In a world saturated with advertisements, from glossy food billboards to carefully curated influencer posts, food marketing is everywhere—and it’s incredibly effective. But what gives these strategies their persuasive power? The secret lies in how they engage the brain’s reward system. Food marketers skillfully leverage visual, emotional, and psychological cues that stimulate our brain’s craving circuits, often without our conscious awareness. Understanding this interaction between marketing and the brain is essential to recognizing how external stimuli influence what, when, and how much we eat.
At the core of this discussion is the brain’s reward system, a network of interconnected regions that regulate motivation, pleasure, and reinforcement. Neuroscientists often distinguish between two components of reward: “liking,” which refers to the hedonic pleasure experienced when consuming food, and “wanting,” the motivational drive to seek it out.
These processes involve key structures such as the nucleus accumbens and the ventral tegmental area, both of which respond by releasing dopamine. Interestingly, the brain’s “wanting” system can operate independently of “liking.” This means we can be driven to crave foods that we no longer find especially pleasurable, which explains why people often reach for sugary or processed snacks out of habit rather than genuine enjoyment.
So how exactly does food marketing activate the reward system?
Food marketing is expertly designed to hijack this reward circuitry. High-resolution imagery, vibrant colors, and slow-motion video of melting cheese or pouring chocolate are visual cues engineered to provoke dopamine release. Even the mere sight of certain branded packaging can spark neural activity in areas of the brain associated with memory and reward.
Research using functional MRI scans has shown that exposure to food advertisements—particularly among children and adolescents—leads to heightened activity in the brain’s reward-related regions. This enhanced neural response makes individuals more susceptible to cravings and impulsive food choices. The emotional framing of advertisements, social proof, and slogans further enhance this effect by anchoring food to feelings of nostalgia, happiness, or belonging.
Modern food products are not just marketed to us—they’re engineered to be irresistible. Hyperpalatable foods, which combine high levels of sugar, salt, and fat, are carefully crafted to maximize hedonic impact. These foods are not only calorie-dense but designed to overstimulate the reward system, producing pleasure spikes similar to those triggered by addictive substances. Over time, regular consumption of such foods can alter the brain’s reward architecture, reinforcing compulsive eating behaviors and reducing sensitivity to natural food rewards. This makes it increasingly difficult to enjoy simple, whole foods and easier to fall into cycles of craving and overconsumption.
The manipulation of neural reward circuits through food marketing raises several ethical concerns. Children, in particular, are vulnerable due to their still-developing impulse control and heightened susceptibility to external cues. Marketing strategies that target youth with cartoon mascots or gamified apps may contribute to unhealthy eating patterns that persist into adulthood.
Moreover, the line between informed choice and covert influence becomes blurred when consumers are unaware of the neurological techniques being used against them. As a result, public health experts have called for tighter regulations on the advertisement of ultra-processed and unhealthy foods, much like policies applied to tobacco and alcohol. Some argue that until stronger regulatory frameworks are established, food companies will continue to prioritize profit over population health.
As neuroscience unveils more about how our brains process reward and craving, it becomes clear that food marketing is more than persuasion—it’s behavioral engineering. Recognizing the techniques that trigger our cravings is the first step in taking back control. While it’s unrealistic to avoid all food marketing, becoming aware of how it influences our neural responses empowers us to make more mindful, healthier dietary choices. The challenge ahead lies in balancing innovation and ethics, ensuring that public well-being is prioritized in the ever-evolving world of food marketing.
References:
- Berridge, K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (2016). Liking, wanting, and the incentive-sensitization theory of addiction. American Psychologist, 71(8), 670–679.
- NCCOR. (2012). This is your brain on food commercials.
- Fazzino, T. L., Rohde, K., & Sullivan, D. K. (2019). Hyper-palatable foods: Development of a quantitative definition and application to the US food system database.
- van Tulleken, C. (2023). Dr Chris van Tulleken: ‘We should treat food like we do tobacco’. The Times.