Food addiction remains a controversial topic in the scientific community. The concept is driven in part by concerns surrounding the increasing rates of obesity in the United States and elsewhere in the world. In this Honest Nutrition feature, we explain what the science says and address the question: Is food addiction real? Food addiction is a concept that researchers use to describe compulsive eating habits in humans, which may resemble addiction-like behaviors. Research indicates that some individuals may be more likely than others to experience addiction to palatable foods; meaning foods that are high in fat and sugar.
Other studies suggest that those who may experience food addiction exhibit “seeking” behaviors; as well as other symptoms and cravings similar to those that people typically experience as part of a substance use disorder. There is no universally accepted clinical definition of “food addiction;” and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) does not list it as a condition. However, researchers have identified some behaviors associated with this concept. These include:
- compulsive overeating, even in the absence of hunger
- cravings for high fat and sugary foods
- difficulty in controlling food intake
- binge eating and disordered eating patterns
Why is this concept controversial?
Despite the existing research; food addiction remains a controversial topic in the scientific community due to inconclusive evidence from numerous studies. Here are some of the related controversies:
1. The brain on foods vs. drugs: A crucial distinction
Many studies that argue that food addiction is a real phenomenon focus on the similarities between food cravings and cravings for illicit drugs. However, the concept of food addiction raises the important question; If foods can become addictive, are they bad for us? Although both foods and drugs stimulate the reward system and pleasure center in the brain; foods do not exert the same pharmacological effect as drugs. Also, people consume foods very regularly and in complex combinations. This makes quantification difficult and blurs the line between use and misuse.
2. Which nutrient is the drug?
Not only is it difficult to classify the misuse of foods, but researchers have not yet determined which nutrient or combination of nutrients causes food addiction. Studies in rats have identified that a diet high in fat and sugar — as many processed foods are — can induce addiction-like behaviors. Some believe that the presence of sugar in the gut may be the causative nutrient, but this remains unproven. More rigorous, long-term studies in humans are necessary to pinpoint any problematic nutrients.
3. Obesity, palatable foods, and food addiction
Some studies suggest that food addiction is a plausible cause of obesity, and the food addiction model even emphasizes being overweight or having obesity as one of the clinical criteria. Some researchers have also associated food addiction with certain eating disorders, particularly binge eating disorder (BED). However, one review highlighted that a substantial number of individuals with BED do not have obesity and that most people with obesity do not experience disordered eating or food addiction symptoms.
This brings the ability of YFAS to diagnose food addiction into question, and some researchers suggest that this scale simply identifies eating disorders and not an addiction. Furthermore, palatability is not necessarily a factor in overconsumption and obesity, as one review reported that even a non palatable food — meaning one that is not high in fat or sugar — can become the subject of food cravings.
4. Yo-yo dieting as the cause of food addiction?
Many weight-loss strategies have low success rates, and popular weight-loss diets can be quite restrictive. Although nutrition deprivation is not necessary to cause food cravings and overconsumption, switching between various diets and regularly restricting food potentially causes food addiction behaviors.