Which habit is harder to break - smoking cigarettes or eating unhealthy foods?
According to research by Auckland University lecturer Dr Simon Thornley, carbohydrates found in heavily processed foods are almost as addictive as cigarettes and could trigger the same part of the brain that leads people to nicotine and alcohol
addictions.
Heavily processed carbohydrates in foods such as cornflakes, sweets and croissants, raise the amount of sugar in the blood and Dr Thornley believes the rush of sugar stimulates the same areas of the brain involved with nicotine and drug addictions.
If his claims were supported then new ways of dealing with food addiction would be needed, which could include "carbohydrate patches" like smokers use to help with nicotine withdrawals.
"There is good cause for treating highly refined foods as we do cigarettes - banning television ads, taxing them and even insisting on health pack warnings," he said.
Rotorua's Diana Murray, who owns Contours gym, studies nutrition and agrees carbohydrates are addictive and believes there should be better labelling to create better awareness.
"I think it is a good idea," she said.
"Often with the ladies in my gym, the more they have, the more they want. Carbs make us feel heavy and people just are not as happy as they could be."
She said some of the foods on the shelves advertised as being healthy were high in carbohydrates so they should have labels to identify how unhealthy they were. "I think people should be made more aware so I would like to see something on the packaging showing people what is in there, maybe showing how much exercise it would take to work off the carbs."
She said one of the issues was high-carb foods were cheaper than healthier foods but people didn't realise these foods were detrimental to their health.
