Did you know that studies show that when given a choice, most rats choose sugar over cocaine?

When you snack daily on processed foods loaded with sugar it actually rewires you brain — like drug addiction does — and fuels craving.

And recently researchers using the 2009 Yale Food Addiction Scale concluded that 20% of people are food addicts ensnared by the processing of a lot of foods in restaurants and on grocery store shelves.

To break bad food habits, you need the same commitment you would make (or have made) to stopping smoking or abusing alcohol. It takes a plan, support, and a long-range vision that keeps you moving forward, even if you temporarily go off-track.

• Step one. Clear out the unhealthy food in your kitchen.

• Step two. Resolve to stop going to fast food chains.

• Step three. Join a support group such as Weight Watchers, Food Addicts Anonymous (faacanhelp.org), or the Cleveland Clinic's e-coaching program (real dieticians respond to your emails daily).

• Step four. Think about taking a cooking class that specializes in healthy food preparation. It will help you cultivate a taste for food that's good and good for you.

• Step five. Get on board at LongevityPlaybook.com. There you will have access to 24/7 helplines, great recipes, important guides, and evidence-based solutions. 

For those who don’t succeed with these steps, there are medications (GLP-1's and GIP's such as Ozempic and Mounjaro) that seem to change the brain, so cravings and addictions are radically reduced; but they're expensive and may need to be taken for a lifetime.