Do you believe sugar cravings can be similar to drug addictions?
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I wrote out once a much longer explanation, but essentially, saying the same centers light up with food and with cocaine is the grossest of simplifications that some researchers have used as an analogy to explain neural activity.
The short version is, if you take cocaine, your brain will stop breaking down the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. This artificially floods the brain with them making some bother aroused (not in the chit-chat forum sense), and contented at the the same time.
In contrast, while both dopamine and serotonin are active in eating (not because of specific food, but just the activity of eating), they exhibit a different pattern. Dopamine lights up before eating, as it does in anticipation for any excitable (again, not chit-chat forum sense, necessarily) activity - see dopamine will also light up in anticipation of something possibly being painful / punishing, not just pleasure / rewarding, but I don't see people say sitting on thumb tacks is addictive. Then, when we actually eat, serotonin is released, and this actually helps to clear dopamine - moving from excited to contentment because from an evolutionary standpoint, once you have food, you drop out of an aroused searching state, to a contented, sit and eat that stuff state. Animals that continue to search for and anticipate food when they already have it available tend to win Darwin awards, so it makes sense to anticipate ahead of eating, and to enter contentment once eating commences.0 -
I wrote out once a much longer explanation, but essentially, saying the same centers light up with food and with cocaine is the grossest of simplifications that some researchers have used as an analogy to explain neural activity.
The short version is, if you take cocaine, your brain will stop breaking down the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. This artificially floods the brain with them making some bother aroused (not in the chit-chat forum sense), and contented at the the same time.
In contrast, while both dopamine and serotonin are active in eating (not because of specific food, but just the activity of eating), they exhibit a different pattern. Dopamine lights up before eating, as it does in anticipation for any excitable (again, not chit-chat forum sense, necessarily) activity - see dopamine will also light up in anticipation of something possibly being painful / punishing, not just pleasure / rewarding, but I don't see people say sitting on thumb tacks is addictive. Then, when we actually eat, serotonin is released, and this actually helps to clear dopamine - moving from excited to contentment because from an evolutionary standpoint, once you have food, you drop out of an aroused searching state, to a contented, sit and eat that stuff state. Animals that continue to search for and anticipate food when they already have it available tend to win Darwin awards, so it makes sense to anticipate ahead of eating, and to enter contentment once eating commences.
I love this explanation.0 -
Drinking alcohol to excess actually causes a physical change to the cells in the body. When drinking is stopped suddenly, the person goes through an intensely painful process called delirium tremens. The person will hallucinate, vomit, urinate and defecate without control, drool, and often need to be intubated because of the excessive suffering. People get intensely violent, even toward people they care about deeply. the cells in the body are affecting the person on a physical level as they are in a severe need of the substance that changed them in the first place.
People who eat a lot of sugar for a long time, and then stop eating it suddenly don't do any of that. Just because they get a little shaky from lack of energy or get a headache doesn't mean they have any understanding of the severe effects of any of the physical torture any addict suffers. Sugar doesn't change the cells of the body in any way, other than adding additional fat cells if eaten to excess.
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Drinking alcohol to excess actually causes a physical change to the cells in the body. When drinking is stopped suddenly, the person goes through an intensely painful process called delirium tremens. The person will hallucinate, vomit, urinate and defecate without control, drool, and often need to be intubated because of the excessive suffering. People get intensely violent, even toward people they care about deeply. the cells in the body are affecting the person on a physical level as they are in a severe need of the substance that changed them in the first place.
People who eat a lot of sugar for a long time, and then stop eating it suddenly don't do any of that. Just because they get a little shaky from lack of energy or get a headache doesn't mean they have any understanding of the severe effects of any of the physical torture any addict suffers. Sugar doesn't change the cells of the body in any way, other than adding additional fat cells if eaten to excess.
On this I agree with you 100%. You can't compare the magnitude of sugar withdrawal (if it exists at all) with alcohol withdrawal. But withdrawal from alcohol is the most extreme of all addictions, if this were your only criteria to determine addiction, (I've read other posts you've written so I know it's not), other recognized addictions might not qualify either. Gambling is the easy one to throw out there. Surely it is less offensive to consider possible withdrawal effects from abstaining from sugary foods than from abstaining from gambling. But I have also read that cocaine withdrawal symptoms are very mild, and that it is much more of a behavioral addiction (as PeacyCarol suggests sugar cravings may be a result of) than alcohol.
But the OP did not ask us if we believed that sugar was an addictive substance. He asked if sugar cravings are similar to a drug addiction. The idea seems to me to be a good middle ground. Not addictive in a classical sense, but those damn cravings can have similarities with addiction.
And to answer an earlier posters question, what's the benefit of viewing sugar cravings in a similar way to a drug addiction, my answer, in part, is that we may be able to borrow from the study and research that has been done on addictions and apply it to our own struggles. Below, for example, is an excerpt from Moderation Management that may be of interest to some.
