Highly processed foods have attracted more than 1 in 10 people.
Millions of people around the world struggle with the challenge of unhealthy food addiction. They try to give up items like potato chips, ice cream, and the like, but often find themselves unable to do so. This phenomenon has been the subject of extensive research by many experts and diet researchers.
Scientists have now discovered that ultra-processed foods, or UPFs, can be as addictive as drugs. This is concerning because UPFs are unhealthy and have been linked to many health problems. A recent study of 281 studies from 36 countries found that 14 percent of people are addicted to UPF. This is a serious problem because UPFs are so common in our diet.
New York Post Unhealthy food items such as sausage, ice cream, biscuits, soft drinks, and sugary cereals have been reported to be associated with adverse health outcomes, including cognitive decline, cancer, psychological distress, and premature mortality.
Ashley Gearhart, a professor at the University of Michigan, led the study, which examined criteria such as uncontrollable and excessive drinking, persistent cravings, and continued use despite the potential for negative health consequences.
Gearhart and his colleagues stated in their new findings published in this paper British Medical Journal“The combination of refined carbohydrates and fats often found in UPF appears to have an additive effect on the brain’s reward systems above either macronutrient alone, which may increase the addictive potential of these foods.”
In accordance with The Guardian newspaper The lead author of the review, Professor Ashley Gearhart of the University of Michigan, Yale Food Addiction Scale 2009 To measure the problem
“I took the standard diagnostic criteria for alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, and heroin and translated them into food,” he explains.
Criteria include excessive use, loss of control over use, craving, continued use despite negative consequences, and withdrawal. If a person has two or more symptoms with “significant disturbance or distress” during the past year, this is classified as a food addiction.
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