Eating addiction? The nerves and fibers that control food intake

Abstract

Subtle cues in our environment, like the smell of palatable food or the logo of a popular food chain, might provoke feelings of hunger and cravings for food. When exposed to a palatable treat it takes self-control to inhibit intake. These behaviors are reminiscent of addictive behavior. Indeed the topics 'food addiction', 'chocolate addiction' or 'sugar addiction' have been extensively covered in the popular press. The scientific community however, remains divided. Here we review the literature regarding this topic and we study how the rodent brain is affected by chocolate and sugar. We compare these findings to how the brain is affected cocaine. In order to do us we make use of animal models where rats self-administrate palatable food or cocaine. We then study the brain of these animals. We were specifically interested in the role of the neurotransmitter 'dopamine' and how dopamine affects motivation for food and drugs. Our conclusion is, that although there are similarities, drug and food addiction are absolutely separate neurobiological constructs. Sugar is not addictive in the same sense that drugs of abuse are. It is possible to 'have diminished control' over food intake, and this process shares similarities with the initial stages of drug addiction. Dopamine plays an important role in the motivation for both food and drugs. Addictive drugs however, after extensive exposure, reshape the brain in a way that sugar does not.