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What Foods May Be Addictive?
Book chapter

What Foods May Be Addictive?

Erica M LaFata, Kelly C Allison and Evan M Forman
Food & Addiction
08 Nov 2024

Abstract

refined carbohydrates dietary fat overeating ultra-processed foods food addiction obesity
Food addiction is most commonly conceptualized from a substance-use disorder perspective, whereby some individuals exhibit addictive-like responses to certain foods. However, unlike addictive substances, no ingredient in foods has been identified as being responsible for directly motivating future intake and triggering problematic patterns of use in susceptible individuals. Preliminary research in this area has provided insight into which types of foods have the greatest addictive potential and yielded promising areas for future research. The purposes of this chapter are to: (1) make the case that ultra-processed foods share features with addictive drugs and are most associated with indicators of food addiction, (2) review the current state of the literature on which ingredients in ultra-processed foods may exhibit an addictive potential, and (3) outline key next steps in this line of research. In addition to supporting the validity of food addiction as a substance-use disorder, understanding the addictive potentials of specific ingredients in foods has impactful public policy implications, such as informing food reformulations and altering dietary recommendations.

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