Food &

Addiction

Are our brains being hijacked?

• Do people that eat unhealthily on a regular basis suffer from an addiction?

• People considered to have a food dependency reported:

– Loss of control when eating

– Constant desire or effort to stop

– Continued behavior despite

detrimental consequences

• Extreme cases vs. everyday cases

An InFATuation

Dopamine • Neurotransmitter that motivates us to eat and

partake in other “rewarding” behaviors.

– Reflects wanting more than liking

• Obese individuals have low dopamine levels similar to those of substance addicts

• Low dopamine = less reward = minimal satisfaction

How do we get low dopamine levels? • Once the weight is gained, dopamine response

becomes insensitive. – Leads to overeating which leads to even lower

dopamine response.

• People at a high risk for obesity have an overly sensitive dopamine response

• Additional Factors – Stress

– Poor nutrition

– Environmental toxins

– Genetics

Addictive Foods

• Why are we not getting addicted to broccoli?

• Primal instincts tell us to eat fatty foods when hungry in order to sustain ourselves longer

• Our bodies only act on a calorie deficit. Not an excess.

Hyper-Palatable foods

• Eating food found in nature allows the body’s satiety mechanisms to activate and behave in a reasonable way.

• Our bodies are not wired to handle processed substances

Take Home Message: