When the brain begins to crave particular meals, usually processed foods that aren’t considered healthful or nutritious — people experience cravings.
Even though the conscious mind recognizes that they are unhealthy, another part of the brain appears to disagree.
Some people do not have this problem and can easily regulate what they consume, while others cannot.
This isn’t due to a lack of determination; instead, it’s a far more complicated problem.
Junk food triggers the brain’s reward system in the same way as addictive drugs as cocaine does.
For those susceptible, eating junk food can progress to full-blown addiction, which is biologically similar to drug addiction. So, if you know someone who is addicted to certain food items, unlike drug addiction, take them to the addiction specialists right away.
What Is Food Addiction?
Food addiction is similar to drug addiction in that it is a craving for junk food. However, it’s a new and contentious phrase, and there are few reliable figures on its prevalence.
Food addiction has featured in common with binge eating disorder, bulimia, compulsive overeating, and other feeding and eating disorders.
Eating junk food can lead to full-blown addiction in vulnerable persons, with the same biological basis as drug addiction.
Several studies on rats have shown that they may become addicted to unhealthy food in a way that they become physically hooked to illegal narcotics.
Of course, this is a gross simplification, but this is how food addiction is thought to work like any other addiction. This can have various consequences in terms of behavior and mental habits.
How Does Food Addiction Work?
The brain has a system called the reward system.
This system was created to reward a person’s brain for accomplishing activities that help them survive. This includes spontaneous actions such as eating.
When a person eats, the brain recognizes that they are doing something correctly and releases feel-good chemicals into the reward system.
The neurotransmitter dopamine, which the brain interprets as pleasure, is one of these molecules. The reward system in your brain is programmed to seek out acts that release dopamine.
The problem with modern junk food is that it can provide a much more substantial reward to the brain than natural foods.
Whereas eating an apple or a piece of steak may release dopamine in little amount, eating an ice cream sundae releases a higher amount. Dopamine is released in the brain when junk food is consumed. This incentive encourages those who are vulnerable to eat junk food.
What Are The Symptoms Of Food Addiction?
Food addiction cannot be diagnosed with a blood test. It’s based on behavioral symptoms, just like other addictions. If you have more than four to five of the signs on this list, it could indicate a more severe problem.
If you answered yes to six or more of the symptoms, you most certainly have a food addiction.
- Despite feeling full and having just finished a decent meal, you have regular cravings for certain foods.
- Starting to eat craved food and frequently eating far more than intended, beginning to eat desired food and occasionally eating to the point of feeling too stuffed.
- After eating certain meals, often feeling guilty, but eating them again soon after.
- Making excuses for responding to a food need isn’t always a good idea.
- Attempting but failing to stop eating certain foods or establishing limits for when they can be eaten, such as at cheat meals or on specific days.
- When it comes to eating unhealthy foods, people frequently keep them hidden from others.
- Feeling powerless to stop yourself from eating wrong foods while knowing that they impair your health or promote weight gain.
How Food Addiction Impacts The Brain?
The same brain parts are involved in food addiction as they are in drug addiction. Furthermore, similar neurotransmitters are implicated, and many symptoms are the same.
Processed junk foods have a powerful effect on the brain’s reward centers. Brain chemicals such as dopamine are responsible for these effects.
Typical junk foods, such as candy, sugary soda, and high-fat fried foods, are the most harmful foods.
Food addiction is thought to be induced by a dopamine signal that alters the brain’s biochemistry rather than a lack of willpower.
Dopamine receptors can start to downregulate when a person does something that produces dopamine in the reward system repeatedly, such as eating a Snickers bar or smoking a cigarette.
When the brain detects that the amount of dopamine in the body is too high, it removes dopamine receptors to restore equilibrium.
When there are fewer receptors, more dopamine is required to get the same impact, causing people to eat more junk food to achieve the same degree of reward. This is referred to as tolerance.
When there are fewer dopamine receptors, the person has a nominal dopamine rush and becomes irritated when they don’t receive their junk food “fix.” This is referred to as withdrawal.
How To Overcome Food Addiction?
Addiction is unfortunately not a simple problem to solve. There isn’t a single vitamin, mental trick, or magical cure available. Overcoming an addiction problem is not so easy. Nevertheless, you can follow these solutions if you want to overcome them.
- For many people, avoiding trigger foods entirely may be the best option. To overcome food addiction, you may need expert assistance.
- Psychiatrists and psychologists can assist. Overeaters Anonymous, for example, is a free group that anyone can join.
- Binge eating disorder is now defined as a feeding and eating disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Diseases. It means mental health professionals can identify mental disorders underlying the food addiction problem.
- Consider consulting a health expert or joining a free support group. Keep in mind that you are not alone.
Final Thoughts
Food addiction is a condition that does not usually go away on its own. Unless you make a conscious effort to address it, odds are it will get worse over time.
We have listed the reasons and consequences of stopping trigger foods discovering healthy food substitutes here, so you just have to pick a date to begin the road toward health as the first steps toward recovery.