在任何特定的日子里,三分之一的美國(guó)成年人會(huì)吃快餐——很可能是在午餐時(shí)間。
然而,在辦公室里輪換著吃甜味或咸味零食可能不僅是一種習(xí)慣。一項(xiàng)新研究表明,它實(shí)際上可能是一種癮。
本月發(fā)表在《英國(guó)醫(yī)學(xué)雜志》(British Medical Journal)上的一份報(bào)告發(fā)現(xiàn),某些食物的成癮性不亞于酒精,僅略低于煙草。
這項(xiàng)研究分析了來(lái)自36個(gè)國(guó)家281份不同報(bào)告的數(shù)據(jù),使用耶魯食物成癮量表(YFAS)來(lái)確定與其他合法物質(zhì)相比,某些食物的成癮性。
例如,酒精的成癮性為14%,而煙草則為18%??茖W(xué)家阿什利·吉爾哈特、納西布·布埃諾、亞歷山德拉·G·迪費(fèi)利塞安東尼奧、克里斯蒂娜·A·羅伯托、蘇珊娜·希門尼斯-穆爾西亞和費(fèi)爾南多·費(fèi)爾南德斯-阿蘭達(dá)的最新研究結(jié)果表明,對(duì)成人和兒童來(lái)說(shuō),食物的成癮性分別為14%和12%。
不過(guò),雖然這些數(shù)字是針對(duì)食物的總體數(shù)據(jù),但某個(gè)個(gè)體對(duì)卷心菜上癮的可能性還是相當(dāng)?shù)偷摹W屓松习a的食物類別是超加工食品(UPFs)。
科學(xué)家們發(fā)現(xiàn),這些含有大量精制碳水化合物或添加脂肪的食物,通常是甜味和咸味食物,“與成癮的行為指標(biāo)密切相關(guān),比如過(guò)量攝入、對(duì)消費(fèi)失去控制、強(qiáng)烈的渴望,以及不顧負(fù)面后果繼續(xù)食用?!?/p>
報(bào)告進(jìn)一步揭示了垃圾食品特別容易上癮的原因。報(bào)告解釋說(shuō),與尼古丁一樣,精制碳水化合物或脂肪也有助于大腦分泌更多的多巴胺。
因此,“含有大量精制碳水化合物或添加脂肪的食物很有可能會(huì)讓人上癮。”
研究補(bǔ)充說(shuō),有些人也無(wú)法控制自己是否對(duì)超加工食品上癮,并指出:“成癮性藥物并非生存所需,飲食才是。在一些國(guó)家,超加工食品是許多人重要的能量來(lái)源?!?/p>
因此,科學(xué)家們敦促政策制定者在考慮超加工食品成癮問(wèn)題時(shí),考慮可及性、可負(fù)擔(dān)性和便利性。
工作中的一大特殊問(wèn)題
雖然工作時(shí)飲酒是一種傳統(tǒng),但在進(jìn)入21世紀(jì)后已逐漸成為文化禁忌,可其他成癮行為在工作場(chǎng)所依然存在。
今年早些時(shí)候,一位英國(guó)高級(jí)衛(wèi)生官員說(shuō),允許在辦公室里吃蛋糕來(lái)慶祝生日或進(jìn)行慶?;顒?dòng)“抹殺了人們的自由意志”,并補(bǔ)充說(shuō),“這和被動(dòng)吸煙一樣糟糕”。
牛津大學(xué)教授、英國(guó)食品標(biāo)準(zhǔn)局(Food Standards Agency)主席蘇珊·杰布告訴《泰晤士報(bào)》:“我們都傾向于認(rèn)為自己是理性、聰明、受過(guò)教育的人,總是做出明智的選擇,但卻低估了環(huán)境帶來(lái)的影響。”
“如果沒有人把蛋糕帶進(jìn)辦公室,我白天就不會(huì)吃蛋糕,但因?yàn)橛腥藥У案膺M(jìn)來(lái),我就吃了。好吧,如今我做出了這樣的選擇,但人們卻選擇去煙霧繚繞的酒吧?!?/p>
除了同事之間為慶祝重大節(jié)日而相互贈(zèng)送甜食外,員工在工作壓力大時(shí)也更容易飲食無(wú)度。
澳大利亞加文醫(yī)學(xué)研究所(Garvan Institute of Medical Research)6月份發(fā)布的一項(xiàng)研究發(fā)現(xiàn),人們?cè)趬毫^(guò)大時(shí)不僅會(huì)轉(zhuǎn)向食用安慰性食物,而且會(huì)不自覺地陷入垃圾食品渴望循環(huán)(大腦會(huì)不斷得到獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)信號(hào),促使人們食用垃圾食品)。
該研究的資深作者、加文研究所的訪問(wèn)科學(xué)家赫伯特·赫爾佐格教授解釋說(shuō):“我們的研究結(jié)果表明,壓力可以超越大腦的自然反應(yīng),從而降低進(jìn)食帶來(lái)的快感——這意味著大腦會(huì)不斷得到獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)信號(hào),促使人們進(jìn)食?!?/p>
“我們的研究表明,長(zhǎng)期的壓力加上高熱量飲食,會(huì)促使人們攝入越來(lái)越多的食物,并偏愛甜食和美味食物,從而導(dǎo)致體重增加和肥胖。這項(xiàng)研究強(qiáng)調(diào)了健康飲食在壓力時(shí)期的重要性?!保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
在任何特定的日子里,三分之一的美國(guó)成年人會(huì)吃快餐——很可能是在午餐時(shí)間。
然而,在辦公室里輪換著吃甜味或咸味零食可能不僅是一種習(xí)慣。一項(xiàng)新研究表明,它實(shí)際上可能是一種癮。
本月發(fā)表在《英國(guó)醫(yī)學(xué)雜志》(British Medical Journal)上的一份報(bào)告發(fā)現(xiàn),某些食物的成癮性不亞于酒精,僅略低于煙草。
這項(xiàng)研究分析了來(lái)自36個(gè)國(guó)家281份不同報(bào)告的數(shù)據(jù),使用耶魯食物成癮量表(YFAS)來(lái)確定與其他合法物質(zhì)相比,某些食物的成癮性。
例如,酒精的成癮性為14%,而煙草則為18%。科學(xué)家阿什利·吉爾哈特、納西布·布埃諾、亞歷山德拉·G·迪費(fèi)利塞安東尼奧、克里斯蒂娜·A·羅伯托、蘇珊娜·希門尼斯-穆爾西亞和費(fèi)爾南多·費(fèi)爾南德斯-阿蘭達(dá)的最新研究結(jié)果表明,對(duì)成人和兒童來(lái)說(shuō),食物的成癮性分別為14%和12%。
不過(guò),雖然這些數(shù)字是針對(duì)食物的總體數(shù)據(jù),但某個(gè)個(gè)體對(duì)卷心菜上癮的可能性還是相當(dāng)?shù)偷摹W屓松习a的食物類別是超加工食品(UPFs)。
