Much like smoking addiction, food addiction is under the spotlight. Researchers are drawing attention to the concerning impact of ultra-processed foods, including breakfast cereals, biscuits, chicken nuggets, frozen treats such as ice cream, candies, and sugary sodas.
Have you ever wondered why you can’t resist that delectable chocolate even when you’re already full? Well, it might be because you have a food addiction. Researchers have recently developed a scale, akin to those used to assess alcohol and tobacco addiction, to measure diminished control over food intake, cravings, withdrawal, and continued consumption of certain foods despite their detrimental effects on the body. According to this measure, nearly 14 percent of adults and 12 percent of children are considered to have a food addiction.
A study published in the British Medical Journal highlights that nearly one-third of individuals who have undergone bariatric surgery and half of those with binge eating disorder are also addicted to food. The culprit? Researchers point to ultra-processed foods – industrially produced foods that contain ingredients not typically found in home kitchens. These include breakfast cereals, biscuits, chicken nuggets, frozen treats like ice cream, candy, and sugary sodas.
Why do some foods become addictive while others do not?
Foods high in refined carbohydrates and fats can trigger a dopamine response in the brain, much like other addictive substances. While naturally occurring foods like fruits, vegetables, or nuts may contain high levels of either fats or carbohydrates, they rarely combine both, unlike ultra-processed foods. For instance, apples have a carbohydrate-to-fat ratio of 0.36:1, salmon has 0:1, and nuts have roughly a 1:5 ratio. In contrast, a chocolate bar boasts a 1:1 carbohydrate-to-fat ratio.
So, what drives our cravings for ultra-processed foods? Apart from their structural differences from naturally occurring foods, these products often contain elevated levels of added sugars, salts, and other additives for enhanced flavor and mouthfeel. The carbohydrates and fats in ultra-processed foods are also absorbed more rapidly by the gut, making them more addictive. Researchers liken this process to the swift delivery of nicotine to the brain through smoking.
How can you combat food addiction?
Dr. Ambrish Mithal, chairman of endocrinology and diabetes at Max Healthcare, suggests calorie counting to overcome cravings for ultra-processed foods. He explains that keeping track of the calories in every piece of chocolate, sweets, or cola consumed will quickly reveal that you have reached your daily calorie intake limit, leaving you hungry. Conversely, a bowl of salad, for example, might add just 50 calories but can make you feel full. By adopting this approach over time, your satiety experience will steer you away from highly processed foods because they tend to keep you hungry.
Why is it essential to define and diagnose food addiction?
Researchers assert that quantifying food addiction is vital for managing treatment protocols for obesity or eating disorders. Furthermore, defining the condition accurately will aid in identifying previously overlooked cases. The study reveals that approximately one percent of the population has a binge eating disorder, but about 14 percent are addicted to ultra-processed foods. Finally, officially diagnosing food addiction will lead to more research into the treatment and clinical management of such cases.
Why are policy interventions needed, as suggested by the study?
The research recommends interventions like taxing ultra-processed food items and beverages to reduce their affordability. Ensuring these products are not easily accessible to children is another crucial step. As a society, there is a need to make healthier foods more readily available than unhealthy ones. Front-of-pack labels can be beneficial in this regard, promoting healthier choices without explicitly labelling products as addictive, as their association with other lifestyle disorders is already established.
