"The word addiction may seem strong when it comes to food, but research has shown that our brains respond as strongly to highly processed foods, especially those highest in sugar, simple starches, and fat, as they do to tobacco, alcohol and other addictive substances," says Gearhardt. Gearhardt, an associate professor in the U-M Department of Psychology and member of IHPI, co-developed the standardized questionnaire used in the poll, called the Yale Food Addiction Scale. 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 get affordable access to healthier foods. These addiction indicators include intense cravings, an inability to cut down on intake, and signs of withdrawal.īased on their findings, Gearhardt suggests that the same set of standard questions should become part of screening at doctors' offices. The poll team and U-M psychologist Ashley Gearhardt, Ph.D., used a set of 13 questions to measure whether, and how often, older adults experienced the core indicators of addiction in their relationship with highly processed foods such as sweets, salty snacks, sugary drinks and fast food. The poll is based at the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation and supported by AARP and Michigan Medicine, U-M's academic medical center. It was also higher in older adults who say they are overweight, lonely, or in fair or poor physical or mental health. The percentage is much higher among women than men - especially women in their 50s and early 60s. In fact, about 13% of people aged 50 to 80 showed signs of addiction to such foods and beverages in the past year, the new data from the National Poll on Healthy Aging suggest.
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