Many older adults – especially Gen X women – show signs of addiction to ultra-processed foods

Adults age 50 to 80 who meet criteria for an addiction to ultra-processed foods are far more likely to report being overweight, or being in fair or poor mental or physical health

Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

FacebookXLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

They were the first generation of Americans to grow up with ultra-processed foods all around them – products typically loaded with extra fat, salt, sugar and flavorings. They were children and young adults at a time when such products, designed to maximize their appeal, proliferated.

Now, a study shows, 21% of women and 10% of men in Generation X and the tail end of the Baby Boom generation, now in their 50s and early 60s, meet criteria for addiction to these ultra-processed foods.

That rate is far higher than it is among adults who grew up just a decade or two earlier, and only encountered ultra-processed foods in adulthood. Among adults age 65 to 80, just 12% of women and 4% of men meet criteria for ultra-processed food addiction.

The study, published in the journal Addiction by a team from the University of Michigan, is based on nationally representative data from more than 2,000 older Americans surveyed by the U-M National Poll on Healthy Aging.

The poll is based at the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation and supported by Michigan Medicine, U-M’s academic medical center. The new paper builds on a previous poll report by diving deeper into generational differences and correlations with health.

Measuring food addiction in an under-studied group

The researchers used the modified Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (mYFAS 2.0), a standardized tool adapted from the criteria used to diagnose substance use disorders. The scale asks about 13 experiences with ultraprocessed foods and drinks that define addiction, such as strong cravings, repeated unsuccessful attempts to cut down, withdrawal symptoms, and avoiding social activities because of fear of overeating.

In this case, the “substance” is not alcohol or nicotine, but highly rewarding ultra-processed foods such as sweets, fast food, and sugary beverages. By applying clinical addiction criteria to ultra-processed foods, the study highlights the ways in which such foods can “hook” people.

“We hope this study fills a gap in knowledge about addiction to ultra-processed foods among older adults, as measured by a well-studied and standardized scale,” said Lucy K. Loch, a graduate student in the U-M Department of Psychology. “Today’s older adults were in a key developmental period when our nation’s food environment changed. With other research showing clear links between consumption of these foods and risk of chronic disease and premature death, it’s important to study addiction to ultra-processed foods in this age group.”

Differences by gender

Unlike traditional substance use disorders — which historically have been more common in older men — ultra-processed food addiction shows the opposite pattern: higher prevalence in older women.

One explanation may be the aggressive marketing of “diet” ultra-processed food to women in the 1980s.

Low-fat cookies, microwaveable meals, and other carbohydrate-heavy products were promoted as weight-control solutions, but their engineered nutrient profiles may have reinforced addictive eating patterns.

Women now aged 50 to 64 may have been exposed to ultraprocessed foods during a sensitive developmental window, which may help explain the poll’s findings for this age group, said senior author Ashley Gearhardt, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at U-M and member of IHPI. Gearhardt leads the U-M Food and Addiction Science & Treatment Lab.

“The percentages we see in these data far outpace the percentages of older adults with problematic use of other addictive substances, such as alcohol and tobacco,” said Gearhardt. “We also see a clear association with health and social isolation, with much higher risks of ultra-processed food addiction in those who call their mental or physical health status fair or poor, or say they sometimes or often feel isolated from others.”

Key findings related to overweight, health status and social isolation

• Overweight self-perception:
  • Women aged 50 to 80 who said they are overweight were more than 11 times as likely to meet criteria for ultra-processed food addiction than women who say their weight is about right. Men who reported being overweight were 19 times as likely.
  • No matter what their age, 33% of women who described themselves as overweight, 13% of women who described themselves as slightly overweight and 17% of men who described themselves as overweight met criteria for addiction to ultra-processed foods. Of the total sample, 31% of women and 26% of men in the sample said they were overweight and 40% of women and 39% of men said they were slightly overweight.
• Health status:
  • Men reporting fair or poor mental health were four times as likely to meet criteria for ultra-processed food addiction; women were nearly three times as likely.
  • For physical health, men reporting fair or poor health were three times as likely to meet criteria for ultra-processed food addiction, and women were nearly two times as likely.
• Social isolation: Men and women who reported feeling isolated some of the time or often were more than three times as likely to meet criteria for ultra-processed food addiction as those who did not report isolation.

The researchers suggest that individuals who perceive themselves as overweight may be particularly vulnerable to “health-washed” ultra-processed foods – those marketed as low-fat, low-calorie, high-protein or high-fiber, but still formulated to amplify their appeal and maximize craving.

“These products are sold as health foods – which can be especially problematic for those trying to reduce the number of calories they consume,” Gearhardt said. “This especially affects women, because of the societal pressure around weight.”

