Food Addiction – A Disorder Due to Substance Use?

Ashley Gearhardt, Associate Professor at the University of Michigan, is an internationally recognized expert in the field of food addiction. She has developed the Yale Food Addiction Scale and conducted numerous projects on this topic, which have been published. According to her research, cravings for certain foods, such as chocolate, are similarly intense as those for alcohol and other addictive substances. Highly processed foods can be addictive and cause similar neuroadaptive changes in the brain as substance use disorders. There is still limited research on the comorbidity of food addiction and substance use disorders, but initial studies suggest that they can occur together. Food addiction can also occur in individuals with anorexia, and there is a high overlap between binge-eating disorder and food addiction. There is a need to recognize food addiction as a distinct disorder and develop specific treatments for it. To reduce the prevalence of food addiction, both behavioral interventions and environmental interventions are necessary, such as measures to protect children from aggressive food marketing. Over the past 10 years, scientific interest in food addiction has greatly developed, and research in this field will hopefully contribute to a healthier future. [Extracted from the article]