Is fast food addictive? Yes, it is addictive. Do your children get pleasure from their Happy Meal? Well if they do, you'd better be worried. Scientists say that that burgers and French fries can be as addictive as cocaine. Explorers in the US have discovered proof to suggest people can become excessively dependent on the sugar and fat in fast food.

1. You crave for sweet and oily food.
Sugar is addictive in all possible ways; it provokes reactions in our bodies that make us feel very “high” because of the insulin spike in our body. Together with the fats which you get from fast food, they create the perfect mixture that is almost as addictive as heroin. Famous neuroscientist from Princeton University Bart G. Hoebel led a similar study into sugar addiction. In that experiment rats were used and were slowly fed a diet with rising amounts of sugar. The more sugar given, the quicker the rats ate it and when it was unexpectedly withdrawn from their food, they experienced “addiction-type” responses, like chattering teeth, anxiety and shaking.

2. You feel weak and shaky without fast food.
When you begin to feel weak and shaky after some days without fast food, it will mean the start of your fast food addiction. Quickly, you'll begin to think that the worldwide solution for all your problems is a Bic Mac. Evidence: Scientists who have been studying the biological consequences of fast foods are discovering that they can provoke hormonal changes in the body which can make it hard to regulate eating. Fast food meals distribute almost the recommended daily calorie and fat intake in one meal. As people put on heaviness, they become more opposed to the hormone leptin, which is stoutly connected with weight and appetite, and a brain peptide called galanin that intensifies eating.

3. Feeling happy after your Happy Meal.
Happy Meal brings smiles to the millions of children. Ever wondered why Happy Meals and other fast food generally never fail to bring a smile to your kid’s face? The matter is that because fast food can rouse as much enjoyment as cocaine can. There had been one more study conducted on the behavior of rats after they were given sweet, salty and fatty foods. Scientists found a connection between the brain's pleasure chemicals and a craving for this type of food. They stimulated the rats' brains with a synthetic version of the natural opioid enkephalin. This caused rats to eat up to six times their normal intake of fat. Additionally, scientists identified long-lasting changes in rats' brain chemistry - analogous to those caused by extended use of morphine or heroin.

4. Eating fast food more than once a day.
Remember that eating fast food once a day is already bad enough. If you're eating two fast meals a day or you find yourself craving for the second meal, you should think again. This is another alarm sign of addiction.