University of California - Berkeley Mar 26 2025 The pleasure we get from eating junk food - the dopamine rush from crunching down on salty, greasy French fries and a luscious burger - is often blamed as the cause of overeating and rising obesity rates in our society. But a new study by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that pleasure in eating, even eating junk food, is key for maintaining a healthy weight in a society that abounds with cheap, high-fat food.