America's Mass Addiction to Sugar and Processed Foods

It may be that the original drug of addiction was sugar. Sugar in all its forms tends to create an addictive imbalance in the body that then feeds on itself. Just as individuals can become addictive, so too can whole societies, where mass addiction to sugar and processed foods is seemingly 'normal'. This of course ruins the health of the society and eventually leads to its demise, just as sure as the cocaine junky who is headed toward premature death. Any society that will not protect its own food supply from the 'criminal food cartels' known as agri-business is doomed. Yes, some parasitical fat-cats will make out big time along the way, but in the end, all parasites die with the host. The American host is dying off fast, like lemmings into the ocean of disease and disability...

Growing Evidence Finds Processed Foods and Sugary Drinks as ‘Addictive as Cocaine’

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Anthony Gucciardi
NaturalSociety
November 7, 2011

Not only are processed foods and sodas filled with high-fructose corn syrup detrimental to your health, but new research finds they can also be as addictive as cocaine. The findings reveal how junk food affects the brain, with consumers developing a dependency on the health-destroying food items. Furthermore, the medical research threatens the $1 trillion food and beverage industry that currently stands.

One decade ago, the topic of food addiction was barely on the radar. Today, the subject has gained major attention among the scientific community. This year alone, 28 studies and papers were published on the subject of food addiction, according to a National Library of Medicine database. What is truly shocking is that there is little disagreement between the findings — processed foods and sugar-loaded drinks are being found to be powerfully addictive almost across the board.

“The data is so overwhelming the field has to accept it,”said Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “We are finding tremendous overlap between drugs in the brain and food in the brain.”

It is bad enough that these food products contain ingredients such asmercury-filled high-fructose corn syrup and genetically modifiedingredients, but the addictive qualities bring into question another level of ethics regarding the addictive qualities of junk food.

Processed food addiction research to spawn campaign similar to anti-smoking movement?

As research continues to come out on the subject, a battle may soon ensue against the $1 trillion industry behind addictive junk food. The addictive qualities of junk food may also play a significant role in the skyrocketing United States obesity rates.

Just as with cigarettes, food companies producing processed junk may soon face consumer backlash similar to that of the anti-smoking movement. After all, the ingredients in many nutrient-depleted processed junk food products pose a risk similar to cigarette smoking. The mercury inside of high-fructose corn syrup could be considered even more deadly than cigarette smoking. Adding addiction into the equation creates even more cause for alarm. This creates a scenario in which many consumer activist groups and individuals may go up against the processed food titans, similar to how activists challenged tobacco companies over the negative health effects of smoking.

Explore More:

1. Addictive as Cocaine, Fructose Fuels Cancer and Obesity as American Diet Staple
2. Highly Toxic Mercury Present in Processed Foods, Yet FDA Does Nothing
3. Facebook, Google as Addictive as Drugs Finds Study
4. Sugary Drinks Make You Crave More Calories, Study Shows
5. Sugary Drinks | Over Consumed and Health Threatening
6. Many “All Natural” Foods are Actually Heavily Processed