What is food addiction?

Although there's no universally-agreed-upon definition of addiction, it’s commonly described as a condition in which a person compulsively engages in reward-seeking behaviors, despite negative consequences.^[1] For instance, someone addicted to methamphetamine may prioritize seeking and taking the drug over finances, social relationships, health, and overall well-being.

The concept of food addiction (FA) was first introduced by Dr. Theron Randolph in 1956 and has gained research interest since. However, it’s important to note that food addiction isn’t formally recognized as a psychological disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) or the International Classification of Disease (ICD-11). Consequently, FA remains a contentious and debated concept, lacking verified validity.^[2]

Although stimulation of motivational systems in the brain by food is a natural process, and often a healthy one, some researchers argue that certain highly-palatable foods (especially foods that are highly processed and rich in sugar and fat) can overstimulate these systems. In some cases, this overstimulation might lead to an addiction-like response akin to drug dependence. Food addiction may share some behavioral and neurobiological similarities with drug dependence, including neural alterations of impulse control, altered dopaminergic and endocannabinoid reward pathways, and downregulation of the dopamine system.^[2][3][4]