Addiction To Food Is Possible

an addiction response was triggered in brains of the unhealthily fed rats

A study done on addictive behaviours has shown that junk food can be just as addictive as the nicotine in cigarettes and Class A drugs like heroin and cocaine. The research which was done using rats came to the conclusion that lab rats fed a diet full of burgers, chips and sugar laden snacks soon became extremely dependent on them and refused to eat healthy food.

Dr Paul Kenny who led the study explained that when they started to feed the rats a nutritious and healthy diet they would not eat anything and for a two week time period practically starved themselves. The researchers also noted that an addiction response was triggered in brains of the unhealthily fed rats which led to a chronic craving for the high levels of salt, sugar and fat found in junk food.

The study which was done in Florida also made use of unpleasant electric shocks as a way of gauging how badly the rats wanted to eat the junk food. What the researchers did was give the rats electric shocks as they were eating the junk food but they continued eating despite the considerable pain they were put in. Dr Kenny said that a chemical imbalance in brain circuits was observed in the addicted to junk food rats which was the same as the chemical imbalance which was observed in the brains of those rats addicted to cocaine and heroin. The research was published in full in the clinical journal Nature Neuroscience.

At Ukmedix News we have always harped on about the fact that unhealthy eating habits are very much a psychological problem as opposed to a physical one. Countless research projects have shown the link between unhealthy eating habits and depression, emotional problems and other psychological influences.

This study is further evidence that one of the best ways to lose weight is to take stock of your situation and admit that you have an eating problem like an alcoholic admitting that he drinks too much. Prescription weight loss drugs like Reductil and Xenical should not be perceived as the only solution to weight loss but just as a helping hand along the way.