科學(xué)家們發(fā)現(xiàn),這些含有大量精制碳水化合物或添加脂肪的食物,通常是甜味和咸味食物,“與成癮的行為指標(biāo)密切相關(guān),比如過(guò)量攝入、對(duì)消費(fèi)失去控制、強(qiáng)烈的渴望,以及不顧負(fù)面后果繼續(xù)食用?!?/p>
報(bào)告進(jìn)一步揭示了垃圾食品特別容易上癮的原因。報(bào)告解釋說(shuō),與尼古丁一樣,精制碳水化合物或脂肪也有助于大腦分泌更多的多巴胺。
因此,“含有大量精制碳水化合物或添加脂肪的食物很有可能會(huì)讓人上癮?!?/p>
研究補(bǔ)充說(shuō),有些人也無(wú)法控制自己是否對(duì)超加工食品上癮,并指出:“成癮性藥物并非生存所需,飲食才是。在一些國(guó)家,超加工食品是許多人重要的能量來(lái)源?!?/p>
因此,科學(xué)家們敦促政策制定者在考慮超加工食品成癮問(wèn)題時(shí),考慮可及性、可負(fù)擔(dān)性和便利性。
工作中的一大特殊問(wèn)題
雖然工作時(shí)飲酒是一種傳統(tǒng),但在進(jìn)入21世紀(jì)后已逐漸成為文化禁忌,可其他成癮行為在工作場(chǎng)所依然存在。
今年早些時(shí)候,一位英國(guó)高級(jí)衛(wèi)生官員說(shuō),允許在辦公室里吃蛋糕來(lái)慶祝生日或進(jìn)行慶?;顒?dòng)“抹殺了人們的自由意志”,并補(bǔ)充說(shuō),“這和被動(dòng)吸煙一樣糟糕”。
牛津大學(xué)教授、英國(guó)食品標(biāo)準(zhǔn)局(Food Standards Agency)主席蘇珊·杰布告訴《泰晤士報(bào)》:“我們都傾向于認(rèn)為自己是理性、聰明、受過(guò)教育的人,總是做出明智的選擇,但卻低估了環(huán)境帶來(lái)的影響?!?/p>
“如果沒有人把蛋糕帶進(jìn)辦公室,我白天就不會(huì)吃蛋糕,但因?yàn)橛腥藥У案膺M(jìn)來(lái),我就吃了。好吧,如今我做出了這樣的選擇,但人們卻選擇去煙霧繚繞的酒吧?!?/p>
除了同事之間為慶祝重大節(jié)日而相互贈(zèng)送甜食外,員工在工作壓力大時(shí)也更容易飲食無(wú)度。
澳大利亞加文醫(yī)學(xué)研究所(Garvan Institute of Medical Research)6月份發(fā)布的一項(xiàng)研究發(fā)現(xiàn),人們?cè)趬毫^(guò)大時(shí)不僅會(huì)轉(zhuǎn)向食用安慰性食物,而且會(huì)不自覺地陷入垃圾食品渴望循環(huán)(大腦會(huì)不斷得到獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)信號(hào),促使人們食用垃圾食品)。
該研究的資深作者、加文研究所的訪問(wèn)科學(xué)家赫伯特·赫爾佐格教授解釋說(shuō):“我們的研究結(jié)果表明,壓力可以超越大腦的自然反應(yīng),從而降低進(jìn)食帶來(lái)的快感——這意味著大腦會(huì)不斷得到獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)信號(hào),促使人們進(jìn)食?!?/p>
“我們的研究表明,長(zhǎng)期的壓力加上高熱量飲食,會(huì)促使人們攝入越來(lái)越多的食物,并偏愛甜食和美味食物,從而導(dǎo)致體重增加和肥胖。這項(xiàng)研究強(qiáng)調(diào)了健康飲食在壓力時(shí)期的重要性。”(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
On a given day one in three American adults will consume fast food—most likely during their lunch hour.
However, this rotation of sweet or salty snacks winding their way through the office may not merely be a force of habit. A new study has revealed that it may in fact be an addiction.
A report published in the British Medical Journal this month found that certain food types were just addictive as alcohol, and only mildly less addictive than tobacco.
The study, which analyzed data from 281 different reports across 36 countries, used the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) to establish just how addictive certain meals were in comparison with other legal substances.
Alcohol has been given an additivity level of 14%, for example, while tobacco stands at 18%. The latest findings from scientists Ashley Gearhardt, Nassib Bueno, Alexandra G. DiFeliceantonio, Christina A. Roberto, Susana Jiménez-Murcia, and Fernando Fernandez-Aranda, put food at a level of 14% in adults and 12% in children.
However, although those numbers are for food overall, the likelihood of a person getting addicted to cabbage is pretty low. The food group driving addiction is UPFs (ultra-processed foods).
