Elevated Palatability: Food Items from Tobacco-Linked Brands Exhibit Increased Hyperpalatability

The University of Kansas has recently published a study that underscores the aggressive marketing of highly palatable foods by food brands with tobacco industry ownership in the United States. Such foods, enriched with elevated levels of salts, fats, and sugars, are engineered to be exceptionally appealing, thus contributing to public health problems like obesity. Despite the tobacco sector’s divestment from the food industry, these hyperpalatable food items remain pervasively available.

Food brands connected to tobacco companies in the United States are associated with the aggressive marketing of foods that are both addictive and detrimental to health, thereby exacerbating widespread health conditions such as obesity.

The American populace is well-acquainted with the addictive qualities of many food products commonly available in the market, colloquially known as “junk food.” Such foods, which are often rich in fats, salts, and sugars, dominate the products marketed within the nation.

The academic community employs the term “hyperpalatable” to describe food products that contain purposefully combined high levels of salts, fats, and sugars.

A researcher from the University of Kansas has performed an in-depth study which demonstrates that food brands, owned by tobacco companies that had heavily invested in the U.S. food industry during the 1980s, appear to have engaged in the “selective dissemination of hyperpalatable foods” among American consumers. The research findings were published on September 8 in the peer-reviewed journal, Addiction.

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Research Findings and Significance

Tera Fazzino, the lead author and an assistant professor of psychology at KU, in conjunction with her role as the associate director of the Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment at the KU Life Span Institute, elaborated on their methodology: “We utilized multiple data sources to scrutinize the extent to which U.S. tobacco firms played a role in infusing hyperpalatable foods into our dietary system.”

“Such foods are not just appealing but pose a challenge to moderate consumption. They feature a complex mix of nutrients—specifically fats, sugars, and salts or other carbohydrates—that appear together,” Fazzino further stated. Previous studies by Fazzino reveal that 68% of food offerings in America are of a hyperpalatable nature.

“These nutrient combinations significantly amplify the eating experience, making cessation of consumption particularly challenging. The sensory effects are unlike consuming a food item that is exclusively high in one of these nutrients—fat, sugar, or salt,” she added.

Between the years 1988 and 2001, foods associated with tobacco companies were 29% more likely to be categorized as fat-and-sodium hyperpalatable and 80% more likely to be classified as carbohydrate-and-sodium hyperpalatable compared to foods unassociated with tobacco ownership.

Intentions of Tobacco Companies

In their study, the KU researchers relied on publicly accessible internal documents from the tobacco industry to identify the ownership of food companies. They then used longitudinal nutrition data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assess the extent to which foods were “engineered to be hyperpalatable, based on tobacco ownership.”

Fazzino clarified that the data does not allow for definitive conclusions regarding the intentions of tobacco companies, but it does suggest a consistent pattern of involvement in the development and marketing of hyperpalatable foods.

The co-authors of the study included KU doctoral students Daiil Jun and Kayla Bjorlie, along with Lynn Chollet Hinton, an assistant professor of biostatistics and data science at KU Medical Center.

Their study was partly inspired by earlier research conducted by Laura Schmidt at the University of California-San Francisco, who showed that the same tobacco companies were heavily engaged in marketing sugary beverages to children.

Current State of Hyperpalatable Foods

Even after the tobacco sector disengaged from the American food industry between the early to mid-2000s, the impact persists. The recent KU study shows that as of 2018, fat-and-sodium hyperpalatable foods comprised more than 57% of the market, while carbohydrate-and-sodium hyperpalatable foods made up over 17%.

“The majority of available food products fall under the hyperpalatable category,” noted Fazzino. “Finding foods that are not hyperpalatable can be quite challenging. Additionally, foods that do not fall into this category, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, are not only difficult to find but also tend to be more costly.”

Fazzino suggests that one regulatory approach could involve using the metrics of hyperpalatability to control food formulations that are specifically designed to prolong eating.

“These foods contain ingredient combinations that induce sensory experiences not typically found in natural food sources, which could disrupt our body’s satiety signals and neural reward systems, making them hard to resist,” Fazzino concluded.

Consequently, consumers are more likely to face obesity and related health conditions due to the consumption of hyperpalatable foods, even if overeating was not their intention.

Reference

The research article, titled “U.S. Tobacco Companies Selectively Disseminated Hyper-Palatable Foods Into the U.S. Food System: Empirical Evidence and Current Implications,” was authored by Tera L. Fazzino, Daiil Jun, Lynn Chollet-Hinton, and Kayla Bjorlie and published on September 8, 2023, in the journal Addiction. DOI: 10.1111/add.16332.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Hyperpalatable Foods

What is the main finding of the University of Kansas study?

The primary finding of the University of Kansas study is that food brands owned by tobacco companies in the United States have been involved in the aggressive marketing of hyperpalatable foods. These foods are rich in fats, salts, and sugars and are specifically engineered to be irresistibly appealing. This marketing strategy has contributed to public health issues, including obesity.

What is meant by “hyperpalatable” foods?

The term “hyperpalatable” is used to describe foods that are designed to be exceptionally appealing by containing high levels of salts, fats, and sugars. Such foods are not only delicious but also challenging to stop eating once started, thereby increasing the risk of overconsumption and related health issues like obesity.

What data did the researchers use for their study?

The researchers used multiple sources of data, including publicly accessible internal documents from the tobacco industry to identify ownership of food companies. They also utilized longitudinal nutrition data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assess how much foods were engineered to be hyperpalatable, based on their ownership by tobacco companies.

How prevalent are hyperpalatable foods in the American food supply?

According to previous work by Tera Fazzino, the lead author of the study, 68% of the American food supply is hyperpalatable. The study also revealed that as of 2018, fat-and-sodium hyperpalatable foods made up more than 57% of the food market, while carbohydrate-and-sodium hyperpalatable foods accounted for over 17%.

Can the intentions of tobacco companies be definitively established through this research?

No, the data does not provide definitive conclusions regarding the intentions of tobacco companies. However, the study does suggest a consistent pattern of tobacco companies’ involvement in the development and marketing of hyperpalatable foods.

Are hyperpalatable foods still prevalent, despite tobacco companies’ divestment from the food industry?

Yes, even though tobacco companies have divested from the U.S. food industry between the early to mid-2000s, hyperpalatable foods remain pervasively available in the market. The study indicates that these types of foods have become mainstays of the American diet.

What could be a potential regulatory approach to address this issue?

One proposed regulatory approach is to use metrics of hyperpalatability to control food formulations specifically designed to prolong eating. This could help in regulating foods that are engineered to disrupt our body’s satiety signals and neural reward systems, making them difficult to resist.

What are the health risks associated with consuming hyperpalatable foods?

Consumption of hyperpalatable foods increases the risk of obesity and related health conditions. These foods are engineered to induce prolonged eating, disrupting the body’s fullness signals and excessively triggering the brain’s reward system.

Who were the co-authors of this study?

The co-authors of the study were KU doctoral students Daiil Jun and Kayla Bjorlie, along with Lynn Chollet Hinton, an assistant professor of biostatistics and data science at the KU Medical Center.

Where was the study published?

The study was published on September 8, 2023, in the peer-reviewed journal Addiction. The DOI for the research article is 10.1111/add.16332.