Have scientists found a solution to junk food addiction?

ADELAIDE, Australia — There are two critical windows during the developmental pathway to adulthood when exposure to junk food is most harmful, particularly for female offspring, according to a recent study.

Researchers at the University of Adelaide revealed that there may be a chance to turn around this junk food addiction in two critical windows -- equating to late pregnancy and in adolescence in humans.

"Our research suggests that too much junk food consumed late in pregnancy for humans has the potential to be more harmful to the child than excess junk food early in the pregnancy," Dr. Jessica Gugusheff, post-doctoral researcher in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, said in a statement.

The first critical window is during pregnancy. However, if excess junk food was consumed by the mother in those early stages of pregnancy, there may be a chance to reduce those negative effects on the baby by eating a healthy diet in late pregnancy, researchers said.