How is food addiction similar to drug addiction?

Dear Reader,  

You raise a question that many neuroscientists and psychologists agree is fascinating! There’s evidence showing that people’s brains react to processed food and to drugs in similar ways, suggesting a strong resemblance between the addictions associated with both. Other studies comparing food addiction and drug addiction demonstrate that, while distinct, both activate many of the same brain pathways, further drawing connections between the two. Researchers are still investigating the addictive properties of food, with many debating whether the addiction is more tied to the food itself or to eating behaviors.  

Understanding what addiction is may be helpful when looking into similarities between food and substance use. Addiction is a chronic condition where people may experience compulsions to behave in a particular way or use specific substances, even if doing so leads to adverse effects. Addiction is often broken up into two categories: substance use disorders and behavior addictions (such as gambling).  

More research is needed to determine whether eating is a behavioral addiction or if it’s more akin to a substance use disorder. Food addiction, as a broad category, is multi-faceted as it shares many characteristics with eating disorders, substance use disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and having an impulsive personality trait.

Though most research seems to point to food addiction being more closely related to behavioral addictions, there’s still evidence that certain foods may be more addictive than others. Highly processed foods are created to heighten reward and motivation systems in the brain. When eating them, it triggers a signal that encourages you to keep eating. In fact, rodents addicted to food displayed similar behaviors and emotional states to those with a drug addiction when deprived of food or drugs. The potential for food to become addictive is less than that of many drugs, but this knowledge may help inform food choices.  

More research investigating the similarities between food and drug addictions is necessary and may lead to the formation of treatment plans for those impacted by food addiction.