title: Food and addiction among the ageing population.
abstract: Obesity among the elderly is a growing public health concern. Among the various factors that may contribute to the current rates of obesity is the rewarding aspect of highly palatable foods and beverages, which may lead to overconsumption and excess caloric intake. The present review describes recent research supporting the hypothesis that, for some individuals, the consumption these highly palatable foods and beverages may lead to the development of addictive-like behaviors. In particular, the authors consider the relevance of this hypothesis to the ageing population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kroll
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: na2574@columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Nicole M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Avena
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Ageing population; Food addiction; Obesity; Overweight; Palatable food; Reward