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Are UPFs Addictive?

  • Amanda Yun
  • Apr 8
  • 3 min read

Updated: Apr 8

In the 1980s, tobacco giants R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris acquired food conglomerates Nabisco and Kraft Inc., respectively. Now, nearly half a century later, some of the biggest food companies—including Mondelez (parent company of Nabisco) and Kraft Heinz—are facing a lawsuit. The allegation? They designed ultra-processed foods (UPFs) using the same techniques that made nicotine products addictive—specifically, by studying which formulations triggered the strongest reward response in the brain.

So, is there any truth to this claim? Are UPFs actually addictive?


The Science of Food Addiction

Although research in this area is still evolving, studies have found similarities between traditional substance use disorders and emerging evidence of food addiction (particularly for UPFs). These similarities show up in both behavioral studies and brain studies.


Assortment of vegetables.
Assortment of vegetables.

1. The Behavioral Patterns of Food Addiction

The Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS)—developed by psychologists in 2009 and updated in 2016—modifies addiction criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to apply to food consumption. It assesses whether someone exhibits behaviors similar to substance dependence when consuming UPFs, defined as highly processed foods (typically those high in fat and refined carbohydrates).

A study using YFAS identified the most common symptoms of food addiction:

  • "I continued to eat certain foods even though I was no longer hungry."

  • "When I started to eat certain foods, I ate much more than planned."

  • "When I cut down or stopped eating certain foods, I had strong cravings for them."

(Saffari et. al, 2022)

For some people, consuming UPFs may be more than just a habit—their consumption might reflect addictive behavioral patterns.



2. The Brain’s Response to UPFs

Research on the brain’s response to UPFs provides further evidence of addiction-like patterns. A 2024 review by Pursey et al. found that people with higher YFAS scores—suggesting greater food addiction tendencies—showed heightened activity in brain regions associated with craving, reward-seeking, and appetite control when participants saw images of highly processed foods.

Other studies testing self-control, cognitive performance, and decision-making found that people with food addiction tendencies performed worse than those without. This suggests that food addiction may impair impulse control, making it harder for people to moderate their consumption of UPFs.



3. The Gut-Brain Connection

The brain isn’t the only organ involved in food behavior—the gut plays a crucial role, often referred to as the body’s “second brain.”

The gut and brain communicate through hormones, metabolites, and neural signaling, influencing hunger, cravings, and satiety. Evidence suggests that UPFs may alter the brain’s reward system (via the neurotransmitter, dopamine), causing people to eat more food to achieve the same pleasure response. Overconsumption can influence the gut microbiome, which in turn affects hunger-regulating hormones like:

  • Ghrelin (which signals hunger)

  • GLP-1 (which signals fullness)

Such disruptions may lead the brain-gut system to favor hedonic (pleasure-seeking) eating, over its homeostatic (balanced) baseline programming. Environmental and genetic factors also play a role—especially early exposure to UPFs, which are ubiquitous in the U.S. food system.


An array of potato chips.
An array of potato chips.

The Debate: Behavioral vs. Substance Addiction?

These bodies of evidence fall into two main arguments that the scientific community is exploring:

  1. Behavioral Addiction Model – Similar to gambling addiction, UPFs may trigger compulsive eating behaviors without necessarily altering brain chemistry like a drug.

  2. Substance Addiction Model – UPFs may act more like drugs, altering the brain in a way that leads to dependency and withdrawal symptoms.

Both perspectives are present in conversations surrounding UPFs in popular culture, scientific research, and regulation.



A vibrant spread of food on a colorful table.
A vibrant spread of food on a colorful table.

Final Thoughts

So, are ultra-processed foods addictive? Too early to tell for sure. While the YFAS model provides a useful framework for identifying food addiction, there is a need for more standardization in studies testing neural activation patterns in response to UPFs. This research on UPFs fits into the rapidly evolving conversations around food today — with the rise of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, greater focus on nutrition, and buzz around food as medicine — and we can expect it to continue growing. 


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