The scientists found that these foods with high levels of refined carbohydrates or added fats, typically sweet and salty foods, “are most strongly implicated in the behavioral indicators of addiction, such as excessive intake, loss of control over consumption, intense cravings, and continued use despite negative consequences.”
The report goes further to uncover why junk foods in particular are addictive. It explains that like nicotine, refined carbohydrates, or fats release elevated levels of dopamine to the brain.
As a result, “foods that deliver high levels of refined carbohydrates or added fats are a strong candidate for an addictive substance.”
Some people also have no control over whether or not they get attached to UPFs, the study added, pointing out: “Addictive drugs are not necessary for survival; eating is. In some countries UPFs are an important source of calories for many people.”
As such, the scientists urged policymakers to consider accessibility, affordability, and convenience when considering the UPF addiction issue.
A particular problem at work
While drinking at work is a tradition which faded to cultural taboo by the turn of the 21st century, other addictive behaviors are still alive and well in the workplace.
Earlier this year a top British health official said allowing cakes into offices—for birthdays or celebrations—“undermines people’s free will,” adding, “it’s as bad as passive smoking.”
Susan Jebb, a professor at the University of Oxford who also chairs the Food Standards Agency, told the Times: “We all like to think we’re rational, intelligent, educated people who make informed choices the whole time, and we undervalue the impact of the environment.
“If nobody brought in cakes into the office, I would not eat cakes in the day, but because people do bring cakes in, I eat them. Now, okay, I have made a choice, but people were making a choice to go into a smoky pub.”
On top of sweet treats being passed around to mark big occasions among colleagues, employees are also more likely to binge when they’re stressed at work.
A study released in June from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, based in Australia, found that not only do people turn to comfort food when they’re stressed, but they unconsciously begin an action and reward cycle of junk food cravings.
Professor Herbert Herzog, senior author of the study and visiting scientist at the Garvan Institute explained: “Our findings reveal stress can override a natural brain response that diminishes the pleasure gained from eating—meaning the brain is continuously rewarded to eat.
“We showed that chronic stress, combined with a high-calorie diet, can drive more and more food intake as well as a preference for sweet, highly palatable food, thereby promoting weight gain and obesity. This research highlights how crucial a healthy diet is during times of stress.”