A recent study conducted by Antonio Cepeda-Benito, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Psychological Science, and three colleagues from the University of Jaén (Spain) demonstrates that when it comes to food addiction, ultra-processed foods are what we crave most. Not much of a revelation, right? What may surprise you, though, is that these researchers also found that home-cooked meals, which are considered processed foods, can also be addictive.

The study looked at the participants’ responses to pictures of different foods. “It is a long tradition in psychological research to investigate how people perceive and react to images,” Cepeda-Benito says, “particularly images that have emotional meaning. At the simplest level, we are attracted to some images and repulsed by others.” In a 2005 study, Cepeda-Benito presented images of chocolate to people who love it and people who are neutral about it. The chocolate lovers said they perceived the images as highly attractive and desirable, but measures of their heart and sweat gland responses showed they felt anxious and vulnerable. “That was a new finding,” Cepeda-Benito says, “that people could respond as if they were simultaneously attracted and repulsed by chocolate.”

The new study, published both online and in print in the August 2023 edition of the journal Food Quality and Preference, is an extension of the chocolate-image research. This time, a group of students at the University of Jaén in Spain were presented with images of foods from three groups—ultra-processed, such as fast-food burgers and fries, frozen pizza, ice cream, and packaged cookies; processed, consisting of home-cooked meals such as oven-baked chicken, grilled steak, and fish dishes; and unprocessed or minimally processed, featuring fruits and vegetables.

Researchers and clinicians have often explored the idea that certain foods, particularly those high in sugar, fat, and salt, might lead to addictive-like eating in some individuals, but previous investigators had only compared high-processed or high calorie foods versus low-processed or low-calorie foods. “What is novel about our research,” Cepeda-Benito says, “is that we separated the high-processed foods into ultra-processed (or industrially processed) and processed (or home-cooked) foods.”

“What we saw is that images of ultra-processed foods, and to a lesser extent the processed foods or home-cooked hearty meals, produced the same effect as the chocolate images in the previous study, particularly among participants who scored high on the Yale food addiction scale, a questionnaire that measures addictive-like eating behavior,” Cepeda-Benito explains. Regardless of their food addiction scores, the participants responded to the unprocessed foods as if they were neutral, boring objects.

Cepeda-Benito comes from a tradition of investigating drug addiction. A conversation with a colleague who was interested in eating disorders led the two to develop a measure to assess food cravings. From there, Cepeda-Benito’s interest in eating disorders and food cravings grew and led to his current research into food addiction. He believes that the take-home message from the 2023 study for everyday folks is, “you still have to be aware of what you’re eating, whether you prepare the foods yourself or consume foods that are already prepared at the supermarket or at a fast-food restaurant.”

So, is it ever okay to eat ultra-processed foods? In short, yes. According to Farryl Bertmann, Ph.D., R.D.N., clinical associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, ultra-processed foods do offer benefits. “If we were to cut out all the ultra-processed food, it would be analogous to cutting 75 percent of a grocery store,” she says. “They improve food access and food security, and they can be really helpful in cutting down preparation time in those home-cooked or processed foods.”

Ultra-processed foods also help reduce waste by extending shelf life and improving food safety, which makes them important in our current charitable food system, allowing people to have access to a variety of foods that are shelf-stable at food pantries. These foods are also often fortified, specifically with thiamine, folate, and iodine.

Bertmann adds that restricting certain foods is just not a healthy option. Eating disorders affect a large percentage of the college population, including 54 percent of the LGBTQ+ youth population and up to 84 percent of collegiate athletes. “I think it is important that we stay above any type of food restriction unless it’s medically necessary,” Bertmann says.

Cepeda-Benito agrees that extreme diets or restrictions are not the answer to food addiction, as they can lead to binge eating. He adds that if someone has been struggling with their eating habits for a while, they should seek psychological treatment or consult a registered dietician nutritionist.

For those with less serious food addiction issues, Cepeda offers these tips:

  • Take care of yourself. Make sure you get plenty of sleep, watch your drinking and other drug use, and exercise regularly.
  • Develop a healthy eating plan and healthy eating habits. Consult a registered dietitian nutritionist, your primary care provider, or other trained health professional to develop a more structured eating plan.
  • Practice mindful eating. By eating mindfully, you become fully aware of what you’re eating and when while paying attention to your body’s hunger and fullness cues. Practicing mindfulness meditation in general can help you become more aware of your thoughts and emotions, enabling you to respond to them more healthfully.
  • Learn to identify triggers and develop strategies to cope with them. Food-eating triggers are situations or emotions that induce food cravings. Once you’re aware of them, you can use strategies, such as visualization techniques, to cope with them.
  • Develop alternative coping mechanisms for stress and emotional distress. Exercise, meditation, hobbies, and talking to a supportive friend can all help. Find activities you enjoy so you’re more likely to stick with them.
  • Know that lapses are part of the journey. Overcoming addiction takes time and effort. Be patient and kind with yourself—and be sure to celebrate and share your successes!

 

Several resources are currently available for students, staff, and faculty facing food insecurity or looking to round out their diets, including: