A study published in The Milbank Quarterly by researchers from the University of Michigan, Harvard University and Duke University contends that many ultra-processed foods are deliberately engineered to stimulate the brain’s reward system in ways that closely parallel the design of tobacco products. The analysis draws on addiction science, nutrition research and the history of tobacco regulation to argue that packaged snacks, sugary drinks and ready-to-eat meals share key characteristics with cigarettes: they are formulated to maximise pleasure, intensify reward signals and promote habitual consumption. The authors call for a shift in public health focus from individual responsibility to scrutiny of food industry practices and the aggressive marketing of these products, particularly to young people.

Viewed from Madrid, nutritionist Júlia Farré described the phenomenon in similar terms, pointing to the “bliss point” — a precise combination of salt, fat, sugar, aromas and texture that makes certain snacks, such as potato crisps, almost impossible to stop eating. This deliberate engineering, she said, means the impulse to keep consuming is not merely a matter of anxiety or poor self-control but a predictable response to a product designed to override natural satiety signals. Separate research from the US National Institutes of Health links frequent snacking on ultra-processed foods to accelerated cellular ageing, suggesting that constant metabolic activity from fragmented eating patterns may impair DNA repair and shorten telomeres.

A countervailing caution emerges from a mouse study on zero-sugar diets. Researchers tracked six animals per group and found that eliminating all sugar did not cause weight gain but led to metabolic dysfunction, a collapse of the gut barrier and a loss of glucose clearance. The findings, while preliminary and not directly translatable to humans, indicate that extreme dietary restriction can starve beneficial gut microbes and trigger inflammation, underscoring that the target is not all sugars but the industrial formulations that deliver them in unnaturally concentrated forms.

Broader evidence reinforces the value of whole foods and consistent daily rhythms. A ten-year study on sleep irregularity links inconsistent bedtimes to elevated cardiovascular risk, while trials on exercise timing show that even modest, regular movement — what some physiologists call “exercise snacking” — improves sleep quality and insulin sensitivity. Nutrition researchers in the UK and Spain note that the body’s circadian clocks influence how calories are metabolised, making not just what we eat but when we eat a factor in weight regulation.

The researchers behind the ultra-processed food study argue that the next milestone is a regulatory conversation that treats food engineering with the same seriousness once applied to tobacco. They advocate for policies that reduce the availability and marketing of highly processed foods, shifting the narrative from personal blame to industry accountability. As the evidence base grows, the question is no longer whether these products can trigger addictive-like behaviours, but how public health systems will respond.