New research conducted by Yale University and the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Germany has shown that individuals who consume fatty and sugary foods on a daily basis develop a craving for them, making it difficult to break the pattern.

The study, which was published online in the journal Cell Metabolism, found that eating a high-fat, high-sugar snack daily changes the reward circuits in the brain, leading to long-lasting preferences.

During the study, participants were split into two groups and given different types of yogurt for eight weeks. At the end of the study, they were offered varying levels of fat and sugar in puddings and apple juice and asked to rate them.

The group that had consumed the high-fat, high-sugar yogurt rated the healthier options lower than they had before the study.

MRI scans taken during milkshake consumption also showed increased brain activity in the high-sugar, high-fat group.

“Let’s say a new bakery opens up next to your work and you start stopping in and having a scone every morning. That alone can rewire your basic fundamental dopamine learning circuits,” Dana Small, the study’s senior author and director of Yale University School of Medicine’s Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center, told NBC News.

The authors of the study drew a comparison between the results and the impacts of addictive substances, suggesting that regular consumption of foods high in fat and sugar contributes to obesity due to habitual factors, rather than solely due to genetic and environmental factors as previously believed.

The authors of the study drew a comparison between the results and the impacts of addictive substances, suggesting that regular consumption of foods high in fat and sugar contributes to obesity due to habitual factors, rather than solely due to genetic and environmental factors as previously believed.

According to Small who spoke to NBC News, the study’s significance lies in demonstrating that even minor alterations to human diets can alter brain circuits and lead to an increased risk of weight gain or excessive eating over an extended period of time.

These findings are consistent with a rat study previously published in the Journal of Physiology in January, which showed that a regular diet consisting of high-calorie and high-fat foods can cause changes in the neurological pathways of the brain, resulting in a reduced capacity to regulate calorie intake.

While a brief exposure to fatty foods for three to five days did not appear to impact the communication channels between the brain and stomach, the researchers noted that after 10 to 14 days of consuming high-fat and high-calorie diets, the decline in these pathways was evident.

A recent study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders has established a correlation between depression and the consumption of junk food. The study concludes that people who consume a significant amount of ultra-processed foods have higher rates of depression.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 41% of adults in the United States are obese, which increases their susceptibility to cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.