Food addiction and neuroimaging.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Public Health
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Obesity is a major global health issue with complex etiologies.
• The food addiction model posits that hedonic overeating, driven by pleasure, contributes significantly to obesity.
• This model highlights similarities between food addiction, substance-related disorders, and eating disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the food addiction model as a potential explanation for obesity.
• To review literature on food addiction from multiple perspectives.
• To propose a research paradigm for screening pharmacological treatments for obesity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Main Methods:

• Literature review summarizing food addiction research from eight perspectives.
• Proposal of a research paradigm utilizing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Main Results:

• Evidence suggests shared neural and hormonal pathways between hedonic eating and substance abuse.
• Functional neuroimaging reveals that palatable foods possess reinforcing properties similar to drugs of abuse.
• Brain changes associated with hedonic eating and obesity mirror those seen in various addictions.

Conclusions:

• Overeating and obesity may develop an acquired drive akin to drug addiction, characterized by motivation and craving.
• Repeated exposure to palatable foods can lead to a persistent drive for eating, overriding satiety signals.
• The proposed fMRI-based research paradigm may facilitate the development of novel pharmacological interventions for obesity.