F-Point: how to achieve ecstasy through food

Major food manufacturers have figured it out: the perfect balance of salt, fat and sugar in a food can be entirely addictive.

This harmony of ingredients enables us to reach the famous "F-point". And unfortunately, it's often the foods that are most harmful to our health that make us feel ecstatic. Open a packet of crisps and you're in for a moment of irrepressible pleasure, sending the happy hormone into overdrive. One crisp, then two... until there's not a crumb left. But why is it so hard to resist certain foods?

The scientific concept of the "F-spot", which mimics its famous friend the "G-spot", also known as the Bliss Point, was developed by American researcher Howard Moskowitz. In doing so, the specialist highlighted the ideal balance between salt, sugar and fat in a food's composition. A perfect recipe that food manufacturers have seized upon to attract consumers. It's this optimal dosage of ingredients, enabling intense sensory pleasure to be achieved without becoming nauseating too quickly, that encourages every consumer to have another sweet, to empty the packet of crisps, to relive the tasting experience in order to reach what scientists have called the F-point. In fact, behind the scenes, predictive algorithms are involved in the design of these ultra-processed foods, adapted to the taste of the greatest number and capable of taking us to 7th heaven.

These optimal formulas lead not only to addiction, but also to other eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, binge eating and bulimia nervosa. According to studies using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), sugar triggers and activates areas of the reward circuit in certain individuals, in the same way as certain drugs. The risk of dependence on specific foods and components is therefore real, and marked by cerebral vulnerabilities to foods developed by manufacturers to access the "F-spot".

In the face of these disorders, the advice of a health expert, doctor, nutritionist or psychologist is essential. We also recommend that you take the time to eat consciously and savor every crumb of your meal in order to strengthen your ability to resist. This will help you identify the moment when the pleasure fades and when you need to close the packet.

(Emma Jacquier with Malian Parker/©The Global Lifestyle 2026/Picture: Spencer Davis via Unsplash)