The Effects of Ultra-processed Foods on Food Addiction in Adolescents and the Mechanism of Prevention

Adolescent obesity is a chronic metabolic disease caused by a combination of environmental, genetic and other factors, and it poses a serious threat to adolescent health both physically and psychologically. Even worse, the negative effects can carry over into adulthood, increasing the risk of a range of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.The rising incidence of obesity among teenagers over the past few years is directly linked to the food industry's explosive growth. Meanwhile, Overindulgence in highly processed meals can result in the development of food addiction. As one of the causes of the obesity epidemic, the psychophysiological damage caused by food addiction to adolescents has increasingly received attention from all sectors of society. This paper reviews the research progress on food addiction among adolescents at home and abroad, and describes the assessment methods, occurrence mechanisms, and related preventive measures of food addiction among adolescents. It provides guidance for the prevention of adolescent food addiction and the protection of adolescent dietary health.