Food addiction is the idea that individuals can experience addiction-like behaviors in response to the consumption of certain foods.1 Food addiction is thought to be severe in some cases—similar to the addiction to drugs and alcohol.1 The concept of food addiction has been a controversial topic for countless years now; however, with new research findings supporting the addictive properties of food, this idea has become more widely accepted.

Let’s take a look at some of the evidence for food addiction and what occurs physiologically in the brain whenever we look at the addiction to food. In instances of drug addiction, the mesolimbic dopamine system is directly impacted, which affects how we process pleasure and rewards.2 The release of dopamine acts on the brain to produce feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. Research conducted on animals has found that certain palatable foods are equally as capable of triggering this dopamine release.2 Examples of these palatable foods include high-sodium foods, artificially flavored foods, and foods rich in carbohydrates and saturated fats.3 Human studies have shown this same increased activation of the brain's reward system when overconsuming foods.2

In instances of continuous and excessive overeating, individuals may find that the pleasure that results from the intake of these foods subsides over time and becomes less intense.2 Similar to drug abuse, the chronic consumption of high-caloric foods can result in the downregulation of dopamine receptors in the brain over time. This is done to assist with the overstimulation that results from excessive intake.2 The downregulation of dopamine receptors results in decreased pleasure when consuming palatable foods.2 With this reduction in pleasure and increased tolerance to these foods, withdrawal behaviors can result.2 As with drug addiction, these withdrawal symptoms can lead to compensatory behaviors—such as increasing the intake of these calorically dense foods. From here, the cycle continues and becomes extremely difficult to break free from.

With the discussion of addiction in mind, it is important to note that food addiction is not yet recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is the handbook used by health care professionals for the diagnosis of mental health disorders. This being said, research that has been conducted on this topic suggests that food can have addictive properties for some individuals—similar to that of drugs and alcohol.

References

1. Hauck C, Cook B, Ellrott T. Food addiction, eating addiction and eating disorders. Proc Nutr Soc. 2020;79(1):103–112. doi:10.1017/S0029665119001162

2. Adams RC, Sedgmond J, Maizey L, Chambers CD, Lawrence NS. Food Addiction: Implications for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Overeating. Nutrients. 2019;11(9):2086. Published 2019 Sep 4. doi:10.3390/nu11092086

3. Vasiliu O. Current Status of Evidence for a New Diagnosis: Food Addiction-A Literature Review. Front Psychiatry. 2022;12:824936. Published 2022 Jan 10. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.824936