[Highly processed are engineered in ways similar to how we create
other addictive substances; they can trigger problematic behaviors
like those with alcohol and cigarettes. ] [[link removed]]

PORTSIDE CULTURE

UNHEALTHY FOODS AREN’T JUST BAD FOR YOU, THEY MAY ALSO BE ADDICTIVE
 
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Anahad O’Connor
February 18, 2021
New York Times
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_ Highly processed are engineered in ways similar to how we create
other addictive substances; they can trigger problematic behaviors
like those with alcohol and cigarettes. _

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Five years ago, a group of nutrition scientists studied what Americans
eat and reached a striking conclusion: More than half of all the
calories that the average American consumes comes from ultra-processed
foods, which they defined as “industrial formulations” that
combine large amounts of sugar, salt, oils, fats and other additives.

Highly processed foods continue to dominate the American diet, despite
being linked to obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and other
health problems. They are cheap and convenient, and engineered to
taste good. They are aggressively marketed by the food industry. But a
growing number of scientists say another reason these foods are so
heavily consumed is that for many people they are not just tempting
but addictive, a notion that has sparked controversy among
researchers.

Recently, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition explored the
science behind food addiction and whether ultra-processed foods might
be contributing to overeating and obesity. It featured a debate
between two of the leading experts on the subject, Ashley Gearhardt,
associate professor in the psychology department at the University of
Michigan, and Dr. Johannes Hebebrand, head of the department of child
and adolescent psychiatry, psychosomatics and psychotherapy at the
University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany.

Dr. Gearhardt, a clinical psychologist, helped develop the Yale Food
Addiction Scale, a survey that is used to determine whether a person
shows signs of addictive behavior toward food. In one study involving
more than 500 people, she and her colleagues found that certain foods
were especially likely to elicit “addictive- like” eating
behaviors, such as intense cravings, a loss of control, and an
inability to cut back despite experiencing harmful consequences and a
strong desire to stop eating them.

At the top of the list were pizza, chocolate, potato chips, cookies,
ice cream, French fries and cheeseburgers. Dr. Gearhardt has found in
her research that these highly processed foods share much in common
with addictive substances. Like cigarettes and cocaine, their
ingredients are derived from naturally occurring plants and foods that
are stripped of components that slow their absorption, such as fiber,
water and protein.

 Then their most pleasurable ingredients are refined and processed
into products that are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream,
enhancing their ability to light up regions of the brain that regulate
reward, emotion and motivation.

Salt, thickeners, artificial flavors and other additives in highly
processed foods strengthen their pull by enhancing properties like
texture and mouth-feel, similar to the way that cigarettes contain an
array of additives designed to increase their addictive potential,
said Dr. Gearhardt. Menthol helps to mask the bitter flavor of
nicotine, for example, while another ingredient used in some
cigarettes, cocoa, dilates the airways and increases nicotine’s
absorption.

A common denominator among the most irresistible ultra-processed foods
is that they contain large amounts of fat and refined carbohydrates, a
potent combination that is rarely seen in naturally occurring foods
that humans evolved to eat, such as fruits, vegetables, meat, nuts,
honey, beans and seeds, said Dr. Gearhardt. Many foods found in nature
are rich in either fat or carbs, but typically they are not high in
both.

“People don’t experience an addictive behavioral response to
naturally occurring foods that are good for our health, like
strawberries,” said Dr. Gearhardt, director of the Food and
Addiction Science and Treatment lab at the University of Michigan.
“It’s this subset of highly processed foods that are engineered in
a way that’s so similar to how we create other addictive substances.
These are the foods that can trigger a loss of control and compulsive,
problematic behaviors that parallel what we see with alcohol and
cigarettes.”

In one study, Dr. Gearhardt found that when people cut back on highly
processed foods, they experienced symptoms that were comparable to the
withdrawal seen in drug abusers, such as irritability, fatigue,
feelings of sadness and cravings. Other researchers have found in
brain imaging studies that people who frequently consume junk foods
can develop a tolerance to them over time, leading them to require
larger and larger amounts to get the same enjoyment.

