Why can’t you stay off that luscious chocolate no matter how full you are? That’s because you could be a food addict. Researchers have recently developed a scale, similar to the one that maps alcohol and tobacco addiction, to track diminished control over intake, cravings, withdrawal and continued use of certain foods despite negative impacts on the body. Nearly 14 per cent adults and 12 per cent children have food addiction by this measure.
The analysis, recently published in the British Medical Journal, also found that nearly a third of the people who have undergone bariatric surgery and half of those who have binge eating disorder, are also addicted to food. The reason? Researchers say ultra-processed foods — industrially produced foods containing ingredients not available in home kitchens – turn you into a food addict. This includes breakfast cereals, biscuits, chicken nuggets, frozen foods like ice cream, candy and sodas.
Why are some foods addictive and some not?
Foods high in refined carbohydrates and fats trigger a dopamine response in the brain just like any other addictive substance. While naturally occurring fruits, vegetables or nuts may contain high levels of either fats or carbohydrates, they rarely ever contain both unlike ultra-processed foods. For example, apples have a carbohydrate to fat ratio of 0.36:1, salmon 0:1 and nuts roughly 1:5. However, a bar of chocolate has a 1:1 carbohydrate to fat ratio.
What makes us crave ultra-processed foods?
Not only does their basic structure differ from naturally occurring food substances, ultra-processed foods are likely to contain high levels of added sugars, salts and other additives for flavour and mouthfeel. Carbohydrates and fats from ultra-processed foods are absorbed faster by the gut, making them more addictive. Researchers say this is much like smoking, which delivers nicotine to the brain rapidly.
How can you beat food addiction?
Dr Ambrish Mithal, chairman of endocrinology and diabetes at Max Healthcare, recommends calorie- counting to overcome cravings for ultra-processed food. “If you count the calories for every piece of chocolate, sweet, or cola that you consume, you will quickly realise that you would hit your daily calorie intake target very quickly. Then, you will have to remain hungry. On the other hand, if you have a bowl of salad, it might just add 50 calories but is likely to make you feel full. If you do this for some time, your satiety experience will make you want to avoid these highly processed foods because they keep you hungry,” he says.
Why is it important to define and diagnose food addiction?
Quantifying food addiction, say researchers, helps in managing treatment protocols for obesity or eating disorders. Two, defining the condition properly will help in identifying the missing cases. The study says that an estimated one per cent of the population has binge eating disorder but an estimated 14 per cent are addicted to ultra-processed foods.
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Three, adding it as an official diagnosis will also lead to more research on treatment and clinical management of such cases.
Why do we need policy interventions as suggested by the study?
The study suggests interventions such as taxing ultra-processed food items and beverages to make them less affordable. “We have to ensure that these products are not readily available to children to reduce their exposure. As a society, we have to ensure that healthier foods are more accessible than the unhealthy ones. Front of pack labels can help. You need not say that the product is addictive as they are already proven to cause other lifestyle disorders,” says Dr Mithal.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
First published on: 12-10-2023 at 09:00 IST
