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If potato chips and candy bars are taking a toll on your heart and waistline, you’re not alone.
About 13% of older Americans meet the criteria for junk food and beverage addiction, according to a new survey. data From the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging, which surveyed more than 2,100 people between the ages of 50 and 80.
So who is most likely to rely on highly processed foods?
Who is most likely to become addicted to junk food?
A poll found that women (18%) were much more likely than men (8%) to meet the criteria for addiction to highly processed foods. Addiction is particularly prevalent among women between her 50s and her 64s, with 22% of her in that age group meeting that criteria.
Among all survey respondents, those most likely to be addicted were those who reported:
- Overweight
- lonely
- Normal or poor mental health
Can You Really Be Dependent on Food?
It may seem impossible to become dependent on food. but, summary Commenting on the findings, Ashley Gearhart, a psychologist at the University of Michigan, said:
“The word addiction may seem strong when it comes to food, but research shows that our brains are more sensitive to highly processed foods, especially those that are highest in sugar, simple starch, and fat. It has been shown to react as strongly as tobacco, alcohol, and other addictive substances.”
To meet the researchers’ criteria for dependence on highly processed foods, older adults had to report experiencing at least two out of 11 symptoms of dependence in the past year. They also had to report “significant diet-related distress or life problems” several times a week.
Are you addicted to junk food?
Survey participants were asked about foods that had been difficult in the previous year, but specifically about sweets, starches, salty snacks, fatty foods, and sugary drinks.
According to researchers, the most commonly reported symptoms of addiction to such foods are:
- Strong urges to eat certain foods (at least once a week) — 24% of survey respondents reported
- Unsuccessful attempts to cut back on certain foods (2-3 times per week) — 19%
- Eating certain foods after experiencing emotional problems due to not eating certain foods (once a week) — 17%
- Eating the same amount of food doesn’t give me as much enjoyment as I used to (2-3 times a week) — 13%
- A friend or family member worries about your overeating (once a month) — 12%
So?
In a summary of the poll’s findings, Dr. Jeffrey Krugren — poll director, associate professor of medicine at Michigan Medicine, and physician and researcher at the VA Ann Arbor Health Care System — The results show that clinicians need a more complete understanding of how and how to cope, they say. Food poisoning is associated with the patient’s physical and mental health.
“Food cravings and behaviors are rooted in brain chemistry and genetics, and we need to understand that some people need extra help, just like quitting smoking or drinking alcohol.”
