As delicious as it is, processed food is not healthy and can lead us into a craving trap similar to addiction. (Shutterstock)
As delicious as it is, processed food is not healthy and can lead us into a craving trap similar to addiction.
In July 2022, the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging surveyed adults ages 50 to 80 nationwide about symptoms of highly processed food addiction and examined how these symptoms relate to their physical and mental health. relation. It was found that 1 in 8 older Americans may suffer from food addiction symptoms.
Highly processed foods, such as sweetened drinks, chips and fast food, can be as addictive to some people as cigarettes and alcohol, researchers say.
The findings showed that more than one in eight met the criteria for a highly processed food addiction in the past year, and 44 percent showed at least one symptom. The most common symptoms are:
· Strong desire
· Inability to reduce food intake
· Various symptoms and reactions after withdrawal
About 12 percent of respondents reported that their eating behaviors caused them distress at least two to three times a week. Some said the intake of highly processed foods caused major problems in their lives.
The findings showed that women were more than twice as likely as men to meet the criteria for a highly processed food addiction.
Food addiction has also been linked to mental health. Participants who self-rated their mental health as fair or poor were at least three times as likely to meet food addiction criteria as those with excellent, very good, or good mental health. People who feel disconnected from others are also more likely to meet the criteria for food addiction.
3 Reasons Why Processed Food Addiction
Neuropsychologist Sanam Hafeez, Ph.D., director of the Comprehend the Mind Institute and a professor at Columbia University, says there are three factors to food addiction.
1. Stress and emotions
“Happiness, sadness, hopelessness, stress, or loneliness often lead to what we call ’emotional eating,'” says Emily Fewer, a registered dietitian with Northwell Health in Long Island, Jewish Forest Hills, New York. Feivor) told The Epoch Times.
People with food addictions may eat to enhance positive emotions and reduce negative emotions. “For example, you might eat pizza to ‘reward yourself’ for an achievement, but you could also eat pizza because something negative happened and you reassure yourself that ‘you deserve it,'” Hafiz explained. explain.
Research has shown a significant association between food addiction and negative emotional states such as depression and anxiety. When we’re feeling down or low on energy, we may be drawn to sweet things. Times of stress or need for comfort may lead us to turn to carbohydrates.
Instead of giving up the foods we want to eat entirely, Fevor suggests, we should try to find a relatively healthy alternative that can keep our nutrition and health goals met while still being met.
2. Brain Chemistry
Hafiz noted that consuming foods high in carbohydrates, fat, sugar, salt and artificial sweeteners can lead to addiction in some people, “which activates reward-processing areas in the brain and releases serotonin and dopamine,” she says. .
Overstimulation of the dopamine reward circuit can provide a “high” that feels similar to taking drugs or drinking alcohol.
3. Genetics
Another contributing factor to food addiction is genetics. Studies have shown that some people have genes that put them at a higher than average risk of developing any type of addiction, including food addiction.
Highly Processed Foods Linked to High Disease Risk
Highly processed foods are linked to an increased risk of cancer, a new study from Imperial College’s School of Public Health has found.
The researchers categorized these foods as carbonated beverages, cereals, prepackaged foods, and mass-produced and packaged bread.
They stress that these foods are not typical ingredients used in home cooking, but are made from derived ingredients, such as high fructose corn syrup or modified starches.
After studying 200,000 middle-aged participants for more than 10 years, researchers found that people who ate highly processed foods had a much higher risk of developing potentially deadly cancer. Of these, ovarian cancer and brain cancer were more likely to develop in people who ate ultra-processed foods. And ovarian and breast cancers are more likely to be fatal for this population.
“Our bodies may respond differently to these ultra-processed ingredients and additives than they would to fresh and nutrient-dense minimally processed foods,” study lead author Kiara Chang, Ph.D., said in a statement.
High consumption of highly processed foods was also significantly associated with an increased risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. A review published in The American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine says most people don’t understand the “depth and breadth” of its harm because many in society eat a diet that is dangerously lower than the standard American diet is even worse.
3 ways to quit food addiction
Food addictions don’t go away on their own. “To get over it, you have to make the change yourself first,” advises Hafiz. This can be a challenging one, so you need to make sure you have the support and a mental health professional to help you succeed.
1. Limit “foods that trigger cravings”
Hafiz recommends removing alcohol and caffeinated beverages from the diet to help reduce poor dietary choices, as these substances often trigger cravings.
Research from Cornell University has confirmed that caffeine can make food less sweet, leading people to eat more sugar. Another study showed that alcohol can stimulate nerve cells in the brain and increase appetite.
Simply replacing caffeinated or alcoholic beverages with plain water can help reduce your cravings.
2. Let the body avoid junk food
Introducing healthier foods to your diet can also help. Over time, your body will “get used to avoiding junk food” and reduce cravings for unhealthy foods, Hafiz says. Healthy foods actually make your body feel light, while processed foods make you feel heavy.
That’s because, for someone who regularly eats junk food, when his body finishes digesting the food, it begins to “mobilize waste and repair the damage,” says review author Joel Foer of the Nutrition Research Foundation. Dr. Joel Fuhrman explains that the process tires you out and gives you headaches and anxiety.
But if you eat nutritious food, you feel nothing. Furthermore, “you no longer want to eat until your glycogen stores are almost depleted”.
3. Cognitive reassessment
Cognitive reappraisal is often used to reduce negative emotions. But researchers have found that it’s also very effective in combating food addictions.
When seeing junk food, you can think about the negative consequences of eating it – the food might cause cancer or make me fat, or think about the problems it might have, like someone sneezing on it, or the chef wrapping it with dirty hands it. These thoughts can help significantly reduce cravings for these foods.
Being vigilant about things is crucial, says Hafiz, “Seeing how many calories are in the foods you want to eat and understanding how much exercise you need to burn those calories can help overcome food addiction.”
Just as we pay more and more attention to mental health in general, doctors need to pay more attention to patients whose weight or laboratory test results indicate that they may have food addiction.
“A lot of times, the doctor will say, ‘It would be great if you could reduce the sugar intake,’ and then let the patient go,” Hafiz said.
Many cannot afford a dietitian, so it is vital that GPs become more aware of the psychological causes behind food addiction, how to counsel patients and provide outreach in the community.
“As with any addiction, if people can stop the addiction with the advice of their doctor, they will wean themselves off highly processed foods,” Hafiz concludes. “People need more support and awareness.”
References for this article:
For the English report, please visit the English “Epoch Times” website:「Food Addiction: Main Causes, 3 Ways to Overcome」。◇
Editor in charge: Li Fan
