Highly processed foods and addiction with Ashley Gearhardt
Addiction Audio5 Dec 2022

Highly processed foods and addiction with Ashley Gearhardt

In this episode of Addiction Audio, Rob Talks to Dr Ashley Gearhardt from the University of Michigan about whether highly processed foods can be considered to be addictive substances.

Dr Gearhardt starts by defining highly processed foods before covering the issues that arise from having an addictive substance (such as food) that you can’t ‘opt out’ of. Ashley makes comparisons with other addictive substances noting that highly processed foods can induce cravings and lead to a loss of control. She then talks about which foods have a bigger impact on addictive behaviours highlighting foods that contain refined sugars and added fats such as pizzas and donuts.

Rob and Ashley then discuss the limits to research whereby there is little agreement on how to define an addictive substance. This is in stark contrast with a growing consensus on how to identify addictive behaviours. There are, for example, agreed diagnostic criteria for addiction, but there is less agreement on how to define whether a substance is addictive.

They also talk about how a substance that isn’t intoxicating can be addictive.

“It isn’t necessarily the amount of pleasure or liking you get at the moment you consume them [highly processed foods], but the ability that they have to sensitise motivation systems to want more and more and more”


“We argue that we need to treat these highly processed foods, not so much as foods per se but as highly refined substances that have been engineered to be incredibly rewarding.”


Original article: Highly processed foods can be considered addictive substances based on established scientific criteria by Ashley Gearhardt and Alexandra DiFeliceantonio. Published in Addiction (2022)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avsnitt(125)

Identifying alcohol use disorder with James MacKillop

Identifying alcohol use disorder with James MacKillop

In this episode, Dr Tsen Vei Lim talks to Dr James MacKillop, a clinical psychologist and professor at McMaster University in Canada, and director for both the Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Resear...

16 Maj 202520min

Adolescent substance use in Africa with Sandra Jumbe and Chris Newby

Adolescent substance use in Africa with Sandra Jumbe and Chris Newby

In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth speaks to Dr Sandra Jumbe from the School of Social and Health Sciences at Millenium University in Malawi and the Wolfson Institute of Public Health Queen Mary, and ...

17 Apr 202518min

Nitazenes in wastewater with Richard Bade

Nitazenes in wastewater with Richard Bade

In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth talks to Dr Richard Bade from Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Queensland about his and his co-authors research report on t...

11 Apr 202515min

Communicating public health research with Sarah Jackson, Martin Jarvis and Robert West

Communicating public health research with Sarah Jackson, Martin Jarvis and Robert West

In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth talks to three generations of tobacco/nicotine researchers: Dr Sarah Jackson and Emeritus Professors Martin Jarvis and Robert West, all from the Department of Behavi...

7 Mars 202520min

Psychedelics to manage opioid use with Noa Krawczyk

Psychedelics to manage opioid use with Noa Krawczyk

In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth talks to Dr Noa Krawczyk from the Department of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine about her and her co-authors research report on self-reported ex...

28 Feb 202519min

Alcohol and the pleasure of intoxication with James Nicholls

Alcohol and the pleasure of intoxication with James Nicholls

In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth talks to Dr James Nicholls from the University of Stirling about an opinion paper he co-authored with Professor Geoffrey Hunt on whether pleasure should receive more...

24 Jan 202516min

Young people and disposable e-cigarettes with David Hammond

Young people and disposable e-cigarettes with David Hammond

In this episode Dr Elle Wadsworth talks to Professor David Hammond about vaping. They discuss policy differences between the Canada, the UK and the US as well as changes relating to disposable vapes a...

8 Aug 202422min

Opioids, cancer and mortality with Aleksi Hamina

Opioids, cancer and mortality with Aleksi Hamina

In this episode Ben Scher talks to Dr Aleksi Hamina from the Norwegian centre for addiction research at the University of Oslo and the Niuvanniemi Hospital in Finland. They discuss a recent paper co-a...

18 Juli 202413min

Populärt inom Vetenskap

dumma-manniskor
p3-dystopia
allt-du-velat-veta
svd-nyhetsartiklar
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
rss-vetenskapsradion
det-morka-psyket
rss-spraket
rss-vetenskapsradion-2
medicinvetarna
rss-ufo-bortom-rimligt-tvivel-2
barnpsykologerna
dumforklarat
sexet
hacka-livet
paranormalt-med-caroline-giertz
vetenskapsradion
doden-hjarnan-kemisten
halsorevolutionen
vetenskap-och-halsa