In 2015, a small study on the addictive potential of some foods caused a stir in the media.

Immediately after publication, a newspaper warned: “Cheese activates the same parts of the brain as hard drugs.”

In the years that followed, other foods – bacon, ice cream, potato chips, to name a few – were added to lists published by various media outlets as being “as addictive as hard drugs.” More recently, the entire category of ultra-processed foods has been labeled “addictive” by some.

While the media and the public often describe certain foods as “addictive,” this idea is controversial within the scientific community.

“Many people do have trouble controlling portion sizes of ultra-processed foods, but the suggestion that they are addictive is probably not true, at least not for most people,” says Tara M. Schmidt, R DN, LD, chief nutritionist for the Mayo Clinic Diet.

What is food addiction?

Health professionals use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR) to assess and diagnose mental health problems such as substance use disorders. The manual was developed by more than 200 of the world’s leading researchers and clinicians, and its fifth and most recent edition does not list “food addiction” as a diagnosable disorder.

However, researchers and doctors have been exploring the concept of food addiction since 1956. Proponents of the term point to research showing that the brains of people with binge eating disorder—a diagnosable disorder listed in the DSM-5-TR—appear to respond to certain foods in a similar way to the brains of people with substance use disorders responding to their drug of choice.

These researchers eventually developed the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), which applies the DSM’s diagnostic criteria for substance abuse disorders to eating behavior. According to this scale, approximately 14.6% of the population meets the criteria for food addiction and exhibits symptoms such as the following:

• Eating more than planned, even if you are not hungry.
• Unsuccessful efforts to restrict or control food intake.
• Spend most of your day focusing on obtaining food, eating, or recovering from eating.
• Cravings for certain foods.
• Food addiction disrupts your daily life.
• Continuing to eat despite physical or psychological consequences.
• When you try to reduce your intake of certain foods, you may experience withdrawal symptoms.
• The need for more food to feel full increases.

However, within the medical community, the concept of food addiction remains controversial. Some people argue that one cannot be addicted to air, food or water – all substances needed to survive.

Others say that some foods, including highly processed ones, can be problematic and have “addictive” properties for some people but not others. For example, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe what happens in women’s brains when they see pictures of highly processed foods. When shown pictures of these foods, the brains of women who met the criteria for moderate to severe food addiction according to the YFAS responded similarly to the brains of people with substance use disorder, confirming other research. However, women without food addictions did not experience the same brain response.

Which foods are hardest to give up?

Let’s go back to the research that led to so many news stories comparing cheese to crack cocaine.

For the study, researchers asked 120 college students and 384 community participants to complete the Yale Food Addiction Scale. Participants then rated 35 foods according to which they most associated with “addictive food.” Although college students rated problem foods slightly differently than community participants, some similarities emerged. Participants with symptoms of food addiction cited the following foods as the most problematic:

• Chocolate.
• Ice cream.
• French fries.
• Pizza.
• Cookies.
• Chips.
• Cake.
• Buttered popcorn.
• Cheeseburgers.
• Lemonade (not diet).
• Cheese.

According to participants, the least problematic foods included beans, broccoli, cucumbers, brown rice, carrots, bananas, salmon, corn, apples, strawberries and chicken breast.

Despite the media coverage of the study, this research does not necessarily label cheese or any of the other foods listed above as “addictive,” says Schmidt.

“The majority of people who score low on the Yale Food Addiction Scale may not have problems with any of these foods,” says Schmidt. “Other people may find some of the foods problematic. The problems someone has with certain foods are very individual.”

What ingredients make processed foods so hard to resist?

If you take a closer look at the list of problematic foods above, you will probably notice that they share some common characteristics.

They are delicious

People often struggle with processed foods that contain high levels of sodium, fat, and refined, quickly digestible carbohydrates like sugar and white flour. In many of these foods, the fat and carbohydrate content is much higher than in foods found naturally. For example, a cup of whole strawberries contains about 7 grams of natural sugar. In contrast, a strawberry toast pastry contains 15 grams of added sugar—and few people eat just one.

Similarly, one third of an avocado, or a portion, contains about 7 grams of fat. An ounce of potato chips, on the other hand, contains about 10 grams and a hot dog contains 13 grams.

Because of the combination of fat and sugar, it can be extremely difficult to avoid eating some processed foods.

They are easy to eat

Many natural foods require thorough chewing, which helps slow down the eating process.

In addition, the stomach and intestines have to work hard to break down the substances, which slows down digestion overall.

On the other hand, highly processed foods tend to partially melt or break down in your mouth, speeding up your eating pace and quickly causing you to consume hundreds of calories more than your body needs.

They are less filling than minimally processed foods

Highly processed foods often lack the following ingredients, all of which help to create a feeling of fullness and satisfaction:

• Water that gives volume and weight to foods.
• Protein that slows down digestion.
• Fiber provides mass and slows down digestion.

“Because they don’t take up much space in the stomach, you can eat a lot of highly processed foods without feeling full,” says Schmidt.

They are delivered in oversized packages

Many of the natural foods are available in single servings.

Take apples. You don’t have to worry about moderation because one apple is a typical serving.

However, processed foods are usually sold in huge packages that require willpower to eat in moderation. Take a regular pizza, for example. It takes a lot of mental effort to limit yourself to one or two slices when you have the whole pizza in front of you, explains Schmidt.

How to reduce the amount of processed foods

It can be difficult to stop eating highly processed foods—but it’s not necessarily impossible. To regain a sense of control, follow the advice below.

Choose your portion size in advance

Think carefully about how much you want to eat before you eat it, says Schmidt. For example, you might decide to eat a small candy bar every day after lunch. Or maybe a small bar seems too meager, so opt for a larger portion once a week instead.

Create a natural stopping point

Make it a rule to never eat directly from a large container. Instead, place your portion onto plates and put the rest away immediately before eating the portion.

Add ingredients for the filling

Try adding fiber, protein, or both to your snack. Instead of eating plain pita chips, dip them in hummus, for example, which adds fiber and protein. Or garnish your ice cream or frozen yogurt with fiber-rich berries or seeds.

In addition to fiber and protein, you should also avoid fat, sugar or sodium. For example, you may find it easier to reduce your consumption of dark chocolate, as it contains about half the sugar of milk or white chocolate.

Reduce the size of your serving containers

“Adults tend to eat with their eyes,” says Schmidt. So a tiny bowl or cup makes a small snack or dessert seem larger than it is, she says. Likewise, eating your snack or dessert with tiny utensils lengthens the experience.

Pay attention to the experience

Distractions can take the joy out of eating and feed your appetite for more. That’s why Schmidt encourages people to use their senses when eating. Turn off the TV and put your phone away. Then sit at a table and place your food on the table in front of you. Before you bite, savor the experience. After chewing, close your eyes and focus on the taste of each bite.