Here's why we crave fatty foods when dieting: Study

Avoiding greasy, fatty and oily foods is the key to a successful dieting plan. But have you ever wondered why we tend to crave the very foods that we try to avoid when dieting? Or wished you could suppress the feeling before it forced you into eating junk food?

A recent study identified new brain circuits that may act as a brake on binge eating and junk food craving.

Findings of the study were published in the Journal of Behavioral Brain Research.

"Craving for foods high in fat - this includes many junk foods - is an important part of obesity and binge eating," said Jonathan Hommel, lead author of the study.

"When trying to lose weight people often strive to avoid fatty foods, which ironically increases motivation and craving for these foods and can lead to overeating. Even worse, the longer someone abstains from fatty foods, the greater the cravings become," Hommel explained.