Am I addicted to food?

Scary thought, right?! Let's explore what we know below.

Food addiction is a term often associated with distressing cravings and a loss of control, which leads to the overconsumption of food. However, whether someone can be addicted to food is still an area of debate and controversy, and it is currently inconclusive as to the true definition and validity of food addiction.

For a start, we must decide how food addiction would actually work in the brain. There are two schools of thought on what might make food addictive for certain individuals.

The first is that food addiction is a substance addiction, in which food causes addictive-like responses in individuals who may be genetically, physiologically, or neurologically pre-disposed. The second proposes that it is that the behavioural act of eating, rather than the food itself, is the issue.

But while the addiction pathway is clearly understood when it comes to alcohol and drugs, but by what mechanism could food be addictive?

Well, as it stands, nobody is sure. But some researchers propose that the consumption of highly palatable food substances stimulates the reward mechanisms of the brain so intensely that, to compensate, the population of dopamine (reward) receptors is reduced (in a way that mimics drug withdrawal).

This means that the brain now requires a greater degree of stimulation to experience the same degree of reward – i.e., additional food needs to be eaten to avoid food cravings and withdrawal symptoms!

Does this mean that we are all doomed if we eat a slice of birthday cake?

Well, it's not likely. Any theory of the cause of food addiction based on a single limited type of data (such as neuroimaging, human observation, or animal behaviour) is most likely inadequate and not generalisable to real world environments.

In the real world, factors which influence food behaviours may fall into a multitude of categories including biological, media, social, psychological, economic, food, activity, infrastructure, developmental and medical. Thus, trying to isolate the cause of food addiction to one factor would be far too simplistic for such a complex issue!

So how do we treat a food addiction - when it feels all too real?

While a traditional ‘addiction’ approach might focus on eliminating or decreasing particular foods, obesity researchers suggest that the aim should be to find foods that taste good, that are satiating and yet provide less energy overall.

Let's not forget that the brain is never as motivated towards food as when we are in a state of starvation (and many people experience this phenomenon whether it's real, anticipated - or a statement like "Diet starts Monday"!).

Above all, many researchers stress that food should not be the sole focus of recovery, as individuals must also be able to deal psychologically with the continual opportunities or temptations in the food environment.

This means that it is important to consider any other issues which might need as addressing, such as emotional or psychological issues.

Finding someone to talk to about your difficulties with food is therefore a key step in the process to healing a relationship with food. As the process can be complex, this would ideally be discussed with a trusted and informed professional.

Lizzie, MyNutrifit Health Coach

References

[1] Fletcher, P.C. and Kenny, P.J., 2018. Food addiction: a valid concept? Neuropsychopharmacology, 43(13), pp.2506-2513.

[2] Davis, C., 2013. Compulsive overeating as an addictive behavior: overlap between food addiction and binge eating disorder. Current Obesity Reports, 2(2), pp.171-178.

[3] Long, C.G., Blundell, J.E. and Finlayson, G., 2015. A systematic review of the application and correlates of YFAS-diagnosed ‘food addiction'in humans: are eating-related ‘addictions'a cause for concern or empty concepts?. Obesity Facts, 8(6), pp.386-401.

[4] Blum, K., Febo, M., McLaughlin, T., Cronje, F.J., Han, D. and Gold, M.S., 2014. Hatching the behavioural addiction egg: Reward Deficiency Solution System (RDSS)™ as a function of dopaminergic neurogenetics and brain functional connectivity linking all addictions under a common rubric. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 3(3), pp.149-156.

[5] Wang, G.-J. et al. (2001) Brain dopamine and obesity. The Lancet (British edition). [Online] 357 (9253), 354–357.

[6] Benton, D. and Young, H.A., 2016. A meta-analysis of the relationship between brain dopamine receptors and obesity: a matter of changes in behavior rather than food addiction?. International journal of obesity, 40(1), pp.S12-S21.

[7] Westwater, M.L., Fletcher, P.C. and Ziauddeen, H., 2016. Sugar addiction: the state of the science. European journal of nutrition, 55(2), pp.55-69.

[8] Schulte, E.M., Potenza, M.N. and Gearhardt, A.N., 2017. A commentary on the “eating addiction” versus “food addiction” perspectives on addictive-like food consumption. Appetite, 115, pp.9-15.

[9] American Psychiatric Association, DSM-5 Task Force. (2013). (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

[10] Finlayson, G., 2017. Food addiction and obesity: unnecessary medicalization of hedonic overeating. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 13(8), pp.493-498.

[11] Wilcox, C.E., 2021. How to treat food addiction from a nutritional perspective: consideration of diet and abstinence. In Food Addiction, Obesity, and Disorders of Overeating (pp. 179-188). Springer, Cham.