Fatty foods are hard to resist because they trigger a marijuana-like chemical called endocannabinoids to be released, which may drive the desire for more fatty foods.
From an evolutionary standpoint, developing a taste for fatty foods may have been necessary for when fat was scarce, but when fat is easily available it can be a disadvantage, leading to obesity, diabetes and cancer.
This research suggests it may be possible to curb the desire for fatty foods by obstructing endocannabinoid activity.
Read more at University of California, Irvine