The Neurobiology of "Food Addiction" and Its Implications for Obesity Treatment and Policy.
There is a growing view that certain foods, particularly those high in refined sugars and fats, are addictive and that some forms of obesity can usefully be treated as a food addiction. This perspective is supported by a growing body of neuroscience research demonstrating that the chronic consumption of energy-dense foods causes changes in the brain's reward pathway that are central to the development and maintenance of drug addiction. Obese and overweight individuals also display patterns of eating behavior that resemble the ways in which addicted individuals consume drugs. We critically review the evidence that some forms of obesity or overeating could be considered a food addiction and argue that the use of food addiction as a diagnostic category is premature. We also examine some of the potential positive and negative clinical, social, and public policy implications of describing obesity as a food addiction that require further investigation.
School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Clayton Victoria 3800, Australia; email: adrian.carter@monash.edu.|University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland 4029 Australia.
Adrian
A
Carter
School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Clayton Victoria 3800, Australia; email: adrian.carter@monash.edu.
Joshua
J
Hendrikse
Neuroscience Interdepartmental Graduate Program, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095.
Natalia
N
Lee
School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Clayton Victoria 3800, Australia; email: adrian.carter@monash.edu.
Murat
M
Yücel
School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Clayton Victoria 3800, Australia; email: adrian.carter@monash.edu.
Antonio
A
Verdejo-Garcia
School of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
Zane B.
ZB
Andrews
University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland 4029 Australia.|Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland 4006 Australia.
Wayne
W
Hall
D000818:Animals; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000639:trends; D000072001:Diet, Healthy; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000187:drug effects; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009446:Neurobiology / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D050177:Overweight / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D012201:Reward
food addiction; neuroscience; obesity; policy; stigma; treatment