Most people can agree that some foods taste better than others.  Most people can also admit to having eaten past the point of feeling full at the mercy of very delicious food.  We’re all humans and we all “pig out” every once in a while. 

What a lot of people don’t know however is the actual addictive properties that highly processed foods have.  

If you don’t believe me, just try to remember the last time you decided to cut back on highly processed food.  How did it go?  Were you successful? How long did it last? And how did you feel when you were restricting yourself? 

Now think about the reason you eat highly processed foods:

• You’re busy and those foods are convenient
• It just taste better
• Those foods are more affordable
• They are easily accessible and sometimes the only option. 
• It’s fun! It makes me happy

Have you ever wondered if maybe there was another reason?  Maybe the reason you’re eating highly processed foods is because you were encouraged to eat highly processed foods through commercials, attractive packaging, ease of access, mass production, low cost -  and now you’re addicted? 

Have you ever wondered why it’s so damn hard to stop eating junk food?  Maybe you’ve beaten yourself up for it, thinking you don’t have enough motivation or discipline.  If so, you’re not alone.  This problem is so common now that scientists have decided to get to the bottom of it, and I’m here to share what they found.

Tobacco

In a scientific study published in 2023, Gearhardt and his colleagues bring us back to 1988 when it was confirmed with scientific evidence that Tobacco was in fact an addictive substance. [1] 

To prove their theory, they used a set of 3 criteria:

1) Can cause highly controlled or compulsive use

2) Can cause psychoactive (i.e. mood‐altering) effects via their effect on the brain and

3) Can reinforce behavior.[1]

Scientists have since found another criterion that further confirms the highly addictive effects of tobacco products:

4) It can trigger strong urges or craving as another important indicator of addictive potential. [1]

Food Addiction

This same research paper brings us back to modern times and confirms they have used these same 4 criteria to determine whether or not Highly processed foods are addictive. [1]

And the answer is yes.  In the study, Gearhardt confirms that if we use the same criteria as we did with Tobacco, we can confirm and label highly processed foods as addictive. [1]

In other words, this study states that highly processed foods can cause:

• compulsive use (difficult to stop eating it, feeling a loss of control when eating it, actively seeking it when it’s not around, desire to stop but unable to, difficulty sticking to recommended diet even when informed of a health condition, ex: diabetes). [1]

• changes in the brain that alters your mood (feeling happier when eating it, and feeling more depressed/angry when you don’t).  In fact, they found that eating milk chocolate was causing similar euphoria feelings than injecting 1.5mg of nicotine into your blood; and that highly processed food can give you a hit of dopamine similar to nicotine. [1] 

• can lead to a progressive increase of highly processed food intake (going from 2-3 portions per week to 7-10 portions/week, etc.).  In fact, the study highlights the findings of other studies that report rats choose sugar over cocaine more than 80% of the time! [1]

• Can trigger strong cravings.  The study explains that while it’s normal to crave delicious food when you’re hungry, highly processed foods will make you crave more despite having already eaten a complete meal. [1]

What constitutes a highly processed food?

According to BBC, the British Heart Foundation, and the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, highly processed foods can be:

• soft drinks (soda, pop, fruit cocktails, iced teas, energy drinks, etc.)
• potato chips 
• chocolate
• candy
• ice-cream
• sweetened breakfast cereals
• packaged soups (ex: instant ramen noodles, Lipton chicken noodle soup)
• chicken nuggets
• hotdogs, Ham, Sausages
• potato fries
• Supermarket Big Brand breads
• Big Brand Frozen ready meals
• Cakes/Baked goods
• Ice cream
• Big Brand fruit-flavored yogurts
• White pasta
• Pretzels
• Pizza

Can food addiction be reversed?  

It can, but not without patience, and a lot of support.  

One of the steps forward would be to gradually shift your food intake to unprocessed (or minimally processed) foods.  

According BBC, here is a list of unprocessed (minimally processed) foods:

• Fruits in their natural forms or frozen
• Vegetables in their natural forms or frozen
• Freshly butchered meat
• Beans/Lentils
• Eggs
• Milk
• Grains in their natural forms (whole wheat, steal cut oats, barley, brown rice, etc.)
• Oils & Butter
• Dried fruits
• Raw nuts
• Salt
• Herbs & Spices

Another step would be to use a holistic framework to improve how you manage your emotions because it will take a lot of self-love and stress management to get through something like this.  

I personally followed a specific 5-step framework that helped me not only address my food addiction, but also to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way.  I explain it all in my training.  But first you can start with my 5-Minute Blueprint to STOP Snacking at Night!  just click here to Grab Your FREE Copy!

With Love,

Julie Richard

Occupational Therapist| Certified Health Coach| Founder of Ulikeyou Weight Loss| Creator of the Evolve Method

REFERENCE

Gearhardt, A. N., & DiFeliceantonio, A. G. (2023). Highly processed foods can be considered addictive substances based on established scientific criteria. Addiction, 118(4), 589–598. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.16065