Food addiction
This article may be too technical for most readers to understand.(February 2017) |
A food addiction or eating addiction is any behavioral addiction that is primarily characterized by the compulsive consumption of palatable (e.g., high fat and high sugar) food items which markedly activate the reward system in humans and other animals despite adverse consequences.[1][2]
Psychological dependence has also been observed, with the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms when substituting foods low in sugar and fat.[1] A person cannot develop a trait that codes for an eating disorder. Professionals address psychological dependence by providing behavior therapy[3] and through administering the YFAS (Yale Food Addiction Scale) questionnaire, a diagnostic criteria of substance dependence.[4]
High-sugar and high-fat foods have been shown to increase the expression of
Description
Food addiction refers to compulsive overeating; those who suffer from the condition engage in frequent episodes of uncontrollable eating (
People who engage in binge eating may feel frenzied, and consume a large number of calories before stopping. Food binges may be followed by feelings of guilt and depression;[9] for example, one might cancel their plans for the next day because one "feels fat." Binge eating also has implications on physical health, due to excessive intake of fats and sugars, which can cause numerous health problems.[10]
Unlike individuals with bulimia nervosa, persons with compulsive overeating do not attempt to compensate for their bingeing with purging behaviors, such as fasting, laxative use, or vomiting. When a person suffering from compulsive overeating through binge eating experiences feelings of guilt after their binges, that person can be said to have binge eating disorder (BED).[6]
In addition to binge eating, compulsive overeaters may also engage in "grazing" behavior, during which they continuously eat throughout the day.[6] These actions result in an excessive overall number of calories consumed, even if the quantities eaten at any one time may be small.
During binges, compulsive overeaters may consume between 5,000 and 15,000
Signs and symptoms
A food addiction features compulsive overeating, such as binge eating behavior, as its core and only defining feature. There are several potential signs that a person may be experiencing compulsive overeating. Common behaviors of compulsive overeaters include eating alone, consuming food quickly, gaining weight rapidly, and eating to the point of stomach discomfort. Other signs include significantly decreased mobility and withdrawal from activities due to weight gain. Emotional indicators can include feelings of guilt, a sense of loss of control, depression and mood swings.[9][12]
Hiding
Sense of loss of control may be indicated in many ways, such as expending more effort than usual to obtain specific foods, or spending unnecessary amounts of money on foods to satisfy cravings. This sense of loss of control may impede function during work due to disorganized thoughts, leading to a decrease in efficiency. Another indication is craving food despite being full. One may set rules to try to eat healthy, but find themselves frustrated when they are overruled by their cravings. A large indicator of loss of control due to food addiction is knowing one has a medical problem caused by their behaviors, but not being able to stop consuming the foods, further compromising one's health.[14][13]
Food addiction has some physical signs and symptoms, including decreased energy; decreased ability for activity compared to the past or compared to others; decreased mental efficiency due to the lack of nutritive energy;
In extreme cases food addiction can result in suicidal thoughts.[14]
Effects
Obesity has been attributed to eating behavior or fast food, personality issues, depression, genetics, and also social and environmental conditions such as
Management
Compulsive overeating is treatable with nutritional assistance and medication. Psychotherapy may also be required, but recent research has shown this to be useful only as a complementary resource, with short-term effectiveness in moderate to severe cases.[17][18]
Many eating disorders are thought to be behavioral patterns that stem from emotional struggles; for the individual to develop lasting improvement and a healthy relationship with food, these behavioral obstacles need to be resolved.[24]
Treatment can include
The American Dental Association has sanctioned these suggestions, stating:
Given the continued increase in obesity in the United States and the willingness of dentists to assist in prevention and interventional effort, experts in obesity intervention in conjunction with dental educators should develop models of intervention within the scope of dental practice.
— Journal of the American Dental Association[25]
Moreover, dental appliances such as conventional jaw wiring and orthodontic wiring have been shown to be efficient methods of weight control in obese patients, with a low incidence of serious complications.[26]
Several
The Ontario Health Insurance Plan has announced a new program designed to assist individuals struggling with food addiction.[27]
Prognosis
Left untreated, food addiction can lead to chronic conditions and eventually death.
In an individual diagnosed with an eating disorder such as BED, the chances for relapse are high. Those with a food addiction were most likely overweight in childhood,[28] which may lead to treatment resistance depending on the amount of time gone untreated. Due to poor mental health and lack of control and environmental factors,[29] overeaters may relapse into their old habits even after completing various treatments. BED patients often report and acknowledge using substances daily as a coping mechanism.
However, with treatment and follow-ups, there is a 50% chance of recovery.[30] Success in overcoming this disorder rests on following treatment directions and a properly supportive environment in which to recover.
There is a higher chance of successful treatment in teenage populations, in which denial is less ingrained than adults.
