Nowadays, a topic linked to ‘ultra-processed food’ has gathered attention, and almost every health expert has been debating the same. Currently, ultra-processed food has gained attention for being addictive, similar to substances such as alcohol or nicotine.
According to Claire Wilcox, Adjunct Faculty in Psychiatry, University of New Mexico, who has been recognized as an addiction psychiatrist and researcher with experience in treating eating disorders and obesity, food addiction is a real phenomenon. She furthermore mentioned that hundreds of studies are proof that people are truly addicted to certain foods, especially those that are high in sugar and ultra-processed.
In addition to this, she highlighted that these types of foods directly affect the brain as well as the behavior of addicted people, similar to other addictive substances such as nicotine.
However, she mentioned that there are still many questions about which foods are addictive, whereas a few are susceptible to the reason behind this addiction. Along with this, there are questions about the level of addiction, compared to other intoxicated substances, and some also discuss the treatment pattern for patients struggling with any kind of addiction.
What is the evidence of food addiction?
Over the tenure of around 25 years, many studies have been conducted which showed that food high in sugar and food that is ultra-processed often act as addictive substances to the brain networks, reacting in the same way as other addictive substances.
Besides this, certain researchers have confirmed that the people who are addicted to food often show similar signs to those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. People crave tasty, high-fat, or high-sugar foods beyond normal hunger, and the urge for these foods is so strong that it is hard to control.
Furthermore, a study highlighted that if an individual quits sugar or sugary substances, then he or she may face withdrawal symptoms similar to what happens when someone quits smoking or drugs.
In another study, when obese people tried to resist food cravings, their brains showed more activity in the control area than in the brains of people of normal weight. This suggests it’s harder for them to fight those cravings.
Finding safe ways to treat food addiction
In most addictions, the first step to recovery is to avoid the substance completely. But food is different—you can’t just stop eating.
Also, food addiction often overlaps with eating disorders like binge eating or bulimia. Experts say these conditions often start from strict dieting or trying to restrict food too much.
Because of this, many professionals are cautious about calling certain foods “addictive.” They worry that avoiding specific foods might lead to bingeing later or extreme dieting habits.