Tasty equals fun

Now, what happens when you put these two things — hyperpalatable (tasty) and high reward (fun) — together? A dangerous combination. We want these foods, we like these foods, and we’ll work hard to get them. When we do get them, we often don’t quit eating them. These types of foods have a winning combination for keeping us interested and eating:

• Energy density. i.e. a lot of calories in a small package,
• High fat content
• High refined starch and/or sugar content
• Saltiness
• Sweetness
• Pleasing and specific texture, such as creamy or crunchy
• Drugs, such as caffeine or alcohol
• Other flavor enhancers or additives to improve mouthfeel

This magical mix is rarely found in nature. It is, however, often found in highly processed foods like cakes, cookies, pastries, pies, pizza, ice cream, fried foods, and so forth.