An ancient survival instinct may explain why we crave junk food during uncertain times

An ancient survival instinct may explain why we crave junk food during uncertain times

New research published in Food Quality and Preference provides evidence that people are more visually drawn to high-calorie foods when they anticipate future scarcity, especially in contexts that feel unstable or resource-poor. Using eye-tracking technology, the study showed that participants were quicker to fixate on, looked longer at, and rated high-calorie foods as more desirable—particularly if they imagined living in a world marked by econo…