A study from the University of Michigan finds that a significant share of adults in their 50s and early 60s meet clinical-style criteria for addiction to ultra-processed foods.
The study shows clear generational differences.
Among Generation X and the younger Baby Boomers, 21 percent of women and 10 percent of men meet criteria for ultra-processed food addiction.
In comparison, adults aged 65 to 80, who grew up before ultra-processed foods were widespread, show much lower rates: just 12 percent of women and 4 percent of men.
Timing appears to matter. People now in their 50s and early 60s were children and teens during the rapid rise of ultra-processed foods in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s.
Earlier generations encountered these products later in life, after eating habits were already established.
Data Behind the Findings
The results are based on nationally representative data from over 2,000 older adults surveyed through the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging.
Published in the journal Addiction, the study builds on earlier survey work, examining generational patterns and connections between ultra-processed food addiction, physical and mental health, and social factors.
Understanding Ultra-Processed Food Addiction
To assess addiction, researchers used the modified Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0, a tool modeled on substance use disorder criteria.
Participants were asked about intense cravings, repeated failed attempts to cut back, withdrawal-like symptoms, loss of control and avoiding social situations due to fear of overeating.
Unlike traditional addictions, the substance in this case is food — highly rewarding ultra-processed items such as baked goods, fast food, munchies and sugary drinks.
Such foods can hijack the brain’s reward system, similar to how other addictive substances do.
Why Ultra-Processed Foods Are Hard to Resist
Ultra-processed foods are engineered for maximum appeal. Manufacturers balance sugar, fat, salt, texture and flavor to create products people crave and keep coming back to.
It’s so easy to eat an entire box of cheesy crackers all in one sitting.
Highly processed foods are convenient, easy to eat quickly and heavily marketed.
Over time, repeated exposure — especially during childhood and adolescence — can reinforce cravings and habits, increasing vulnerability to addictive eating patterns later in life.
Gender Differences in Addiction
One surprising finding is the gender gap. Unlike many substance use disorders, which are historically more common in older men, addiction to heavily processed food is more common in women.
Researchers suggest that aggressive marketing of “diet” ultra-processed foods to women in the 1980s and 1990s may have played a role.
Low-fat cookies, snack bars, microwave meals and meal replacements were promoted as weight control tools, even though they were high in refined carbohydrates and engineered to be hyper-palatable.
Women now in their 50s and early 60s may have been exposed during sensitive developmental periods, reinforcing cycles of dieting and overeating.
The Impact of Weight Perception
Self-perceived weight strongly influences addiction risk, says the investigation.
Women who considered themselves overweight were over 11 times more likely to meet addiction criteria compared to women who felt their weight was about right.
For men, the risk was even higher — 19 times greater.
Across all ages, about a third of women who identified as overweight met criteria for addiction to highly processed food items. Even those slightly overweight showed elevated risk.
Health-Washed Foods and Hidden Risks
Many ultra-processed foods are marketed as healthy. This can come in the form of labels such as “low fat,” “high fiber” and “high protein.” And also “meal replacement” and “nutrition bar.”
There is an illusion of healthfulness to these products.
Yet their engineered nature still triggers cravings and loss of control.
Mental Health, Physical Health and Social Isolation
The study found strong links between heavily-processed food addiction and overall well-being.
Men reporting fair or poor mental health were four times more likely to meet addiction criteria, while women were nearly three times more likely. Poor physical health also increased risk.
Social isolation emerged as another factor. Adults who felt isolated sometimes or often were over three times more likely to meet criteria for ultra-processed food addiction.
Food may act as a coping mechanism for stress, loneliness or declining health, especially when social connections are limited.
Why This Generation Matters
Adults now in their 50s and early 60s are the first to spend most of their lives in a food environment dominated by heavily-processed products.
Today’s kids and teens consume an even higher proportion of calories from ultra-processed foods than did middle-age adults did in their youth.
If early exposure increases addiction risk, future generations may face even higher rates of problematic eating.
Looking Ahead
The findings raise important questions about prevention.
- Are there critical developmental windows when ultra-processed foods are especially risky?
- Could changes to school meals, labeling or marketing reduce long-term harm?
Creating healthier food environments for children and teens could have lasting effects, reducing addiction risk over decades.
This study doesn’t suggest that food addiction is inevitable.
But it does put a spotlight on the lasting impact of the modern food system and the importance of addressing early exposure, especially as younger generations grow up in an environment even more dominated by highly engineered foods.
