On this Student Spotlight: Can you become addicted to ultra-processed foods?
Lucy Loch, doctoral candidate in the department of psychology at the University of Michigan, examines whether this is the case.
Lucy Loch is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan, where she is mentored by Dr. Ashley Gearhardt and Dr. Julie Lumeng. Her research focuses on the life course development of addictive-like eating, examining how early experiences and exposure to ultra-processed foods influence appetite, self-regulation, and risk for later life health outcomes. Supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Lucy bridges developmental and addiction science to uncover why certain foods and life experiences may make some individuals more susceptible to overeating. Her work has appeared in journals including Addiction, Current Obesity Reports, and Physiology & Behavior.
Ultra-processed foods are industrially made products that often contain high levels of refined carbohydrates, added fats, and other ingredients designed to make them especially tasty and rewarding. Over the past few decades, these foods have become a major part of the American diet. Research shows that some people experience addictive-like responses to ultra-processed foods, including intense cravings and difficulty controlling their intake.
This study examined how common ultra-processed food addiction, is among older adults in the United States, and how it relates to health and social well-being. Data was analyzed from more than two thousand adults between the ages of fifty and eighty who participated in a nationally representative survey. Participants completed a validated questionnaire that applies the diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders such as, cravings, loss of control, and continued use despite negative effects, to food ultra-processed food consumption. Older adults in this study also reported on their physical health, mental health, and feelings of social isolation.
The findings showed that about one in eight older adults met the criteria for ultra-processed food addiction. Rates were higher among women than men, and highest among women aged fifty to sixty-four, where roughly one in five met the diagnostic criteria for ultra-processed food addiction. Additionally, ultra-processed food addiction was strongly linked to poorer health outcomes. Those who described themselves as overweight, or in worse physical or mental health, were significantly more likely to meet criteria for UPFA. People who reported feeling socially isolated were also at increased risk.
These results suggest that ultra-processed food addiction is an overlooked issue among older adults, especially women who were in a developmentally vulnerable period when these foods became widespread in the American food supply in the 1970s and 1980s. This study highlights important connections between addictive eating behaviors, physical and mental health, and social well-being, offering new insights for understanding nutrition and aging.
Read More:
[Wiley] - Ultra-processed food addiction in a nationally representative sample of older adults in the USA
