Apparently, you really can become a junk-food junkie.
That’s what a new study published by the British Medical Journal says, noting that ultra-processed foods — meaning food that contain “ingredients not available in home kitchens” and that typically have high levels of refined carbohydrates or added fats — are plenty addictive. And they’re on par with alcohol and tobacco, the study notes.
Specifically, the study says that food addiction — again, closely connected with the consumption of ultra-processed foods — is prevalent in 14% of the adult population. That matches the percentage for alcohol addiction and is just slightly below the percentage for tobacco addiction (18%).
The study warns that junk foods like sweets and snacks deliver those carbs and fats to the gut at a speedy rate, contributing to their addictive potential. It’s not unlike how cigarettes “rapidly deliver nicotine to the brain,” the study warns.
Additives also play a role in making these junk foods so appealing, the study says. That is, they increase sweet and savory tastes. Not surprisingly, the study notes that additives “that aim to improve [flavor] and mouthfeel are also common in cigarettes, including sugar, cocoa, menthol, and alkaline salt.”
If anything, the study points to issues with food addiction that don’t exist with other addictions since food is a critical part of our lives. “Addictive drugs are not necessary for survival; eating is,” the study says.
The study says understanding that ultra-processed foods are indeed addictive could “lead to novel approaches” in addressing the issue. It points to several policies that are already being taken across the world, such as levying taxes on sweetened beverages or posting nutritional information on the front of packages.
MarketWatch reached out to SNAC, a trade group representing snack-food manufacturers, about the study, but didn’t receive an immediate response.
Americans’ desire to snack doesn’t appear to be abating. In its most recent annual report, SNAC says the annual total sales for salty snacks grew by 15.6% in 2022 to $ 28.4 billion. Potato chips alone saw 14.5% growth to $ 7.8 billion in sales.