https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/09/220920141421.htm

Families experiencing food insecurity often have limited access to nutrient-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins, and greater access to less expensive, highly processed foods that are high in refined carbohydrates and fats. Research has found that highly processed foods can activate neural reward responses.

"An emerging line of research suggests that highly processed foods can trigger addictive processes that can lead to a compulsive pattern of overeating, with significant physical and mental health consequences. We know that individuals with food insecurity are more likely to live in an environment dominated by these highly processed foods and are more heavily targeted by the food industry," explains first author Lindsey Parnarouskis, MS, doctoral candidate, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. "We hypothesized that individuals with food insecurity might be at greater risk for highly processed food addiction, but no one had previously investigated that."