Your brain sees sugar as a reward. But does that mean it’s addictive?

Most scientists say no, but some want ultra-processed foods, with sky-high sugar amounts, to count as addictive substances

Psychologist Ashley Gearhardt remembers one type 2 diabetes patient who acknowledged that eating pillowy Krispy Kreme doughnuts is devastatingly bad for her. Knowing that the donuts could worsen her disease didn't stop her from driving out of her way to secure a box of the sweets.

Clearly, compulsivity is happening," said Gearhardt, a University of Michigan professor and one of the creators of the Yale Food Addiction Scale, a self-reporting tool that helps people find out whether they are at risk for food addiction. In her view, that inability to control an urge helps make the case that sugar is addictive.