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About 1 in 8 Older Americans Show Signs of Junk Food Addiction
About 13% of individuals between the ages of 50 and 80 show signs of addiction to highly processed foods, according to a new study.
Findings are based on data from the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation’s National Poll on Healthy Aging. The poll used a set of 13 questions to analyze whether—and how often—older adults experience core indicators of addiction in their relationship with highly processed foods, such as sweets, salty snacks, sugary drinks, and fast food. Indicators include intense cravings, an inability to reduce intake, and signs of withdrawal.
“The word ‘addiction’ may seem strong when it comes to food, but research has shown that our brains respond as strongly to highly processed foods, especially those highest in sugar, simple starches, and fat, as they do to tobacco, alcohol, and other addictive substances,” Ashley Gearhardt, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Michigan who was among the researchers conducting the study, said in a news release. “Just as with smoking or drinking, we need to identify and reach out to those who have entered unhealthy patterns of use and support them in developing a healthier relationship with food.”
To meet the criteria for addiction, older adults who were polled had to report experiencing at least 2 of 11 symptoms of addiction in their intake of highly processed food, and also report significant eating-related distress or life problems multiple times per week.
Based on these criteria, highly processed food addiction was observed in 13% of poll respondents overall, with rates significantly higher among women, especially those in their 50s and early 60s. Among subgroups of the study population, the following rates of addiction were observed:
- 32% of women and 14% of men say their physical health is fair or poor—more than twice the rate of those who say their physical health is excellent, very good, or good;
- 45% of women and 23% of men who say their mental health is fair or poor—3 times the rate among those who report their mental health as excellent, very good, or good;
- 34% of women and 17% of men who self-report they are overweight;
- 51% of women and 26% of men who say they often feel isolated from others, compared to 8% of women and 4% of men who say they rarely feel isolated.
Intense cravings were the most commonly reported symptom among study participants, with 24% saying that at least once a week, they had a strong urge to eat highly processed food and couldn’t think of anything else. Furthermore, 19% of respondents said they had tried and failed to cut down on (or stop eating) highly processed foods 2 to 3 times per week.
“Clinicians need a better understanding of how food addiction and problematic eating intertwines with their patients’ physical and mental health, including chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer,” says poll director Jeffrey Kullgren, MD, MPH, an associate professor of internal medicine at Michigan Medicine and physician and researcher at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, said in the release.
“We need to understand that cravings and behaviors around food are rooted in brain chemistry and heredity, and that some people may need additional help just as they would to quit smoking or drinking.”
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