In her clinical practice, Dr. Gearhardt has encountered patients —
some obese and some not — who struggle in vain to control their
intake of highly processed foods. Some attempt to eat them in
moderation, only to find that they lose control and eat to the point
of feeling ill and distraught. Many of her patients find that they
cannot quit these foods despite struggling with uncontrolled diabetes,
excessive weight gain and other health problems.

“The striking thing is that my clients are almost always acutely
aware of the negative consequences of their highly processed food
consumption, and they have typically tried dozens of strategies like
crash diets and cleanses to try and get their relationship with these
foods under control,” she said. “While these attempts might work
for a short time, they almost always end up relapsing.”

But Dr. Hebebrand disputes the notion that any food is addictive.
While potato chips and pizza can seem irresistible to some, he argues
that they do not cause an altered state of mind, a hallmark of
addictive substances. Smoking a cigarette, drinking a glass of wine or
taking a hit of heroin, for instance, causes an immediate sensation in
the brain that foods do not, he says.

“You can take any addictive drug, and it’s always the same story
that almost everyone will have an altered state of mind after
ingesting it,” said Dr. Hebebrand. “That indicates that the
substance is having an effect on your central nervous system. But we
are all ingesting highly processed foods, and none of us is
experiencing this altered state of mind because there’s no direct
hit of a substance in the brain.”

In substance use disorders, people become dependent on a specific
chemical that acts on the brain, like the nicotine in cigarettes or
the ethanol in wine and liquor. They initially seek out this chemical
to get a high, and then become dependent on it to alleviate depressed
and negative emotions. But in highly processed foods, there is no one
compound that can be singled out as addictive, Dr. Hebebrand said. In
fact, evidence suggests that obese people who overeat tend to consume
a wide range of foods with different textures, flavors and
compositions. Dr. Hebebrand argued that overeating is driven in part
by the food industry marketing more than 20,000 new products every
year, giving people access to a seemingly endless variety of foods and
beverages.

“It’s the diversity of foods that is so appealing and causing the
problem, not a single substance in these foods,” he added.

Those who argue against food addiction also point out that most people
consume highly processed foods on a daily basis without showing any
signs of addiction. But Dr. Gearhardt notes that addictive substances
do not hook everyone who consumes them. According to research, about
two-thirds of people who smoke cigarettes go on to become addicted,
while a third do not. Only about 21 percent of people who use cocaine
in their lifetimes become addicted, while just 23 percent of people
who drink alcohol develop a dependence on it. Studies suggests that a
wide range of factors determine whether people become addicted,
including their genetics, family histories, exposure to trauma, and
environmental and socioeconomic backgrounds.

“Most people try addictive substances and they don’t become
addicted,” Dr. Gearhardt said. “So if these foods are addictive,
we wouldn’t expect that 100 percent of society is going to be
addicted to them.”

For people who struggle with limiting their intake of highly processed
foods, Dr. Gearhardt recommends keeping a journal of what you eat so
you can identify the foods that have the most pull — the ones that
cause intense cravings and that you can’t stop eating once you
start. Keep those foods out of your home, while stocking your fridge
and pantry with healthier alternatives that you enjoy, she said.

Keep track of the triggers that lead to cravings and binges. They
could be emotions like stress, boredom and loneliness. Or it could be
the Dunkin’ Donuts that you drive by three times a week. Make a plan
to manage those triggers by a taking a different route home, for
example, or by using nonfood activities to alleviate stress and
boredom. And avoid skipping meals, because hunger can set off cravings
that lead to regrettable decisions, she said.

“Making sure you are regularly fueling your body with nutritious,
minimally processed foods that you enjoy can be important for helping
you navigate a very challenging food environment,” said Dr.
Gearhardt.

Anahad O’Connor is a staff reporter covering health, science,
nutrition and other topics. He is also a bestselling author of
consumer health books such as “Never Shower in a Thunderstorm” and
“The 10 Things You Need to Eat.”

A version of this article appears in print on , Section D, Page 6 of
the New York edition with the headline: No One Can Eat Just One,
Perhaps by Design

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