Why Is Mcdonald’s So Addictive? (10 Reasons Why)

McDonald’s is the most well known fast-food restaurant in the world and it serves 68 million customers everyday.

If you need help with your weight or want to help your body be healthy. The foods you eat can really help you maintain the right weight. So make sure you read further because we have a lot of great information to share with you.

Why is McDonald’s so Addictive In 2022?

McDonald’s is addictive because (1) it has high levels of fat, sugar, salt, and MSG and (2) McDonald’s products make us feel good in childhood. In adulthood, McDonald’s products are associated with the feelings we want to recreate in our adulthood, and MSG can make us feel so hungry that we’ll never be satisfied.

There are several reasons why McDonald’s is so addictive. Below you will find those reasons!

1. Lots Of Sugar

One of the reasons why McDonald’s is addictive is that they use sugar. As a result, people keep coming back for more.

Although McDonald’s sells a lot of milkshakes, it is one of the healthiest businesses in the USA: they sell mostly fruits and veggies, they add no sugar to their milkshakes, and most of their beverages are non-carbonated.

Also, if we don’t get sugar or sugar substitute then we suffer through the same types of withdrawal symptoms as someone suffering through an opioid addiction.

This has been seen in many rat studies, and it would be very easy to conclude that humans would behave the same way when given sugar water over normal food.

The reason that I said it is unlikely is that we know that other factors can affect eating habits in humans.

The environment people grew up in can have a big influence on their eating behavior. The same environmental factors, such as poverty, can have a difference on eating habits and preferences.

Another type of study that has been done with humans, is to see how the brain functions when people are starving or eating.

The rats that were fed on a diet without sugar also exhibited symptoms of withdrawal including body tremors and depression.

2. Value Menu Helps Entice Customers

McD’s has an incredible value menu for customers, including Dollar Menu and $3 menu sections which entice customers to spend money and buy their products.

Additionally, your brain will weight out the value that is found in McDonald’s and many other choices in favor of making the decision to buy.

Also, restaurants will often sell items on their value menu for lower prices. This is called a promotional deal. A promotional deal helps the restaurant sell items for less which is what the restaurant needs to make money.
It has been noted that a survey of restaurants in New York City indicated that the single most important reason that customers choose one restaurant over another is the price of the food.
The survey also showed that customers would be willing to pay about 20% more for a meal if the price were significantly higher. That is, they have a fairly high upper limit as to how much they are willing to pay.

3. McDonald’s Food Such as Nuggets Offer Nostalgia & Bring Back Fond Memories

We created positive associations with the food over the years, and we’ll bring back the nostalgia of our past and childhoods.

McDonald’s is known for serving meals and food that children like to eat, such as the McNuggets, fries, Happy Meals, etc. As adults, we like to return to those moments of time when we were young and enjoyed certain food.

In the book “How to Talk to Anyone About Anything”, the author states that one can use the word “and” as a filler when you want to add more to a sentence.

4. Salt Activates Dopamine Receptors in Brain

McDonald’s fries are salty because they are made with over 30% salt. If you eat many of them you are likely to find yourself eating more than normal.

And when you are in a stressful situations, your brain releases more dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical in your brain which works as a neurotransmitter or a chemical messenger.

It’s also the chemical in the brain that gives us feelings of happiness and satisfaction, so we can get addicted to certain forms of pleasure.

5. MSG Leaves You Feeling Unsatiated & Increases Appetite

McDonald’s food makes you feel really full after eating it even though you’ve just eaten it.

I’ve been hearing that McDonald’s uses both wheat and milk in making this stuff. But the only way we see MSG in McDonald’s food is through hydrolyzing, which is the process used to make their hamburger buns and cheese.

Furthermore, studies have shown that rats fed with a high amount of MSG showed a significant increase of 40% in their appetite.

6. McDonald’s Branding

Our brains don’t really need the branding itself, but they do need the “feel good” feeling of it.

When we are hungry, it is the consistent imagery and experience with McDonald’s that creates a positive feeling of the fast-food restaurant and leads us to more strongly crave the food.

7. Fatty Foods Can Cause an Addiction

McDonald’s fries are made using beef that has been soaked in a mixture of natural fats for hours, just to give it a taste that’s similar to that of french fries.

Another study using rats showed that if you give them high-fat foods, their brains are programmed to like it so much that they could actually be addicted to it, like an addiction to alcohol.

But the rats who ate the low-fat foods showed no signs of this compulsive-eating behavior. Instead, they ate normally, with no more than three or four pellets each.

8. Fast Food Quickness is Addictive

Since McDonald’s cooks your food in less than 40 minutes, it’s a great alternative to your regular meal times.

As a fast food chain, McDonald’s is great for its convenience – especially on the go. As a part of the drive-thru and delivery service, it is convenient for customers to get right in and get their order.

Furthermore, the food is important but the ability to get the food quickly is more important. Therefore, the speed of the food is relevant, not the time you spend eating it.

9. Casein

The casein protein that is present in fast-food items is addictive and it leads to people getting addicted to them without knowing.

It is used to create different types of cheese such as
As a base for ice cream,
as a topping for ice cream and
for the creation of liqueur.

And this will give you a better body, and keep your heart healthy! It is made of a bunch of different vitamins and minerals and protein.

That is not all! Casein can also be found in some cheeses, real and fake, bacon, and, surprise, casein can be found in milk.

10. Fast-Food Contains Chemicals That Create an Abusive Cycle

The chemicals in McDonald’s food are similar to the chemicals in certain drugs and may trigger addiction in some people.

But if you eat lots of processed foods, you can gain weight and fat. So if you eat lots of sugar and fat, you could end up gaining weight.

Want a better understanding of McDonald’s, then learn why McDonald’s food is so good and what are the secrets of its success.

Conclusion

McDonald’s is so addictive because it has a high amount of fat in its food, and because it is packed with sugar and salt.

It also releases dopamine, another neurotransmitter which has a calming effect on our brains, but also causes us to want to eat more of that food.

McDonalds is the most popular fast-food chain in the world, and it does not matter if you are in a good or bad mood, everyone can relate to it. There is a reason for this, as the food is very tasty and cheap while the taste and the smell are the most important factors for the customer to experience.