Food Addictions and Overeating
Addictive foods appear to be those that provide the most seductive rewards--those that raise dopamine levels the highest or the fastest. Dopamine is a brain neurotransmitter that induces calmness. Recent research indicates that highly processed, sugary, brightly colored, shapes of food are more attractive to our brains. When people are constantly bombarded with these foods we become sensitized over time. Notice the big difference in the response from a child to a fruity, pink and blue, animal shaped sugary cereal versus a brownish colored whole grain flake. This is primitive-brain stuff.
There is no official definition or diagnosis for "Food Addiction". According to Mark Gold, Chief of Addiction Medicine, McKnight Brain Institute at University of Florida, Food Addiction is:
- Eating too much despite consequences, even dire consequences to health
- Being preoccupied with food, food preparation and meals
- Trying and failing to cut back on food
- Feeling guilty about eating and overeating
If either criterion 1 or 2 is met then a physiological dependence is present.
The difference between a pattern of simple overeating versus a real food addiction lies in the reasons behind the overeating. A person's decision to just overeat is not related to a desire that person has to change their inside feelings.
People who are addicted to food tend to display many of the same characteristics of those who are addicted to alcohol, nicotine and other drugs:
- Exhibit the behavior in times of stress or transition
- Common brain chemistry (have a decreased sensitivity of dopamine-reward system)
- Common family history
- Low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, impulsivity
- Obsessive preoccupation, craving, compulsive behavior, secretiveness, rituals
- Experience mood altering effects from the use of substances
The consumption of highly concentrated foods triggers a surge of dopamine, which serves to reinforce that eating behavior. Highly rewarding food becomes reinforcing because we learn that it makes us feel better, thus motivating us to return and do the work necessary to feel better again. Our memory codes that food cue as one that can predict reward (or a good feeling). Eventually, not only the food cue itself, but a paired stimulus (e.g. site of a refrigerator) can arouse anticipation of a reward and evoke a desire.
The more the cycle is repeated, the more dopamine release reinforces and strengthens the association, the more desirable the food becomes. The more potent (e.g. multisensory) the cue, the greater the reward. The stronger the learning experience and reward, the more likely the action is to be repeated. Actions that lead to pleasure become imprinted in the brain and the habit of pursuit of it becomes automatic and firmly established.