Health
Food addiction gives powerful signals to the brain that are similar to those received when using drugs and alcohol, new studies have shown.
Previous studies have used special MRI equipment to see if there is a link between obesity and substance addiction, but scientists have not previously studied how food addiction can send signals to the brain.
Scientists tried to conduct an experiment and invited 48 young women to participate in a weight loss program. Women had different body mass indices. Among them were quite slim, but there were also obese people.
After the participants underwent a procedure to determine if they were addicted to food, they were placed in an MRI machine to measure blood flow to specific areas of the brain.
Each participant was shown one of two photos for a few seconds: one featuring a chocolate milkshake or a glass of water. Five seconds later, the participants received small portions of what they saw in the photos.
When participants who were highly addicted to food saw a photo with a cocktail, their brains gave signals that were similar to those of alcohol or drug addicts. Increased activity was observed in areas of the brain that are associated with pleasure.
It is also interesting that body mass index does not necessarily indicate levels of food addiction.
It also turned out that anticipation of food causes more active signals in the brain than those that appear when eating this food. This may explain why people who are addicted to food overeat without feeling satisfied.
One of the main drawbacks of these studies is that only women participated in them. The authors noted that more research is needed to summarize the results and find out what trends are observed in men.
Scientists hope that thanks to these studies, it will be possible to explain the biological factors in the development of obesity.