Recent research conducted by scholars from three universities in the United States has revealed alarming parallels between the addictive traits of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and cigarettes. The study advocates for implementing similar regulatory measures for UPFs as those currently in place for tobacco products.
Published this week in the Milbank Quarterly, the research indicates that UPFs employ “key engineering strategies adopted from the tobacco industry,” intentionally fueling “compulsive consumption.”
Common items such as soft drinks, chips, and cookies are produced with an industrial approach aimed at maximizing the “doses” of addictive components, leading to overindulgence.
“UPFs are not mere nutrients; they are deliberately crafted, intricately engineered, and hedonically optimized products,” the study states.
Should UPFs be Regulated Like Tobacco Products?
The researchers, hailing from Harvard, the University of Michigan, and Duke University, suggest that regulatory frameworks similar to those used for tobacco should be extended to UPFs.
Potential measures could include clearer food labeling, increased taxes, restrictions on sales in schools and hospitals, and limitations on marketing directed at children.
Importantly, the authors highlight that while tobacco is non-essential, food is crucial for survival, making the need for regulating UPFs even more pressing, as “opting out of the modern food supply is challenging.”
This research emerges just two months after a UNICEF study in The Lancet revealed alarming statistics about UPF consumption among young children across 11 countries.
The study found that between 10% and 35% of children under five regularly consumed sugary soft drinks, while 60% of teenagers reported having eaten at least one UPF product the previous day.
UPFs in Africa: ‘Growing Public Health Alarm’
In developed nations, over 50% of the caloric intake is derived from potentially harmful UPFs. However, developing countries are increasingly vulnerable as well.
In response to the findings from the Milbank Quarterly, Githinji Gitahi, the CEO of the Kenya-based NGO Amref Health Africa, expressed concern over a “growing public health alarm” throughout Africa.
“Corporations have discovered a lucrative intersection: lax government regulation of harmful products and evolving consumption patterns,” he told The Guardian. “This adds new and preventable pressures on already strained health systems.”
Conversely, some experts caution against making direct comparisons between UPFs and tobacco, suggesting that the conclusions of the recent study may overreach.
Professor Martin Warren, Chief Scientific Officer at the Quadram Institute, a food research center in the United Kingdom, questioned whether UPFs are “intrinsically addictive in a pharmacological sense, or whether they largely exploit learned preferences and the convenience of access.”
Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher
