French fries, cheese burger, pizza or a classic hamburger - many nutritionists would consider all these as junkfood. No matter how people claim to be living a healthy lifestyle, sometimes these cravings get the best of you. All you can do is indulge. Some, however, indulge more than the usual. Many would call it overeating and could be a case of food addiction. Does that even exist?
According to Fox News, said that there is such a thing as "food addiction". How would someone distinguish just an ordinary craving to addiction?
When people eat, dopamine is released. This is the feel-good hormone that is released that controls pleasure and reward in the brain. However, research shows that for obese, overweight or food addicts, the pleasure center in the brain is more active when they are eating as compared to normal people.
Dr. Susan Albers, a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and author of "50 More Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food (a New York Times bestseller) said these people experience much more food pleasure. These food addicts become too consumed in thinking what food to eat, how to get it and how to pay for it.
They don't know if this will be harmful or good for their health. They don't know when enough is enough. People with a normal BMI can have food addiction, too, either because they compensate for overeating with exercise, restrict themselves at other times of the day or they simply have a good metabolism.
There are no studies specifically on food addiction. Many experts believe that about 10 to 15 percent of people with normal BMI have food addiction and as much as 50 percent of obese and overweight individuals have food addiction. Many people are undiagnosed citing the main reason as being ashamed and guilty about this situation. Food addiction however isn't considered a disorder according to the handbook that healthcare professionals use to diagnosed mental disorders.
