Food Is as Addictive as Drugs by Pamela A. Popper, Ph.D., N.D.
Drs. Goldhamer and Lisle, in their incredible book The Pleasure Trap explain that foods can be just as addictive as drugs. Food, particularly, calorie-dense rich foods like chocolate and cheese, activate the pleasure centers of the brain, causing the release of dopamine. This is why it is almost impossible for most people to have cookies and chips close by – these foods are addictive. If you have trouble controlling your intake, you’re not suffering from a character defect, you’re normal.
A recent study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry confirms this phenomenon. Researchers used functional MRI to evaluate the brain activity of 48 young women who ranged from lean to obese in response to eating either a chocolate milkshake or a liquid without taste. They also measured addiction symptoms in these women. The researchers found that the food addiction scores were correlated with increased activity in certain areas of the brain responsible for substance abuse, and reduced activation in areas of the brain linked to inhibition of certain behaviours. They concluded that food consumption may be driven by the same anticipated rewards of pleasure that are activated by substances like drugs and alcohol. The study confirmed that both food and drugs result in dopamine release in the same regions of the brain, which corroborates findings from other studies.
Dr. Lisle states in the film Forks Over Knives that Americans are not overweight or obese because they have lost self control or because they are lazy or undisciplined. They are overweight or obese because so much of the food readily available today is concentrated in fat, salt and sugar, making it highly addictive. Furthermore, these highly processed and addictive foods are really low in fiber, which means people are forced to overeat in order to experience satiety.
Just as an alcoholic has to stay away from alcohol, and a drug addict has to stay away from drugs, people who want to be normal weight and healthy must stay away from junk foods. While there are exceptions, the average person can’t have a box of chocolate and three pints of ice cream in the house and nibble at it for a few months. If you’re like me, it is only a matter of time before you’ll eat the whole thing in a weekend. Again, this is not a character defect, but a testimony to the brilliance of the food manufactures who develop these foods; there is evidence that they know these foods are addictive and their financial health depends on it!
Gearhardt, A, Yokum S, Orr, PT, et al. “Neural Correlates of Food Addiction” Archives of General Psychiatry Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.32