Health News Update: Ultraprocessed Food Addiction is Real
Hello everyone:
For most of us, this time of year is about giving thanks, getting together with loved ones and friends and celebrating the season. Plus, it is usually centered around food that is home cooked and traditional. On the other side of the coin, are ultraprocessed foods that are proven to be detrimental to our optimal health and well-being. Please read what researchers have uncovered…perhaps you know someone who has this problem:
“Over the past few decades, researchers have developed a compelling case against ultraprocessed foods and beverages, linking them to several chronic diseases and adverse health conditions. Yet, even as this evidence mounted, these food items have become increasingly prominent in diets globally.
Now, recent studies are unlocking why cutting back on ultraprocessed foods can be so challenging. In their ability to fuel intense cravings, loss of control, and even withdrawal symptoms, ultraprocessed foods appear as capable of triggering addiction as traditional culprits like tobacco and alcohol.
Some foods are more likely to trigger addictions than others. For instance, in our studies, participants frequently mention chocolate, pizza, French fries, potato chips, and soda as some of the most addictive foods. What these foods all share is an ability to deliver high doses of refined carbohydrates, fat, or salt at levels exceeding those found in natural foods (e.g., fruits, vegetables, beans).
Furthermore, ultraprocessed foods are industrially mass-produced in a process that relies on the heavy use of flavor enhancers and additives, as well as preservatives and packaging that make them shelf-stable. This has flooded our food supply with cheap, accessible, hyper rewarding foods that our brains are not well equipped to resist.
To add to these already substantial effects, the food industry often employs strategies reminiscent of Big Tobacco. They engineer foods to hit our "bliss points," maximizing craving and fostering brand loyalty from a young age. This product engineering, coupled with aggressive marketing, makes these foods both attractive and seemingly ubiquitous.”
Bottom Line:
Ultraprocessed foods are created to be irresistible, and it is now estimated that both children and adults consume on average 60% of their daily calories from these ‘food like objects’. And while 12 to 14% of children and adults are ‘addicted’ to these foods, they harm everyone who eats them.
“Numerous studies have found that individuals who exhibit UPFA (Ultra Processed Food Addiction) have more severe mental and physical health challenges. For example, UPFA is associated with higher rates of diet-related diseases (like type 2 diabetes), greater overall mental health issues, and generally poorer outcomes in weight loss treatments.”
Check out the link/article for the four treatment options that they recommend. All of them are good, and from my point of view, the third one has to be a component of the other 3.
Friends don’t let friends eat that ‘stuff’, because friends don’t let friends hurt themselves. All the best to you this blessed season.
Dr Smith and Staff
