Are Ultra-processed Foods Engineered for Addiction? New Study Draws Parallels With Tobacco

That bag of chips you meant to stop eating. The soda that turns into refills. The late-night fast-food order that feels automatic. A new analysis suggests these choices may not be just about self-control-but about design. Researchers from the University of Michigan, Harvard University and Duke University argue that many ultraprocessed foods are engineered to drive repeat consumption in ways that resemble strategies once used by tobacco companies. Their findings appear in The Milbank Quarterly.

Ultraprocessed foods include packaged snacks, sugary drinks, ready-to-eat meals and many fast-food items. Unlike minimally processed foods, these products are formulated with combinations of refined carbohydrates, added fats, salt and flavor enhancers that maximize “hyper-palatability”—a level of taste and texture designed to strongly stimulate the brain’s reward system. According to the researchers, this formulation can encourage habitual use, increase cravings and make moderation difficult.

Methodologically, the team conducted a policy-focused analysis drawing from addiction science, nutrition research and historical tobacco industry documents. They compared how tobacco companies engineered cigarettes to enhance nicotine delivery with how food manufacturers optimize products for rapid reward and repeat consumption. The review also examined marketing tactics, pricing strategies and public messaging that frame overconsumption as an issue of personal responsibility rather than product design.

Lead author Ashley Gearhardt, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Michigan, notes that the goal is not to equate eating with smoking. Instead, the researchers highlight structural similarities: both industries have developed products that amplify brain reward pathways while shaping public narratives to minimize corporate accountability.

The authors argue that current public health messaging places too much emphasis on willpower. They suggest shifting attention toward food environments—what products are affordable, aggressively marketed and widely accessible, especially to young adults.

By reframing ultraprocessed food consumption as a systemic issue rather than solely an individual failure, the researchers hope to spark discussion about regulatory approaches similar to those used in tobacco control.

REFERENCE: Ashley N. Gearhardt et al, From Tobacco to Ultraprocessed Food: How Industry Engineering Fuels the Epidemic of Preventable Disease, The Milbank Quarterly (2026). DOI: 10.1111/1468-0009.70066