Social, clinical, and policy implications of ultra-processed food addiction

Fourteen per cent of adults and 12 per cent of children are addicted to highly processed foods such as chocolate bars or salted potato chips.Their addiction is similar to that to drugs. Addictions to processed foods are similar to those to alcohol, nicotine or cocaine. It includes symptoms such as overuse, loss of control when eating, or continuing to eat even when aware of the negative consequences. If a person has exhibited at least two of these symptoms in the past year, along with being in serious trouble or experiencing severe psychological distress, it is considered an eating addiction. This is according to a meta-study published in The British Medical Journal, whose authors analyzed 281 studies from 36 different countries. See also:

Addiction to ultra-processed food affects 14% of adults globally Report’s authors also estimate about 12% of children hooked and call for further research into problem