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Is junk food addictive?Bupa investigative news - 19 July 2003
Eating is a natural part of life, but according to some researchers, some types of food eaten - namely sugary and fatty foods - may act like a drug and may be addictive. With obesity rising and junk food ever present, is it really possible that some people may be addicted to food? What were the headlines?The idea that junk food is addictive was featured in a number of newspapers with headlines such as, "Fast food can be as addictive as hard drugs, claims new research", "Burgers are as addictive as drugs", "Sugar and fat 'as addictive as hard drugs' researchers say", and "Junk food is addictive". The stories appear to have been triggered by a small segment of a BBC2 television programme, "Big Mac Under Attack", screened on 15th July, and a letter put together by John Banzhaf, professor of law at George Washington University. This letter puts forward his argument that there is mounting evidence that fast food is addictive. He points to various pieces of research that originally appeared in an article in the New Scientist magazine in February 2003. Many of these studies were picked up and used by newspapers as the basis of their reports. Related research from a UK university was also mentioned, as it was being presented at a conference on the same week as the reports came out. What is the bigger picture?A number of studies have been carried out in rats to look at processed foods and addiction. Dr. Ann Kelley, professor of neuroscience at Wisconsin University, together with Matthew Will, has been studying rats and diet for a number of years. One study found that a high-fat diet appears to alter the brain biochemistry in a similar way to drugs such as morphine. They say this is due to the release of opioids - chemicals in the brain - that reduce the feeling of being full. According to Dr. Ann Kelley, rats "love the high-fat food and they eat and eat. We found there are actually brain changes that are elicited by exposure to a chronic high-fat diet." She believes that it is possible to compare the findings about rats to humans; making it very plausible that humans can become addicted to high-sugar and fatty foods. "Those particular types of food - the fat and the sugar - are really the culprits," she said. "They're responsible for the behavioural changes that occur, the obesity and also the brain changes that look like addiction." Bart G. Hoebel, a neuroscientist from Princeton University led a similar study into sugar addiction, which was published in the journal Obesity Research in June 2002. Again, rats were used and were gradually fed a diet with increasing amounts of sugar. The more sugar given, the quicker the rats ate it and when it was suddenly withdrawn from their food, they experienced "addiction-type" reactions, such as chattering teeth, anxiety and shaking. According to Hoebel, sugar triggers the production of the brain's natural opioids. "We think that is a key to the addiction process," he said. "The brain is getting addicted to its own opioids as it would to morphine or heroin. Drugs give a bigger effect, but it is essentially the same process." "The implication," he added, "is that some animals, and some people, can become overly dependent on sweet food, particularly if they periodically stop eating and then binge. This may relate to eating disorders such as bulimia." More studies in rats by Dr. Sarah Leibowitz, a neurobiologist at Rockefeller University, New York, showed that exposure to fatty foods might reconfigure the hormonal system to want more fat. Her studies have shown that rats fed on a high-fat diet become more resistant to leptin - the hormone that stops eating. At the same time, levels of galanin - a brain peptide that stimulates eating and slows down energy expenditure - increases. She thinks that early exposure to fatty food could predispose children to always needing fatty products. Recently newspapers reported that Dr. Martin Yeomans, a lecturer at the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Sussex has studied humans and the newspaper articles claimed that "high-fat foods stimulate pleasure chemicals [opioids] in the brain". Details of the research were rather sketchy and, unfortunately, he was unavailable for comment as he was presenting a paper at the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behaviour's annual meeting in Groningen, the Netherlands at the time this article was being written. However, a spokesperson from the university press office said, "The impression we get is that the newspapers grossly simplified the research. He's presenting some aspects of his research at the conference, but he's not announcing that fatty foods are addictive and isn't announcing anything new."
What does this mean?Commenting on the research, Dr. Hannah Theobald, a nutrition scientist from the British Nutrition Foundation, said, "It's hard to translate the findings from the various studies reported in the press, as they've been carried out on rats in the laboratory. There's so many other factors that influence food choice, such as environment, social cues, likes and dislikes, so it really is quite hard to put it into perspective and a lot more research is needed before we can draw any firm conclusions." Amanda Wynne, spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association (BDA), said, "There may be some features of food intake regulation that have parallels with addiction, however, I don't think it's appropriate, on the basis of the recently reported research, to compare burgers to drugs such as morphine. The bottom line is that we really need to see more research in the area of food addiction - especially on humans - to fully understand the specific mechanisms involved." Deanne Jade, a psychologist and founder of the Centre for Eating Disorders, doesn't agree with the idea of food addiction either, but says it can have a powerful effect. "Food is, to some extent, a very powerful drug," she said. "It changes our mood and it impacts on the chemicals and neurotransmitters in the brain in a similar way to alcohol, nicotine and cocaine - so there are overlaps with drugs." In contrast, Kathleen DesMaisons PhD, author of "The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Programme" strongly believes that sugar is addictive. "Sugar evokes a brain chemical called beta endorphin, the same chemical affected by morphine and heroin," she explained. "The sugar creates a wonderful feeling of euphoria and wellbeing, but when it wears off, you feel edgy, irritable and cranky - this is actual withdrawal. If you use the drug [sugar] again, it relieves the symptoms, so you get caught in a cycle of needing it." Additionally, she believes some people are biochemically predisposed to sugar, particularly if they have a family history of alcoholism, depression or obesity.
What does this mean to me?According to Amanda Wynne, obesity is a complex problem that has many different causes and different treatment strategies are needed for different people. This can include receiving advice from a registered dietician on nutrition and diet taking part in regular exercise. "We need to counsel people on changing their behaviour and developing new habits. We also need to educate people about appropriate portion sizes," she said. Kathleen DesMaisons takes a slightly different view. "People need to understand that it is not an issue of a weak will or lack of moral character. It is biochemical and, treated properly, you can heal. Addiction is an issue of isolation, so learning that you are not alone, that you can get support, is a huge part of starting that healing process." If you're addicted to sugar, you'll know it, she emphasised. For example, "You go out to eat and think about dessert, even though you act as if you are interested in dinner. You keep a stash of sugary products. You are supposed to be paying attention at work and you are thinking about tea instead of work. You try to stop using it and it lasts for three days, then you fall apart and binge on sweet things." If you feel a weakness with certain foods, Kathleen advises a gradual approach to dealing with it, rather than trying to eliminate it immediately. For example, if chocolate is your weakness, Dr. Theobald suggests choosing mini- or fun-sized bars instead of huge bars of chocolate, or a small burger instead of a gigantic double one. If you really feel that your eating habits are out of control, seek help from a professional dietician or GP. SummaryThere's no doubt that obesity is rising in the UK, but whether we can become addicted to sugar and fat - the key components of junk food - remains a matter of debate. Links for more information
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