Food addiction refers to when the need to eat becomes compulsive or uncontrollable. This compulsive behavior may be in response to an emotion, such as stress, sadness, or anger. The human body needs food to function, but food addiction is when a person becomes dependent on certain types of foods. Food manufacturers put chemicals and sugars in the food to get the consumer addicted to their products. Sugar is 8 times as addicting as cocaine.
Addiction is not only reserved for alcohol and illegal street drugs. People who struggle with addictive-type behaviors and food have the same behavior and lack of control as street drug users.
Medical News Today
An article by Tom Seymour and Reviewed by Timothy J Legg. PhD, CRNP
What is a food addiction?
Food addiction may actually be an addiction to the behavior of eating.
Food addiction is closely associated with eating disorders, including obesity, bulimia, and binge eating disorder. One theory suggests that individuals can develop a chemical dependency to particular foods in the same way that people develop addictions to alcohol or cigarettes.
Consuming food triggers chemicals in the brain, such as dopamine, that act as a reward and give pleasurable sensations to the individual. These chemicals can also act as a release from emotional distress.
However, other research argues that there is not enough evidence to say that food has the same addictive qualities as alcohol or cigarettes. This research states that the term ‘food addiction’ is misleading because it suggests that ingredients themselves are addictive.
Addiction can be split into two categories: addiction to a substance, such as a drug, or addiction to a behavior, such as eating.
Food addiction, it is argued, is an addiction to the behavior of eating.
It is estimated that around 35 percent of adults in the United States are obese. However, people who are obese equate to only about one third of those with a food addiction, even though food addiction is sometimes associated with weight gain.So, while food addiction may contribute to obesity, it is not the only factor.
One review found that up to 10 percent of people with a food addiction were underweight, at a healthy weight, or overweight rather than obese.
© Copyright – Hector Sectzer
