Are High

Calorie Foods
Addictive?
Shalinn Weaver
Food
Addiction
2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese
Not recognized in the DSM 5
Can be difficult to stop eating foods that are enjoyable
High in fat, salt, and/or sugar
Processed foods
 DOPAMINE

How the
Eating food releases dopamine
Excessively eating comfort foods can alter
the brain
(Comfort foods) Chocolate, ice cream,

brain cookies, cake, French fries, pizza,

cheeseburgers, chips
Dopamine wears off, you look to get more

processes
dopamine (eating)
Eventually, a tolerance is built, leading to
eating more and more to feel satisfied
People with a reduction in dopamine D2

food
receptors are predisposed to addiction
Neurological underpinnings of
compulsively eating highly palatable
foods are similar to those of addiction to
heroin or cocaine
Research
FOOD STROOP TASK
48 overweight/obese and 18 control
participants
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
To scan the brain to see what
areas light up throughout the test
Stroop test
Fixating on the cross in the middle
Picture of a high calorie food, low
calorie food, or non food item
Stroop word
Yellow
What was the color?
How did that feel?
Green
What was the color?
How did that feel?
Blue
What was the color?
How did that feel?
Findings
Food addicted individuals' brains are
wired similar to those of substance use
disorder
Left-sided prefrontal cortex asymmetry
Seek out experiences to generate a
reward
Left side of the brain showed lower
alpha brain asymmetry
Overweight and obese participants
expressed an emotional reaction and
cravings toward the high calorie food
pictures
 Signs and
Symptoms
FOOD ADDICTION
Eating consistently past the point of being full
Sneaking or hiding eating behaviors
Feeling out of control around certain foods
Thinking or stressing about food every day
Finding other once-pleasurable activities less enjoyable
Going out of the way to get certain food when they are not readily available
Avoiding social or professional situations because of food
Continuing these behaviors despite their negative consequences
Treatment TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC
STIMULATION
Rebalance hemispheric symmetry and
neurocognitive training

FOOD ADDICTS IN
RECOVERY ANONYMOUS
Utilizes a 12-step program similar to
Alcoholics Anonymous

FOOD ADDICTS
ANONYMOUS
12-step program alongside a strict diet
(no sugar, refined flour, wheat)