Science has confirmed what many of us have felt all along: comfort food like chocolate, pizza and French fries are truly addictive and mess with our brains.

These highly processed foods trigger the same reward centers in the brain activated by drugs like cocaine. More ominously, new research shows these delicious foods might even change the brains of those that become addicted to them.

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A study by the University of Michigan is one of the first to examine this phenomenon of "food addiction".

Previous studies in animals conclude that highly processed food, or foods with added fat or refined carbohydrates (like white flour and sugar), could trigger addictive-like eating behavior.

What was unknown is whether foods like chocolate and pizza can trigger addiction-like responses in humans, said Ashley Gearhardt, U-M assistant professor of psychology.

Individuals with symptoms of food addiction reported greater problems with highly processed foods, suggesting some may be particularly sensitive to the possible 'rewarding' properties of these foods.

"If properties of some foods are associated with addictive eating for some people, this may impact nutrition guidelines, as well as public policy initiatives such as marketing these foods to children", said Erica Schulte, a U-M psychology doctoral student and the study's lead author

The U-M study is a first step towards identifying specific foods, and properties of foods, which can trigger this addictive response. Researchers said this could help change the way we approach obesity treatment.