Much higher rates of possible addiction to processed foods are seen among older adults who are overweight or experiencing mental health issues or isolation.
Whether you call them comfort foods, highly processed foods, junk foods, empty calories or just some of Americans’ favorite foods and drinks, a sizable percentage of older Americans have an unhealthy relationship with them, according to a new survey.
In fact, about 13% of people ages 50 to 80 showed signs of addiction to such foods and drinks in the past year, new data from the National Survey on Healthy Aging suggests .
The percentage is much higher among women than men, especially among women in their 50s and 60s. It was also higher in older adults who report being overweight, feeling lonely, or in fair or poor physical or mental health.
The survey is based at the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation and is supported by AARP and Michigan Medicine, U-M’s academic medical center.
The survey team and U-M psychologist Ashley Gearhardt, Ph.D., used a set of 13 questions to measure whether older adults experienced core indicators of addiction in their relationship with highly processed foods, such as candy, snacks, salty, and how often sugary drinks and fast food. These indicators of addiction include intense cravings, inability to reduce intake, and signs of withdrawal .
Based on his findings, Gearhardt suggests that the same set of standard questions should be part of the assessment in doctors’ offices. This could help identify older adults with addictive eating habits who could benefit from referrals to nutrition counseling or programs that help people address addictive eating or gain affordable access to healthier foods.
Gearhardt, an associate professor in the U-M Department of Psychology and a member of the IHPI, co-developed the standardized questionnaire used in the survey, called the Yale Food Addiction Scale .
“The word addiction may seem strong when it comes to food, but research has shown that our brains respond just as strongly to highly processed foods, especially those high in sugar, simple starches and fats, as they do to tobacco, alcohol and other addictive substances,” says Gearhardt.
“As with smoking or drinking, we must identify and reach those who have entered unhealthy patterns of use and support them in developing a healthier relationship with food.”
To meet the criteria for an addiction to highly processed foods on the scale used in the survey, older adults had to report experiencing at least two of 11 symptoms of addiction in their consumption of highly processed foods, as well as report a significant eating, related distress or life problems several times a week. These are the same criteria used to diagnose problems related to addiction to alcohol, tobacco and other addictive substances.
According to these criteria, addiction to highly processed foods was observed in:
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The most commonly reported symptom of an addiction to highly processed foods in older adults was intense cravings . Nearly 1 in 4 (24%) said that at least once a week they had such a strong urge to eat a highly processed food that they couldn’t think about anything else. And 19% said that at least 2 or 3 times a week they had tried to reduce or stop eating these types of foods without success.
Twelve percent said their eating behavior caused them a lot of distress 2 to 3 times a week or more.
“Doctors need a better understanding of how food addiction and problematic eating are intertwined with the physical and mental health of their patients, including chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer,” says the survey director Jeffrey Kullgren, MD, MPH, MS, associate professor of internal medicine at Michigan Medicine and physician and researcher at VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. “We need to understand that cravings and behaviors around food are rooted in brain chemistry and heredity, and that some people may need personal help just as they would to quit smoking or drinking.”
The survey report is based on results from a nationally representative survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago for IHPI and administered online and by telephone in July 2022 among 2,163 adults ages 50 to 80. The sample was subsequently weighted to reflect the US population. Read previous reports from the National Survey on Healthy Aging and the survey methodology.
