Researchers Say Knowledge May Be Key To Curbing Junk Food Binges

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Pizza, chocolate, and chips can be as addicting as drugs -- that's the new revelation from a study released on Wednesday.

Now, researchers are getting the word out, so you can put an end to over-eating those highly addicting foods.

A lot of people have foods that they crave.

"Pizza," Brianna Plamer said.

"Brownies too. Can't get enough of those," Marco Giarracca added.

"Anything French fries, anything on French fries is my favorite. I just ordered French fries right now," Tina Richardson told CBS2's Jessica Schneider.

Now, researchers are discovering why those foods are so addictive.

"Foods can have addictive like qualities," said Dr. Nicole Avena, a research professor at Mt. Sinai Hospital.

Dr. Avena spent the past year testing hundreds of people. She isolated 35 foods ranging from pizza to vegetables to soda. Each participant then rated the food based on how problematic it was, meaning if they lost control over how much they ate.

"Some of these foods might be driving us to want to eat more than we actually need," she explained.

So, what is it about the cakes and the potato chips and even the pizza that makes them so enticing? Researchers say they are all highly processed foods with few natural ingredients.

"Highly processed foods can affect the brain and affect behavior in ways that resemble drug abuse," Dr. Avena said.

The five most addicting foods are pizza, chocolate, chips, cookies, and ice cream. The least addicting are cucumber, carrots, beans, apples, and brown rice.

"It's like ice cream and you just keep eating it and you don't stop. You keep eating those pints," Brianna Palmer said.

Dr. Avena said that knowledge is power.

"Knowing that these foods may have addictive qualities for some people may cause someone to think twice, and think 'maybe I've had enough with one slice of pizza,'" she said.

Thinking twice and realize that it may just be mind over matter.