David A. Kessler, M.D., the former Food and Drug Administration commissioner and author of several books about nutrition, asks this question in his attempt to understand why certain foods have addictive qualities.

To understand this, we need to understand the role of dopamine in the brain. Among its other functions, dopamine plays a key role in how we experience pleasure. Certain drugs such as cocaine and other amphetamines, cause dopamine to remain in excess in the brain. As the body gets used to excessive amounts of dopamine, it requires more and more of the stimulant to trigger the pleasure center. This is why addicts require say, more cocaine to get the same buzz than they needed before.

Enter sugar, fat and salt. Food industry experts discovered long ago that the most “addictive” foods contain at least 2 out of 3 of these ingredients. The effects of sugar, perhaps the most addicting of the three, escalates dramatically with the addition of fat. Dopamine levels spike as a result. Like cocaine, the more we have, the more we want.

How can we break the addiction of sugar, fat and salt? Firstly, stay away from fast food chains or packaged foods: these products are heavily loaded with some combination of sugar, fat and salt so that we’ll keep buying them. Eat more whole grains, fruits and non-starchy vegetables with a small portions of protein and fat. These foods in the right proportion will allow you to feel full longer without the spikes associated with foods high in sugar, fat and salt. Finally, never skip meals – doing so will leave you more likely to succumb to temptation.