University of Michigan. US: A new University of Michigan study confirms what has long been
suspected: highly processed foods like chocolate, pizza and French fries
are among the most addictive. This is one of the first studies to examine specifically which foods
may be implicated in "food addiction," which has become of growing
interest to scientists and consumers in light of the obesity epidemic.
Previous studies in animals conclude that highly processed foods, or
foods with added fat or refined carbohydrates (like white flour and
sugar), may be capable of triggering addictive-like eating behavior.
Clinical studies in humans have observed that some individuals meet the
criteria for substance dependence when the substance is food.
Despite highly processed foods generally known to be highly tasty and
preferred, it is unknown whether these types of foods can elicit
addiction-like responses in humans, nor is it known which specific foods
produce these responses, said Ashley Gearhardt, U-M assistant professor
of psychology.
Unprocessed foods, with no added fat or refined carbohydrates like
brown rice and salmon, were not associated with addictive-like eating
behavior.
Individuals with symptoms of food addiction or with higher body mass
indexes reported greater problems with highly processed foods,
suggesting some may be particularly sensitive to the possible
"rewarding" properties of these foods, said Erica Schulte, a U-M
psychology doctoral student and the study's lead author.
"If properties of some foods are associated with addictive eating for
some people, this may impact nutrition guidelines, as well as public
policy initiatives such as marketing these foods to children," Schulte
said.
Nicole Avena, assistant professor of pharmacology and systems
therapeutics at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York
City, and a co-author on the study, explained the significance of the
findings.
"This is a first step towards identifying specific foods, and
properties of foods, which can trigger this addictive response," she
said. "This could help change the way we approach obesity treatment. It
may not be a simple matter of 'cutting back' on certain foods, but
rather, adopting methods used to curtail smoking, drinking and drug
use."
Future research should examine whether addictive foods are capable of
triggering changes in brain circuitry and behavior like drugs of abuse,
the researchers said.