By: Eric Mittenthal Date: 12/12/11
A couple of recent stories in the media brought a great deal of attention to food “addiction.” Is it possible that a cupcake could be as addicting as cocaine or other substances of abuse? While the stories implied that, the science does not support that conclusion.
Research on food behaviors may sound like hot emerging science, but the issue has actually been studied for decades. To an extent, it makes sense that some people might wonder if there is a connection between the mind and eating behaviors. We are geared to have a pleasurable response to food as a biological imperative. Without food we will die. Sugars, fat and other nutrients we consume everyday have been in our food since the dawn of time and evolution has led us to the life-saving desire for energy-dense foods that contain these nutrients.
In the research that has been conducted on food behaviors for the last 20+ years, a limited number of studies have shown some association of food impact on brain pathways in certain individuals, but overall, the science has been inconclusive. Yes, we like foods that have sugar and fat in them. Those foods tend to taste good. But liking a certain food is far different than being addicted to it. Addiction has traditionally been defined as physical and psychological dependence on psychoactive substances but has taken on a broader colloquial meaning, including abnormal psychological dependency on different things like gambling or sex. Even so, to say someone is dependent on a type of food suggests that people would do anything in their power to obtain that food, and that type of behavior is very rare.
The truth is, there are a number of factors that contribute to why people choose the food they eat. According to the IFIC Foundation Food & Health survey, taste is the leading factor followed closely by price. Healthfulness ranks third and has been increasing in importance in recent years suggesting that people have plenty of control over what they buy.
The “addiction” issue is at the forefront right now because of the obesity epidemic in our country. Everyone is looking for the magic bullet that will solve the problem, and the idea that our food is addicting is powerful. If it were true, it means that we can’t be held responsible for our weight because we are powerless over the food we eat. The reality is not so simple though. The causes of obesity are incredibly complex and varied from our genetic makeup, , to the amount of physical activity we get, to the environment and culture we live in. Certainly the amount and type of food we eat plays a role, but those are pieces in a much larger puzzle.
Like much of nutrition science, research into food behaviors is constantly evolving. But for now the only thing that’s proven is that we need food to live and we love to eat certain kinds of food, but loving a food and being “addicted” to it are not the same. Food is essential for life and substances of abuse are not.