A study has investigated which types of food are most addictive. The results are not surprising:
For the first time, a team of researchers looked at exactly which types of foods could be the most addictive. They asked a group of 120 undergraduates at the University of Michigan, and another group of nearly 400 adults, about 35 different types of food -- from pizza to broccoli -- and whether they think they could have problems controlling how much they ate of each one. Eighteen of the items were processed foods, meaning they contained added sugars and fats.
Topping the list were pizza, chocolate, chips, cookies, ice cream, French fries, cake and soda, all considered processed foods. They were followed by cheese and bacon -- both unprocessed foods, but high in fat and salt.
The researchers found that the most problematic foods tended to be those with a high glycemic load, meaning they contained a lot of sugar and caused a spike in blood sugar. The authors wrote that these qualities could make foods more difficult to stop eating in a similar way as drugs that are highly concentrated and rapidly absorbed into the body are more addictive.
The researchers also found that, among the adults in their study, those with a high BMI and those who were at risk of having any kind of food addiction were most likely to have difficulty controlling themselves around a particular food item.
Note that this article considers bacon to be an “unprocessed food” defining such as having “added sugars and fats” while bacon is typically considered to be a processed food.
The take home message is that foods that are less healthy choices are those which are most addictive, and those two characteristics are linked. Sugar, fat, and salt promote cravings, and at the same time, these components have the worst nutritional profile. Further, those most at risk for food-related health problems, such as individuals with a high BMI, are more likely to have problems with food addiction.
It is important to try to break the vicious cycle of eating these foods, craving more, and eating more. In theory, if you have never eaten these foods, and avoid being exposed to them, you won’t develop the addiction. This is unrealistic since almost all of us, myself included, have consumed these foods many times at one point or another in our lives. So, you need to make a conscious decision to resist: avoid eating out, do not buy these items, and eat healthier at home. The good news is that with time, your tastes will adapt. After ditching foods like Pop Tarts for fresh fruit, I have found that the fruit tastes sweeter to me than it did before, when I was routinely exposed to high-sugar, highly processed food.
It is important not to be obsessed with food, not to use food as some sort of “comfort” or “drug” in response to stressors and problems. Certainly, you should enjoy what you eat, and once you adjust to a healthier diet, you will find out that you enjoy the healthy foods more, and the types of foods you ate in the past taste “too rich.” So, yes, healthy food can and should be palatable. However, do not make food a focus of your life, so that avoiding unhealthy and addictive foods would not feel like a sacrifice. Once you have a healthy food regimen in place, you could have “cheat meals” infrequently – the occasional slice of pizza, a piece of chocolate, or a Pop Tart, or even that dreaded slice of bacon.
Actionable
You need to make the commitment that your relationship with food will change. The primary function of food is to be fuel for your body and to improve your health. Food consumption cannot be a major focus in your life, food cannot be a drug to distract you from life’s problems.
For the first time, a team of researchers looked at exactly which types of foods could be the most addictive. They asked a group of 120 undergraduates at the University of Michigan, and another group of nearly 400 adults, about 35 different types of food -- from pizza to broccoli -- and whether they think they could have problems controlling how much they ate of each one. Eighteen of the items were processed foods, meaning they contained added sugars and fats.
Topping the list were pizza, chocolate, chips, cookies, ice cream, French fries, cake and soda, all considered processed foods. They were followed by cheese and bacon -- both unprocessed foods, but high in fat and salt.
The researchers found that the most problematic foods tended to be those with a high glycemic load, meaning they contained a lot of sugar and caused a spike in blood sugar. The authors wrote that these qualities could make foods more difficult to stop eating in a similar way as drugs that are highly concentrated and rapidly absorbed into the body are more addictive.
The researchers also found that, among the adults in their study, those with a high BMI and those who were at risk of having any kind of food addiction were most likely to have difficulty controlling themselves around a particular food item.
Note that this article considers bacon to be an “unprocessed food” defining such as having “added sugars and fats” while bacon is typically considered to be a processed food.
The take home message is that foods that are less healthy choices are those which are most addictive, and those two characteristics are linked. Sugar, fat, and salt promote cravings, and at the same time, these components have the worst nutritional profile. Further, those most at risk for food-related health problems, such as individuals with a high BMI, are more likely to have problems with food addiction.
It is important to try to break the vicious cycle of eating these foods, craving more, and eating more. In theory, if you have never eaten these foods, and avoid being exposed to them, you won’t develop the addiction. This is unrealistic since almost all of us, myself included, have consumed these foods many times at one point or another in our lives. So, you need to make a conscious decision to resist: avoid eating out, do not buy these items, and eat healthier at home. The good news is that with time, your tastes will adapt. After ditching foods like Pop Tarts for fresh fruit, I have found that the fruit tastes sweeter to me than it did before, when I was routinely exposed to high-sugar, highly processed food.
It is important not to be obsessed with food, not to use food as some sort of “comfort” or “drug” in response to stressors and problems. Certainly, you should enjoy what you eat, and once you adjust to a healthier diet, you will find out that you enjoy the healthy foods more, and the types of foods you ate in the past taste “too rich.” So, yes, healthy food can and should be palatable. However, do not make food a focus of your life, so that avoiding unhealthy and addictive foods would not feel like a sacrifice. Once you have a healthy food regimen in place, you could have “cheat meals” infrequently – the occasional slice of pizza, a piece of chocolate, or a Pop Tart, or even that dreaded slice of bacon.
Actionable
You need to make the commitment that your relationship with food will change. The primary function of food is to be fuel for your body and to improve your health. Food consumption cannot be a major focus in your life, food cannot be a drug to distract you from life’s problems.
No comments:
Post a Comment