title: [Chocolate craving].
abstract: Chocolate craving can be defined as an intense, intrusive and irrepressible desire for the consumption of chocolate. It is a fairly unknown clinical reality, for which it is important to raise awareness among health care professionals and other interested people. This paper reviews the pathophysiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, complications, treatment and prevention of chocolate craving, based on a systematic review and reading of 57 articles published in the last decades about the subject. This review shows that chocolate craving is associated with many health problems, such as obesity, depression, anxiety and substance misuse. Since there is no specific treatment for chocolate craving, its therapeutic approach is based on psychological strategies and on the therapeutic strategies for addition, obesity and other conditions related to chocolate craving.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Psiquiatria, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Luísa
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Almada
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D001066:Appetite; D002099:Cacao; D002182:Candy; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans