not knowing. :laugh:

It would be funnier if I wasn't the butt end of that joke. You try being attacked for once and see how you like it. :mad:

Not everything in this thread is about you. Even though you started it, you don't need to think that.

Now, back to the subject at hand and the definition pulled up for addiction.
I don't see it as an operationally useful definition until one can differentiate between something essential like "water" and something that is addicting like "crack". Food falls into the essential. Do these flavors create a true addiction to a food type? I doubt it.

I could take any "addicted" person to the country-side of France and feed them with local unprocessed food without any of this flavoring and you would not see any dependency or withdrawal symptoms. No where is your addiction?

And an "addiction" is by definition "Physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects."

Now please explain how this would NOT apply to food for every single living person. Since you've overcome your food addiction.

^^ This.....
Last time I checked, all humans are "physically dependent" on food.

My dictionary pull was actually proven on the mentally dependent aspect. You could eat something else than a high sodium, high saturated fat, high calorie burger; but your mental/emotional dependence on "taste" is what draws you to something like this, wouldn't you agree? I mean, given the choices between unseasoned chicken that was boiled and steamed veggies or a burger half the size of what's in this thread but just as tasty, hypothetically would you seriously choose the boring chicken/veggies platter? No, because you are mentally eating to reward yourself for your hard work.

No, I actually don't agree. I eat a very balanced diet and I don't feel that seasoning my food translates to a mental or emotional dependence. Food is sustanance, I agree.....eat to live and all that. I still don't feel that I should have to eat bland, tasteless food in order to not be addicted to it.

Food addiction, in a mental/psychological/emotional aspect, is exactly that. Psychological......and it has nothing to do with the taste of food.

Just my opinion.

Yes, food companies do research to find what is most pleasing to the palate and they add those things to their packaged foods. I suppose it's possible that for some it can be as addicting as narcotics, but I don't believe that is the norm. Personally, I think people are more addicted to the convenience than the taste. Or maybe it's the "head in the sand" ignorance that draws them. If you add all that sugar and fat to your own food then you can't say some evil company deceived you into eating it and made you fat.

I agree that it's ignorance and laziness. People *are* dependent on convenience foods. Yes, let's not blame food manufacturers for our own choices.

If you are trying to force me to be skeptical of everything I read then this is a battle not worth fighting.

This sentence says it all.

I'm late to this convo so maybe I missed something, but didn't the OP ask for other's opinions about the article. Even though he admitted to believing in it completely, didn't he ask if others were skeptical of it? So how is answering his question forcing him to be skeptical of what he reads.

There is nothing worse than a troll who starts a debate, but then declares he is being attacked because he is losing it!

I like everything about you, especially your adorably punny avatar.

why I would respond with emotion and not logic or rational thought to something

Because not everyone responds with logic and lack of emotional or personal experience to something. Clearly you are a thinker type and I am an emotional type. Am I evil? No. Are you? No. We just see the world in completely opposite ways. We both are just mirror images of each other in almost every way then. It might be best if you avoid my threads then for the sake of us arguing since we are so different. I refuse to change and so do you. So where does that put us? A stalemate, that's where. :flowerforyou:

Yes, except you are complaining in multiple forums on things that could easily be fixed by research, common sense, and maybe a tiny bit of skepticism

EccentricDad is the ultimate troll. He got us good.


The original post actually has some validity, ignoring the wording which can be misleading. Food that tastes better is harder to refrain from. It is not, however, addicting in any way. There is no withdrawal symptons for eating carrots instead of cake.

However, there are hormones which cause the human body to crave sugary foods when glucose levels are low. This is not to be confused with addiction of over flavored foods because these cravings can be satiated by natural sugars, like fruit.

Because of artificial and natural flavors, it takes a greater amount of self control, however since such a staggering amount of Americans are obese or morbidly overweight, it's fair to say they lack that self control (except for those who don't mind being fat).

And an "addiction" is by definition "Physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects."

Now please explain how this would NOT apply to food for every single living person. Since you've overcome your food addiction.

^^ This.....
Last time I checked, all humans are "physically dependent" on food.

My dictionary pull was actually proven on the mentally dependent aspect. You could eat something else than a high sodium, high saturated fat, high calorie burger; but your mental/emotional dependence on "taste" is what draws you to something like this, wouldn't you agree? I mean, given the choices between unseasoned chicken that was boiled and steamed veggies or a burger half the size of what's in this thread but just as tasty, hypothetically would you seriously choose the boring chicken/veggies platter? No, because you are mentally eating to reward yourself for your hard work.

I think it's more about what people have convinced themselves they cannot have...In this example i would say why does the chicken have to boring? it could be seasoned nicely and i love steamed broccoli , so in many cases i would be more drawn to that choice...but once in a while I do like a good burger.