Put down the cheeseburger and ice cream! A recent study has proven that your brain will automatically program itself to continue craving high fat and high sugar foods even after you’re full, according to a research experiment conducted by European neuroscientist Dr. Paul Kenny.

Does this addiction to junk food sound familiar to most of us? Let’s face it. Junk food is good and it is ADDICTIVE. With the rise of delivery and fast food restaurants – as well as frozen meals – junk food is only a phone call away or easily found at every block on local streets.

Food has become a huge part of American culture. It is a hobby, it is entertainment, and it is the one of the reason’s why America has an obesity problem. I mean who wants to cook two times a day, every day, for 365 days a year?!?! NOT ME.

The problem is that our lives in America are busier than ever. We’re checking emails on our various mobile devices while texting our mom in Jersey, while facebooking our boyfriend in Laguna Beach, and while driving our car frantically around trying to find something for lunch on our 25 minute break!

Unfortunately, whether the food is from delivery, from a sit-down restaurant, or from a frozen package, they are usually oversized in portion and drowned in butter, oil, salt,  chemicals, and sweeteners that are not good for our health. Junk food is sometimes too tasty and does not fill us up, which causes the need to build.

So what are we supposed to do or sacrifice to get ourselves away from this awful habit? Try going to health food stores for your groceries because you are less likely to find 100 different ice cream tubs and an entire cookie isle. Try going out less and buying cookbooks such as Rachel Ray’s 30-minute meals, Semi-Homemade Cooking by Sandra Lee, Quick-Fix Meals by Robin Miller, or Healthy Bites by Ellie Krieger. But, when you do have to get fast food, try to go to Subway or Panera, and when you’re at a restaurant, skip dessert and order a healthier meal such as a grilled chicken and a salad with a low-fat dressing on the side.

While this may seem like a little too much work consider this: Would you make a few minor adjustments in your life or eat like there’s no tomorrow and pay the price in a few months (and gain 10 lbs in the process)?

— By Erin McClary