Looking Ahead

The generation of older adults now in their 50s and early 60s is the first to live most of their lifespan in a food environment dominated by ultra-processed foods, Geahardt noted.

“These findings raise urgent questions about whether there are critical developmental windows when exposure to ultra-processed foods is especially risky for addiction vulnerability,” she said. “Children and adolescents today consume even higher proportions of calories from ultra-processed foods than today’s middle-aged adults did in their youth. If current trends continue, future generations may show even higher rates of ultra-processed food addiction later in life.”

She added, “Just as with other substances, intervening early may be essential to reducing long-term addiction risk across the lifespan.”

About the study

The study was funded by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (DGE-2241144) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health (5R01DA055027).

In addition to Loch and Gearhardt, the study’s co-authors are Matthias Kirch, M.S., Dianne C. Singer, M.P.H, Erica Solway, Ph.D., M.S.W., M.P.H., J. Scott Roberts, Ph.D. and poll director Jeffrey T. Kullgren, M.D., M.P.H., M.S. Roberts is a member of the faculty at the U-M School of Public Health, and Kullgren is a member of the faculty in the U-M Medical School and a primary care physician at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.

Learn more about the National Poll on Healthy Aging, including methodology, at https://www.healthyagingpoll.org/

 

Citation: Ultra-processed food addiction in a nationally representative sample of older adults in the USA, Addiction, DOI: 10.1111/add.70186, https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70186

 

---

Journal

Addiction

DOI

10.1111/add.70186 

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Ultra-processed food addiction in a nationally representative sample of older adults in the USA

Article Publication Date

29-Sep-2025

Childhood overeating can be a harbinger of later mental health struggles in girls, study finds

Researchers who followed more than 2,000 Quebec children from early childhood to adolescence did not find any similar link for boys

McGill University

FacebookXLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

Girls who overeat regularly in the preschool years are more likely to experience anxiety, impulsivity and hyperactivity in adolescence, according to a new study led by researchers at McGill University and the Douglas Research Centre.

The study followed more than 2,000 Quebec children using provincial data, tracking eating patterns reported by caregivers in early childhood and assessing mental-health symptoms when participants turned 15. The link between overeating and later difficulties was seen in girls, but not in boys.

Takeaway for caregivers

The findings suggest that children’s eating patterns can be early signals of mental-health challenges. The researchers emphasize, however, that the results show only associations, not that certain eating patterns necessarily cause later mental health challenges.

“Occasional overeating is normal, but if a child frequently overeats, it can be a sign of emotional struggles,” said senior author Linda Booij, Professor in McGill’s Department of Psychiatry and clinician-scientist at the Douglas Eating Disorders Continuum and Research Centre.

“The answer isn’t restriction. In fact, strict control can make things worse and even increase the risk of disordered eating,” she said. “Instead, parents and caregivers should also pay attention to children’s emotional well-being.”

Why girls and not boys?

The differing results for girls and boys may be partly explained by sociocultural factors, Booij said.

“It could be that parents may sometimes monitor girls’ eating more closely than boys’, and restrictive environments could be linked to increased risk of disordered eating later in life. The social context around girls’ eating habits may partly explain why overeating is linked with later difficulties for them,” she said.

The researchers identified three patterns of overeating in young children: about 60 per cent showed no signs of overeating, roughly 14 per cent began overeating early between ages two and four, and about 26 per cent started later, around age four.

Girls who started to overeat either early or later on were more likely than were the non-overeaters to report such symptoms as anxiety, hyperactivity and impulsivity at age 15.

Picky eating

Looking at picky eating told a different story. About one-third of the children were picky eaters in early childhood, and those habits tended to stay the same during their childhood. But unlike overeating, picky eating showed no connection to mental-health struggles in adolescence.

While many parents worry about picky eating, Booij says it is often a common developmental phase that, on its own, does not necessarily signal later emotional or behavioural problems. However, if picky eating persists over time or begins to interfere with a child’s growth, nutrition, emotional or daily functioning, it may be a sign of a more serious concern.

About the study

“Trajectories of childhood eating behaviors and their association with internalizing and externalizing symptoms in adolescence” by Rachel Dufour (Concordia University) and Linda Booij et al., was published in BMC Pediatrics.

The study was supported by the Institut de la statistique du Québec, the Quebec ministries of health, education and family affairs, the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation, the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), the Fonds de Recherche du Québec – Santé and Société et Culture, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Sainte-Justine Hospital research centre.

