Not a smoker, but a heavy junk food eater? The bad news is that you are equally at risk of addiction. A new study published in the healthcare journal Milbank Quarterly finds that ultra-processed foods are designed to drive ‘compulsive consumption’.
If you can’t stop yourself from finishing that fat bag of chips or craving cookies after every meal, you are not entirely to blame as the study finds that just like tobacco, these products are purposely designed with addictive ingredients to drive over-eating.
Why ultra-processed foods feel addictive
Taking a deep dive into this phenomenon, researchers from Harvard, Duke, and Michigan universities compared tobacco and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and discovered how similar they are in terms of design, marketing, and distribution.
Ashley Gearhardt, one of the authors of the study and a psychology professor at the University of Michigan, said ultra-processed foods such as fizzy drinks, sweets, and fast food are engineered less like food and more like cigarettes, which means they are optimised for craving, rapid intake, and repeated use.
What can be done to minimise harm
The researchers concluded that these products shouldn’t be looked at from nutrition standpoint but as addictive, industrially engineered substances.
They also called for clearer labeling, higher taxes, limits on availability in schools and hospitals, and restrictions on child-targeted marketing.
“That level of harm demands regulatory action aimed at industry design and marketing, not individual willpower,” Gearhardt added.
There is another commonality that researchers found between tobacco and ultra-processed foods, and that’s their common origin story.
They both start out as natural, plant-based substances showing little addictive potential when unprocessed. However, when industrially re-engineered to maximise profits, things change rapidly.
How ultra-processed foods are fuelling the obesity epidemic
The findings of this study particular become more crucial, as recently a UNICEF study published in The Lancet highlighted the growing consumption of ultra-processed foods among young children in 11 different countries. The study found that 10-35% of children in the age group of five and less are regularly consuming sweet soft drinks. 60% of teenagers admitted to eat at least one ultra-processed product the day before.
According to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, nearly 75% of the US food supply is estimated to be ultra-processed. Economic Survey 2026 noted the increased consumption of ultra-processed foods in Indian households and warned about these eating habits fuelling the obesity epidemic.
“Ultra-processed foods—high in sugar, unhealthy fats, salt, and artificial additives—are calorie-dense but nutritionally poor. They disrupt appetite regulation, encourage overeating, and are aggressively marketed to children and adolescents. This fuels early weight gain and metabolic dysfunction in children,” says Dr BD Pathak, Senior Director, GI, Minimal Access and Bariatric Surgery, Fortis Escorts Hospital Faridabad. Dr Pathak urged people to eliminate sugary drinks, packaged snacks, biscuits, and sweetened foods from their diets and opt for home-cooked meals. The expert advises people to include fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses, eggs, and milk in the diet.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. While the author has incorporated expert medical guidance while producing the story and ensured full authentic information is provided to the reader, you should always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here.