Impulsive people far likelier to be food addicts

Impulsive people are at greater risks of food and drug addition as impulsivity is a result of cellular activities in the part of the brain involved with reward and not a result of dysfunctional eating

By: Editorial Team | | Updated: May 9, 2014 12:12 pm

Impulsive people are at greater risks of food and drug addition as impulsivity is a result of cellular activities in the part of the brain involved with reward and not a result of dysfunctional eating behaviour, a study indicated. The impulsive models showed increased expression of a transcription factor called Delta-FosB in the nucleus accumbens, an area of the brain involved in reward evaluation and impulsive behaviour, thus indicating a potential biological component to this behaviour. Also Read - Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: 4 reasons an eco-friendly Ganesha is good for you

‘Our results add further evidence to the idea that there are similar mechanisms involved in both drug and food addiction behaviour,’ said Clara Velazquez-Sanchez,a postdoctoral fellow at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) in the US. The researchers measured the inability to withhold an impulsive response in experimental models that were exposed to a diet high in sugar daily for one hour. Also Read - 7 reasons why the #BeefBan is good

Models shown to be more impulsive rapidly developed binge eating traits, showing heightened cravings and the loss of control over the junk diet (measured as inability to properly evaluate the negative consequences associated with ingestion of the sugary diet). Conversely, models shown to be less impulsive demonstrated the ability to appropriately control impulsive behaviour and did not show abnormal eating behaviour when exposed to the sugary diet. (Read: Are you suffering from food addiction?) Also Read - Is it difficult for you to seek help for your eating disorder? 5 tips to control binge-eating

‘While impulsivity might have aided ancestors to choose calorie-rich foods when food was scarce, our study results suggest that, in today’s calorie-rich environment, impulsivity promotes pathological overeating,’ said Pietro Cottone, an associate professor of pharmacology and psychiatry at BUSM. (Read: Seven surprising things that make you fat)

The study appeared in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

What is food addiction?

Food addiction is a biochemical condition similar to drug or alcohol addiction which creates a psychological craving for specific foods, i.e. a person loses control over what and the amount of food he/she eats. There is an uncontrollable craving for eating a particular food and typically involves junk foods which are high in salt, sugar or fats. Food addiction was first recognised in early 1990s.

Like addictive drugs, food triggers feel-good chemicals (such as dopamine) in food addicts. The person feels the need to eat the food he is addicted to, quickly. The reward signals or the feel-good factor may override the signals of satiety and a person may end up eating food even when he is full or not hungry, resulting in over-eating.

Symptoms of food addiction

Food addiction affects an individual physically, emotionally, spiritually and socially. The mere thought of food, availability of food or actually eating food gives them immense pleasure. Some symptoms which can be seen in food addicts are:

Marked increase in the amounts of food consumed over time.
Intentional overeating over a long period of time even when not hungry.
Preoccupation with food and spending a lot of time/activity to purchase food or obtain food.
Persistent attempts at cutting down consumption of food that he/she is addicted to.
Eating when upset or depressed. (Read more symptoms of food addiction)

With inputs from IANS

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Published : May 9, 2014 12:12 pm | Updated:May 9, 2014 12:12 pm

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