Are junk food cravings all in the mind?

We all know that junk food can be extremely addictive. You know the feeling – it’s mid-afternoon and you can think of nothing you’d rather do than grab a Mars bar or a packet of crisps. Have you ever stopped to consider though, that the cravings may all be in your head?

Physcologist, David Moxton has expressed his opinion that the first step to any weight loss plan should involve a change in attitudes towards food.

He goes on to say that people need to develop a healthy mental attitude before they start slimming. "Food is heavily influenced by psychological factors in lots of different ways,” the expert said, adding: “you can’t tackle eating behaviour without looking at some of these deeper psychological issues.”

Altering dietary patterns is likely to prove difficult but with the average British person spending £1,000 on junk food every year we could definitely do with redefining our attitudes towards food, as an entire nation.

When we also consider the fact that one quarter of British adults are obese, according to the latest Department of Health figures, the argument for change is strengthened. The same figures showed that just under a third of women were overweight, while 42% of men were obese. These statistics are lower than those currently recorded in America where two thirds of adults are obese or overweight. However, experts predict that it will not be long before Britain follows suit, given recent trends.