More older adults in america have turn out to be hooked on processed food, in accordance with a recent University of Michigan poll. 

The college’s National Poll on Health Aging presented alarming findings in its January-February 2023 issue, saying that based on the most recent data, 1 in 8 adults over the age of fifty manifest signs of addiction to food. 

Symptoms of food addiction include intense cravings, lack of control over food consumption and withdrawal signs when not given food, equivalent to irritability, difficulty concentrating and headaches. 

The university analyzed data collected in July 2022 from a national sample of adults aged 50 to 80. The participants were asked about their consumption of highly processed food and the symptoms related to their physical and mental health, in addition to their feelings of social isolation. 

The authors of the report found that about 13% of older adults showed signs of addiction to unhealthy food — also referred to by many as comfort food, junk food, processed food, or empty calories — previously yr. 

Nearly half or 44% of older adults had a minimum of one symptom of food addiction. Among the many common symptoms of the condition, intense cravings were probably the most common among the many participants at 24%. 

One in eight responders admitted that their eating habits gave them quite a lot of distress a minimum of 2-3 times per week. Meanwhile, 9% said their intake of junk food caused significant problems a minimum of 2-3 times per week. 

The report also found that food addiction affected more women than men of their 50s as much as early 60s. Those that admitted to being hooked on processed food were chubby, lonely and had poor physical and mental health.

“The word addiction could appear strong on the subject of food, but research has shown that our brains respond as strongly to highly processed foods, especially those highest in sugar, easy starches, and fat, as they do to tobacco, alcohol and other addictive substances,” U-M psychologist Ashley Gearhardt, Ph.D., said, as quoted by EurekAlert. 

The member of U-M’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation who co-developed the questionnaire within the pool continued, “Just as with smoking or drinking, we’d like to discover and reach out to those that have entered unhealthy patterns of use and support them in developing a healthier relationship with food.”