Does this sound familiar? You run out to the store for a few things, and you’re suddenly gripped in a battle for your soul – and your weight! If you’re struggling with being overweight or obesity, you know how hard it can be to control those cravings, despite the best efforts. But when do these cravings cross the line into “food addiction”? That’s the fine line at the heart of major debate, and it may lead to a solution to this struggle.

In a published study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario found that food addiction may be responsible for some individuals’ struggles with their weight.

“The concept of addiction is complex, and the delineation of its defining characteristics has fostered considerable debate, states Dr. Valerie Taylor, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at McMaster, and director of the Bariatric Surgery Psychiatry Program at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. “Despite a lack of consensus, researchers nevertheless agree that the process involves a compulsive pattern of use, even in the face of negative health and social consequences.”

Similarities Shared By Other Addictions
The researchers emphasize that like other addictive behaviors, such as drugs, food can cause a tolerance. It can also lead to increases in the amounts required to achieve intoxication or satiety. They noted that food addiction may result in withdrawal symptoms, such as mood changes that occur when dieting. Patients who have undergone weight loss surgery may exhibit addictive behavior, as well.

The authors mention that addictive behavior can’t take all of the blame, as these men and women still have free will and personal choice. They state: “The current ‘blame’ mentality that is often applied to individuals with obesity needs to be re-examined. Although medicine may not yet accept compulsive overeating as an addiction, we cannot ignore evidence highlighting the role played by biologic vulnerability and environmental triggers.”

Nevertheless, the researchers feel that this addictive behavior does help to illustrate the struggle to live with and overcome obesity. As such, the researchers believe that traditional therapies may also be applied to food addiction.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/174694.php