---

Journal

BMC Pediatrics

DOI

10.1186/s12887-025-06001-z 

Method of Research

Meta-analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Trajectories of childhood eating behaviors and their association with internalizing and externalizing symptoms in adolescence

 

Cornell launches initiative to unravel the science of menopause

Cornell University

FacebookXLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Two centuries ago, few women lived long enough to reach menopause. Today, it marks a major inflection point in women’s health, yet remains poorly understood. Cornell researchers aim to change that.

Drawing on cutting-edge technology and interdisciplinary expertise, researchers are launching Menopause Health Engineering, a new initiative uniting faculty from Cornell’s Ithaca campus and Weill Cornell Medicine, to uncover how menopause shapes health and disease, and to develop urgently needed treatment strategies. The inaugural team includes nine faculty across four departments, with a core in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering.

Nozomi Nishimura, founder of the initiative and associate professor in the Meinig School, said gaining a better scientific understanding of menopause is important because it not only affects half of the population, but because its different phases and outcomes, when taken together, affect women for the majority of their lives.

“All kinds of conditions develop as women undergo this transition to menopause,” said Nishimura, “including cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis, dementia and metabolic diseases.”

Claudia Fishbach-Teschl, the James M. and Marsh McCormick Family Director of the Meinig School and collaborator on the initiative, noted that while many of these conditions are traditionally labeled as aging-related diseases, deeper, sex-specific factors are at play.

“These so-called aging diseases are affecting women very differently than men,” said Fischbach-Teschl, who is also the Stanley Bryer 1946 Professor of Biomedical Engineering, “yet we understand very little about how women are affected in this stage of their life.” 

One major contributor to that knowledge gap is a long-standing bias toward using male subjects in biomedical research and clinical trials. For example, using male animals for obesity research is faster, as male mice gain weight more quickly. Also, male animals are often cheaper than females, which has led to gaps in understanding of female biology, aging and disease, said Nishimura, who studies Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular disease.

“It never really occurred to me – and this was a hole in my education – that when we’re talking about diseases of aging, we should really be looking at and considering something like menopause,” Nishimura said.

Osteoporosis, for example, is tied not only to bone health, but muscle and metabolic health. It also plays a significant role in breast cancer risk and progression. Understanding intertwined problems like menopause and multi-organ diseases requires the kind of interdisciplinary approach found at Cornell, according to Nishimura.

“At Cornell we have really strong researchers for diseases of aging,” Nishimura said. “We have a powerful engineering and tool-building culture that sets us at an advantage. In terms of researching women’s health and menopause, we have an opportunity.”

Menopause is more than a biological transition – it’s a technological challenge. Only about 2% of health sector private investment is directed toward women-specific health needs. But new research initiatives such as Menopause Health Engineering could catalyze significant advances in biomedical technology and clinical care.

“You need technology in order to understand, diagnose and treat changes that are imposed by menopause,” said Fischbach-Teschl, adding that examples include imaging to observe cells in real time, biomedical devices to measure different physiological signals, and body-on-a-chip systems that can mimic how cells behave in a human’s body.

“There is also a need for advanced computation, because with a large dataset, you need to figure out how to use the data to inform therapies or other experiments. Finally, there is usually some sort of innovation and technology needed to translate your findings into changes in clinical care or therapy.”

Beyond the lab and clinic, Menopause Health Engineering is equally committed to student engagement. Researchers plan to integrate their research with student experiences, embedding menopause and women’s health questions into senior design projects and clinical immersion terms at Weill Cornell Medicine.

To sustain the initiative’s momentum, faculty are actively pursuing funding opportunities to support the group’s collaborative research efforts. At the same time, smaller, innovative initiatives – such as joint fellowships that pair trainees from different labs – will help grow the initiative from the ground up. 

“Faculty are already meeting regularly to discuss findings, build collaborations and shape the future of menopause research,” Nishimura said. Their goal is not only to fill critical scientific gaps, but to redefine how women’s health is understood, prioritized, taught and advanced for generations to come.”

-30-

 

Home-delivered nutrition services for older adults under the Older Americans Act

JAMA Network Open

FacebookXLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

About The Study:

 The findings of this qualitative study of home-delivered nutrition services for older adults suggest that home-delivered meals programs achieved their intended outcomes and yielded meaningful benefits beyond their stated purpose that remain to be quantified. The findings also support funding the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program.

Corresponding author: To contact the corresponding author, Kali S. Thomas, Ph.D., email kali.thomas@jhu.edu.

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ 

(doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.34747)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

#  #  #

Embed this link to provide your readers free access to the full-text article 

 http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.34747?utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_term=093025

About JAMA Network Open: JAMA Network Open is an online-only open access general medical journal from the JAMA Network. On weekdays, the journal publishes peer-reviewed clinical research and commentary in more than 40 medical and health subject areas. Every article is free online from the day of publication.

---

Journal

JAMA Network Open