How Oreos Work Like Cocaine
Research made national news this week that the cookies are more addictive than psychoactive drugs. That claim may be exaggerated, but the neuroscience of junk food addiction is nonetheless fascinating and relevant—mentally, physically, and socially.
"Nothing gets me high as that sandwich cookie does. But I love the filling most. I rub it on my roast, mix it in with my coffee, and spread it on my toast. I love the white stuff, baby. In the middle of an Oreo."
—Al Yankovic, "The White Stuff," 1992
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The rat stands in a plastic maze. At the end are two rooms, each decorated in its own unmistakably unique, gaudy fashion. The rat knows them both. Inside one room, he has received injections of morphine or cocaine. In the other, he's gotten injections of a saline placebo. The rat has learned to prefer the drug room.
He even chooses to lounge in the drug room after the injection supplies have dried up. It's kind of like how you might, but it still feels good.
