Active Low-Carber Forums - View Single Post - "Food Can Be Literally Addictive" from Scientific American

Tell us something we didn't know, but of course we need the science.

Subhead: Highly processed foods resemble drugs of misuse in a number of disturbing ways

And they are completely right about that.

Quote:

Daily snacking on processed foods, recent studies show, rewires the brain’s reward circuits. Cravings for tasty meals light up the brain just like cravings for cocaine do, prompting some researchers to ask whether products such as fries or cookies can trigger addiction akin to that associated with drugs or alcohol.

Food Can Be Literally Addictive, New Evidence Suggests

All signs point to YES.

The article has arguments against, but I don't think much of any of them.

Quote:

For instance, some claim there has to be Processed foods might provoke compulsive behaviors that reinforce the need to consume more, but do they really have mood-altering effects, another criterion used to define an addiction?

As a former BED sufferer, I can say that I binged because of the mood-altering effects of sugar and processed foods. As Dr. Atkins himself says, no one binges with steak.

Quote:

In 2009 the Yale Food Addiction Scale emerged. It is used to assess whether a person displays behavioral patterns that would merit fries, shakes and other palatable foods being classified as addictive substances.

Using this measurement technique, a 2022 meta-analysis suggested that 20 percent of adults are addicted to food. People in this group go out of their way to obtain their favorite foods and often eat to the point of feeling physically ill. They experience withdrawal, fail to quit eating certain foods and continue their consumption pattern despite adverse consequences, such as disruptions to their daily routines and social activities.

We all KNOW. But designing such scientific guidelines is part of the process. We should acknowledge that people get addicted to behaviors, no? Gamblers Anonymous is a thing. Hoarding can manifest as a shopping problem. Cats and dogs overgroom from stress.

But watch and see the Tobacco Excuses rolled up for this major danger, too.

Quote:

Critics of the idea that certain foods may be addictive point out that treats such as burgers don’t induce the same kind of “high” that one might experience with opioids or alcohol. “This is totally missing in all the food addiction stories,” Hebebrand says. For her part, Gearhardt is not convinced. “By that principle, cigarettes are not addictive, right? You can drive your car while you smoke cigarettes. You can watch your children while you smoke cigarettes,” she says. She points to studies indicating that chocolate does have a psychoactive effect and can induce feelings of euphoria at least as much as intravenous nicotine given to smokers can.