Epidemiology
A review on behavioral addictions estimated the
As obesity continues to grow into a worldwide problem, solutions such as a
Form of neuroplasticity or behavioral plasticity |
Type of reinforcer | Sources | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Opiates | Psychostimulants | High fat or sugar food | Sexual intercourse | Physical exercise (aerobic) |
Environmental enrichment | ||
MSNs
|
↑ | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | [1] |
Behavioral plasticity | |||||||
Escalation of intake | Yes | Yes | Yes | [1] | |||
Psychostimulant cross-sensitization |
Yes | Not applicable | Yes | Yes | Attenuated | Attenuated | [1] |
Psychostimulant self-administration |
↑ | ↑ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | [1] | |
Psychostimulant conditioned place preference |
↑ | ↑ | ↓ | ↑ | ↓ | ↑ | [1] |
Reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior
|
↑ | ↑ | ↓ | ↓ | [1] | ||
Neurochemical plasticity | |||||||
CREBphosphorylation in the nucleus accumbens |
↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | [1] | |
Sensitized dopamine response in the nucleus accumbens |
No | Yes | No | Yes | [1] | ||
Altered striatal dopamine signaling | ↓ DRD3 |
↑ DRD3 |
↑ DRD3 |
↑ DRD2 |
↑ DRD2 |
[1] | |
Altered striatal opioid signaling | No change or ↑μ-opioid receptors |
↑μ-opioid receptors ↑κ-opioid receptors |
↑μ-opioid receptors | ↑μ-opioid receptors | No change | No change | [1] |
Changes in striatal opioid peptides | ↑dynorphin No change: enkephalin |
↑dynorphin | ↓enkephalin | ↑dynorphin | ↑dynorphin | [1] | |
Mesocorticolimbic synaptic plasticity | |||||||
Number of dendrites in the nucleus accumbens | ↓ | ↑ | ↑ | [1] | |||
Dendritic spine density in the nucleus accumbens |
↓ | ↑ | ↑ | [1] |
See also
- Binge eating disorder
- Binge eating
- Bulimia nervosa
- Eating disorder
- Eating disorder not otherwise specified
- Food Addicts Anonymous
- Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous
- Gluttony
- Hyperalimentation– overnutrition
- Overeaters Anonymous
- Overeating
- Polyphagia – excessive hunger
- SMART Recovery
- Sugar industry
References
- ^ PMID 21459101."
Functional neuroimaging studies in humans have shown that gambling (Breiter et al, 2001), shopping (Knutson et al, 2007), orgasm (Komisaruk et al, 2004), playing video games (Koepp et al, 1998; Hoeft et al, 2008) and the sight of appetizing food (Wang et al, 2004a) activate many of the same brain regions (i.e., the mesocorticolimbic system and extended amygdala) as drugs of abuse (Volkow et al, 2004). ... As described for food reward, sexual experience can also lead to activation of plasticity-related signaling cascades. ... In some people, there is a transition from "normal" to compulsive engagement in natural rewards (such as food or sex), a condition that some have termed behavioral or non-drug addictions (Holden, 2001; Grant et al., 2006a). ... the transcription factor delta FosB is increased during access to high fat diet (Teegarden and Bale, 2007) or sucrose (Wallace et al, 2008). ...To date, there is very little data directly measuring the effects of food on synaptic plasticity in addiction-related neurocircuitry. ... Following removal of sugar or fat access, withdrawal symptoms including anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors emerge (Colantuoni et al, 2002; Teegarden and Bale, 2007). After this period of "abstinence", operant testing reveals "craving" and "seeking" behavior for sugar (Avena et al, 2005) or fat (Ward et al, 2007), as well as "incubation of craving" (Grimm et al, 2001; Lu et al, 2004; Grimm et al, 2005), and "relapse" (Nair et al, 2009b) following abstinence from sugar. In fact, when given a re-exposure to sugar after a period of abstinence, animals consume a much greater amount of sugar than during previous sessions (Avena et al., 2005).
"Table 1 - PMID 25205078.
• Evidence for addiction to specific macronutrients is lacking in humans.
• 'Eating addiction' describes a behavioral addiction. ...
We concur with Hone-Blanchet and Fecteau (2014) that it is premature to conclude validity of the food addiction phenotype in humans from the current behavioral and neurobiological evidence gained in rodent models. ... To conclude, the society as a whole should be aware of the differences between addiction in the context of substance use versus an addictive behavior. As we pointed out in this review, there is very little evidence to indicate that humans can develop a 'Glucose/Sucrose/Fructose Use Disorder' as a diagnosis within the DSM-5 category Substance Use Disorders. We do, however, view both rodent and human data as consistent with the existence of addictive eating behavior. - PMID 8556026.
- ^ PMID 25205078.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-12-816207-1, retrieved 2024-04-15
- ^ S2CID 20130904.
- S2CID 9253083.
- PMID 21557958.
- ^ a b c d Goldberg J (August 21, 2014). "Food Addiction". WebMD.com. WebMD. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
- ^ .
- ISBN 9781308211503.
- ^ "Food Addiction Signs and Treatments". WebMD. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
- ^ a b c "What Are The Effects of Food Addiction". Authority Nutrition. 2013-02-18. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
- ^ a b c "About Food Addiction: Signs, Symptoms, Causes & Articles For Treatment Help". www.eatingdisorderhope.com. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
- ^ PMID 31487791.
- S2CID 5694810.
- ^ "Binge-eating disorder Treatment at Mayo Clinic - Diseases and Conditions". Mayo Clinic. 2012-04-03. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
- PMID 24132249.
- ^ "Vyvanse Prescribing Information" (PDF). United States Food and Drug Administration. Shire US Inc. January 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- PMID 23656848.
- S2CID 27991416.
- ^ "Obesity Treatment at Mayo Clinic - Diseases and Conditions". Mayo Clinic. 2013-06-07. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
- PMID 22654518.
- ^ "Factors That May Contribute to Eating Disorders". NEDA. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
- PMID 21037188.
- .
- ^ "New program to help people struggling with food addiction". News-Medical-Life Sciences. June 6, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- PMID 24199597.
- PMID 28718830.
- S2CID 44847818.
- ^ "Sweet taste of success for soft drinks sector". The Irish Times. 14 October 2016.
Further reading
- Brownlee, Christen (2009). "Food fix: Neurobiology highlights similarities between obesity and drug addiction". Science News. 168 (10): 155–6. .
- "Eating Awareness Training" Molly Gregor, copyright 1983 "...reclaim (your) 'birthright', the right to eat without compulsion, obsession, or suffering. ...what the body wants, as much as it wants, whenever it wants." From the Preface by Thomas Lebherz, M.D.
External links
- Media related to Food addiction at Wikimedia Commons