Food addiction is much like smoking. Researchers flag ultra-processed foods like breakfast cereals, biscuits, chicken nuggets, frozen foods like ice cream, candy and sodas
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.
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.
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