Ann Arbor Times

New research led by a University of Michigan psychologist and colleagues asserts that ultra-processed foods, such as chips, cookies, and soda, can trigger addictive behaviors similar to those seen in substance-use disorders. The study, published in Nature Medicine, synthesizes evidence from nearly 300 studies across 36 countries showing that these foods can hijack the brain’s reward system. This leads to cravings, loss of control, and persistent use despite harmful consequences.

Lead author Ashley Gearhardt, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, said: “People aren’t becoming addicted to apples or brown rice. They’re struggling with industrial products specifically engineered to hit the brain like a drug—rapidly, intensely and repeatedly.”

The research comes at a time when U.S. Congressional hearings have drawn attention to the role of addictive ultra-processed foods in rising childhood chronic disease rates. Additionally, a major lawsuit filed in Philadelphia in late 2024 accuses 11 food companies of intentionally designing and marketing addictive products to children.

In response to these concerns, the Food & Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health have launched a joint initiative modeled after the Tobacco Regulatory Science Program. This move indicates growing consensus among policymakers that addiction science should be applied to the food system.

Neuroimaging studies cited by the authors reveal that individuals who compulsively consume ultra-processed foods display brain circuit disruptions similar to those observed in alcohol and cocaine addiction. The paper also notes that medications which reduce cravings for ultra-processed foods have been found effective in reducing compulsive drug use.

Co-author Erica LaFata from Drexel University commented on the need for consistency in recognizing addictions: “The bar for recognizing addiction has been far lower in other cases. It’s time ultra-processed food addiction was held to the same scientific standard.”

The researchers challenge arguments suggesting food cannot be addictive because it is necessary for survival. They distinguish between whole foods and ultra-processed ones, comparing modern junk foods’ effects on health with how cigarettes differ from raw tobacco due to processing and additives designed for reinforcement.

“We’ve created a food environment flooded with products that function more like nicotine than nutrition,” wrote the researchers. “And children are the primary targets.”

The study calls for public health leaders and policymakers to formally recognize ultra-processed food addiction, support further research into its identification and treatment, and consider protective measures similar to tobacco control efforts—such as restrictions on marketing aimed at children and clearer labeling.

“We’re not saying all food is addictive,” Gearhardt said. “We’re saying that many ultra-processed foods are designed to be addictive. And unless we recognize that, we’ll continue to fail the people most affected—especially kids.”

Gearhardt’s work received partial funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA055027). Other co-authors include Alyssa Moran of the University of Pennsylvania and Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.