food companies knew products were addictive

[Guest guest]

Interesting article... could be renamed 'the curse of the opioids'... the

article mentions combination of 'foods which are typically high in fat and

carbohydrates', are there fats containing opioids or would it be the caesin

containing dairy fat?... any ideas?

TIA

Dedy

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Revealed: food companies knew products were addictive

By s, Science Correspondent

(Filed: 13/07/2003)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2003%2F07%2F13%2Fnfood1\

3.xml & secureRefresh=true & _requestid=118385

Multinational food companies have known for years of research that suggests many

of their products trigger chemical reactions in the brain which lead people to

overeat, The Telegraph can reveal.

Scientists working for Nestle and Unilever have been quietly investigating how

certain foods, such as chocolate biscuits, burgers and snacks, make people

binge-eat, thereby fuelling obesity. The companies insist that there is no proof

that the foods create bio-chemical reactions that make people eat too much. They

are not yet prepared to issue consumer warnings or change the nature of the

products.

However, scientists working for the industry have said manufacturers fear they

have created foods that undermine the body's abilities to control intake and are

battling to find a solution. " We have created a bio-chemical monster, " one said.

The revelation will be seized on by those who allege that the food industry has

been reckless. More than 300 million people worldwide are now deemed clinically

obese, with an estimated 2.5 million dying each year as a result of being

overweight. In Britain, more than one in five adults is obese - triple the

figure of 20 years ago.

Earlier this year America's leading fast-food chains, including Mc's and

Burger King, were warned of possible legal action from obese people following

research on mice and rats suggesting that fast food could trigger overeating. It

is now clear that the industry has known for years of similar results from

research on humans.

One scientist who acts as a consultant to food manufacturers said: " They are

aware that they have been too successful in creating food that some people just

can't say no to. It's an enormous problem. "

The overeating effect is thought to be triggered by opioids, chemicals which

produce a desire to eat more while reducing the " sated " feeling that normally

kills appetite.

Research being studied by the industry shows that although the effect is only

short-lived, it can have a dramatic effect on food intake. According to a recent

review of 20 years of research by scientists at the University of Sussex, when

release of opioids was blocked using drugs, intake among human volunteers fell

by 21 per cent. The effect was even larger among obese people, whose intake fell

by 33 per cent.

Further research also suggests that the opioids effect is strongest with

products that involve combinations of foods which are typically high in fat and

carbohydrates. These combinations are routinely used to boost the so-called

palatability of products, with chocolate being added to cereals and biscuits,

cheese added to savoury snacks, and buns with a high sugar content being used

for hamburgers and cheeseburgers.

The industry has long sought to drive up the palatability of its products. Now,

however, it is becoming clear that palatability reflects the effect food has on

the brain.

Dr Yeomans, of the University of Sussex, a leading authority on opioids,

said: " I am confident that opioids play a role in food intake. "

Dr Yeomans will present the latest evidence linking palatability to over-eating

at a scientific meeting this week which is sponsored by leading food companies,

including Nestle, the world's largest, and Unilever.

A spokesman for Nestle in Vevey, Switzerland, confirmed that the company has

been studying the role of palatability and opioids in food intake for many

years. He said: " We have projects currently running to investigate this and

other aspects of obesity and the company will make all necessary changes when

there is significant scientific evidence to support such action. "

However, the company did not consider the evidence strong enough to require

action: " We have to be certain that there are no unexpected negative aspects. "

Unilever, which owns the Knorr, Birds Eye and Ragu brands, is also investigating

the links.

At this week's conference in Groningen, Holland, scientists will present

strategies for dealing with the issue, including greater consumer education and

labelling.

The findings about the effects of opioids were seized on yesterday by Prof

Banzhaf of Washington University, Washington DC, who played a key role in

the billion-dollar lawsuits against tobacco companies during the 1990s.

During the 1990s, evidence emerged that the industry had manipulated cigarettes'

content to enhance their addictive nature. In 1998, the industry reached a

settlement with 46 American state governments totalling $206 billion.

Prof Banzhaf described the food industry's knowledge of possible links between

high-calorie food and over-eating by humans as " astounding " . " This would seem to

constitute failure to disclose a material fact - information that might sway the

decision of consumers, had they known about it, " he said.

While there is no suggestion that the food industry knowingly manipulates its

products to boost over-consumption, Prof Banzhaf said there were parallels with

the case against the tobacco industry. " They said smokers smoke for the taste,

and it had nothing to do with the brain. It sounds to me that we have something

very similar here. "