Food addiction

Education Series by Randy Hebert, MD, Medical Director

There has been a lot of news in the last year about the health effects of ultra processed foods. These are foods that contain ingredients (e.g., preservatives, artificial flavors, etc.) that are not found in a kitchen. They are generally high in fat and added sugars.

Not only are these foods associated with worse health outcomes, but they are also addictive. The chemicals in these foods impact the brain in a similar way to nicotine.

This creates a viscous cycle—we eat ultra processed foods, we start to crave them, we eat more—and the cycle continues.

Our diets can have a big impact on our health. This is a major reason Community LIFE has registered dieticians on staff to help participants choose healthy diets.

Qin, Di, Jiayu Qi, Fuqiang Shi, Zhihua Guo, and Hongwu Li. “Sugar Addiction: Neural Mechanisms and Health Implications.” Brain and Behavior 15, no. 7 (2025): e70338.