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Published on: February 6, 2014
The addiction potential of hyperpalatable foods
Ashley N Gearhardt1, Caroline Davis, Rachel Kuschner
1Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA. Ashley.gearhardt@yale.edu
Abstract:
Scientific interest in "food addiction" continues to grow due both to neurobiological and behavioral similarities between substance dependence and excessive food consumption. An important next step is to examine the addictive potential of highly processed foods. In this paper, we explore addiction-related changes in the modern food environment (e.g., increased potency, elevated speed of absorption), examine the historical and modern understanding of addictive substances as applied to hyperpalatable foods, and outline shared factors that increase the public health costs of both addictive drugs and certain foods.
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