Refined Food Addiction

June 11, 2009

WE KNOW DRUGS CAN PROVE ADDICTIVE, NOW IT TURNS OUT HIGH-CALORIE FOODS CAN TOO.

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA RESEARCHERS HAVE FOUND THAT WHEN PEOPLE CONSUME PROCESSED FOODS WITH LOTS OF CALORIES, LIKE DESSERTS AND SODA, IT CAN LEAD TO A “REFINED FOOD ADDICTION.”

Dr. William S. Jacobs/UF Associate Professor of Medicine: “They overeat. They simply cannot control their use. They have craving, they have intense desire. When they do eat, they have loss of control over their ability to eat or not eat.”

IN FACT THEIR BEHAVIOR MEETS EXISTING CRITERIA FOR A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER. AND IT OFTEN TAKES TREATMENT TO OVERCOME A FOOD ADDICTION. EXPERTS SAY SOME HAVE RAISED LEGAL ISSUES ABOUT HOW RESTAURANTS USE INGREDIENTS IN THEIR FOOD.

Dr. William S. Jacobs/UF Associate Professor of Medicine: “Certainly, we know fine restaurants and top chefs manipulate the content and presentation of their foods to make particularly their desserts better and get us to come back to their restaurants.”

LEFT UNTREATED, REFINED FOOD ADDICTION CAN AT TIMES LEAD TO OBESITY. AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, I’M MERISSA RICHMOND.