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What are the social, clinical and policy implications of ultra-processed food addiction? Ashley Gearhardt, Associate Professor of Psychology in the Clinical Science area at the University of Michigan, talks about how our technology has changed food to deliver high doses of rewarding ingredients, like sugar and fat, which are amplified by flavors. This ultra-processed food employs the same reward system as cigarettes do with nicotine. Our reward system is shaped by our evolutionary pressure to ensure we eat enough calories to survive. Hence our brain is more reactive to calorie-dense foods like sugar and fat. Gearhardt presents the Yale Food Addiction Scale which consists of 11 behavioral criteria for food addiction, such as a loss of control over consumption, intense almost irresistible cravings, and an inability to cut down despite a desire to do so. Watch the video to find out the current prevalence of food addiction and which ingredients Gearhardt believes are the likely candidates for the addictive food agent.

Gearhardt, who is the Director of the Food Addiction Science and Treatment Laboratory, investigates the contribution of reward dysfunction (e.g. craving, liking) to eating-related problems across the lifespan. She uses a multi-method approach to explore the neurobiological, psychological and behavioral factors that contribute to problematic eating behavior. She created the Yale Food Addiction Scale and also investigates the role of addictive processes in compulsive overeating.

This talk was presented at the recent "Food for Thought 2023: Rising to the challenge of obesity and diabetes" conference held by Swiss Re Institute and @TheBMJ . Learn more: https://www.swissre.com/institute/con...

Key messages
-Ultra-processed foods high in refined carbohydrates and added fats are highly rewarding, appealing, and consumed compulsively and may be addictive

-Behaviours around ultra-processed food may meet the criteria for diagnosis of substance use disorder in some people

-Ultra-processed food addiction is estimated to occur in 14% of adults and 12% of children and is associated with biopsychological mechanisms of addiction and clinically significant problems

-Understanding of these foods as addictive could lead to novel approaches in the realm of social justice, clinical care, and policy approaches