"Habits and urges go hand in hand. In fact, many people in the throes of an addictive behavior problem, whether it is overeating, drug use or alcohol abuse, claim that they derive no pleasure from their habit--that it is nothing but the relentless craving that fuels ongoing addictive behavior. What is usually most difficult for people when changing a bad habit is coping with the sometimes relentless urges. The initial days of a habit kicking plan can be exhausting as urges dominate thinking and interfere with daily routine. Many people give up change efforts because they feel that there is no way they can function without their habit as the urges interfere too much with quality of life.
It is important to remember that urges, in and of themselves, are normal. We experience craving in varying degrees every day. And because your habit has been important to you for a long time, it may be unreasonable to expect urges to vanish completely. What is hoped is that you will come to experience urges with less frequency and that when they are experienced you will be able to react in a way that avoids relapse.
The "three Ds" can be helpful in coping with urges and craving, 'whether these urges are related to alcohol or drug use, overeating, tobacco use or any habit you are attempting to change. The Ds stand for Decatastrophizing, Disputing expectancies and Distracting."
Follow the link for the rest...
http://www.moderation.org/faq/coping.shtml
And finally, although it have by no means made up my mind, my link to a moderation management site might suggest I am on the side of moderation versus abstention. I'm exploring moderation, but right now I lean towards abstaining from your trigger foods.
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I'd still disagree. When someone is addicted to a drug, or alcohol or nicotine, they continue to need that substance when the body tells them it's time for the next 'fix'. When someone has a craving for sugar, the person can easily be distracted by something else. If any other event happens, the person does something else, that person forgets about the craving. It might come back later, when the person isn't thinking of something else, or is hungry, but it might not. That doesn't happen with addiction. The need for the addictive substance is the overwhelming thought process of the moment and nothing can distract the person from that drive, especially when it's a drug. People will abandon children, go without food and sleep, walk in public naked, if that's what it takes to get the substance they need. Sexual favor required? Often, price paid. Thievery from family or criminal behavior becomes acceptable when the addiction is driving the craving.
That type of thing doesn't happen when people have a sugar craving.0 -
I don't think John was asking that if you boil it down to the lowest common denominator, do habits, craving, and enjoyable things have a commonality? It's a trivial question.goldthistime wrote: »Drinking alcohol to excess actually causes a physical change to the cells in the body. When drinking is stopped suddenly, the person goes through an intensely painful process called delirium tremens. The person will hallucinate, vomit, urinate and defecate without control, drool, and often need to be intubated because of the excessive suffering. People get intensely violent, even toward people they care about deeply. the cells in the body are affecting the person on a physical level as they are in a severe need of the substance that changed them in the first place.
People who eat a lot of sugar for a long time, and then stop eating it suddenly don't do any of that. Just because they get a little shaky from lack of energy or get a headache doesn't mean they have any understanding of the severe effects of any of the physical torture any addict suffers. Sugar doesn't change the cells of the body in any way, other than adding additional fat cells if eaten to excess.
On this I agree with you 100%. You can't compare the magnitude of sugar withdrawal (if it exists at all) with alcohol withdrawal. But withdrawal from alcohol is the most extreme of all addictions, if this were your only criteria to determine addiction, (I've read other posts you've written so I know it's not), other recognized addictions might not qualify either. Gambling is the easy one to throw out there. Surely it is less offensive to consider possible withdrawal effects from abstaining from sugary foods than from abstaining from gambling. But I have also read that cocaine withdrawal symptoms are very mild, and that it is much more of a behavioral addiction (as PeacyCarol suggests sugar cravings may be a result of) than alcohol.
But the OP did not ask us if we believed that sugar was an addictive substance. He asked if sugar cravings are similar to a drug addiction. The idea seems to me to be a good middle ground. Not addictive in a classical sense, but those damn cravings can have similarities with addiction.
And to answer an earlier posters question, what's the benefit of viewing sugar cravings in a similar way to a drug addiction, my answer, in part, is that we may be able to borrow from the study and research that has been done on addictions and apply it to our own struggles. Below, for example, is an excerpt from Moderation Management that may be of interest to some.
"Habits and urges go hand in hand. In fact, many people in the throes of an addictive behavior problem, whether it is overeating, drug use or alcohol abuse, claim that they derive no pleasure from their habit--that it is nothing but the relentless craving that fuels ongoing addictive behavior. What is usually most difficult for people when changing a bad habit is coping with the sometimes relentless urges. The initial days of a habit kicking plan can be exhausting as urges dominate thinking and interfere with daily routine. Many people give up change efforts because they feel that there is no way they can function without their habit as the urges interfere too much with quality of life.
It is important to remember that urges, in and of themselves, are normal. We experience craving in varying degrees every day. And because your habit has been important to you for a long time, it may be unreasonable to expect urges to vanish completely. What is hoped is that you will come to experience urges with less frequency and that when they are experienced you will be able to react in a way that avoids relapse.
The "three Ds" can be helpful in coping with urges and craving, 'whether these urges are related to alcohol or drug use, overeating, tobacco use or any habit you are attempting to change. The Ds stand for Decatastrophizing, Disputing expectancies and Distracting."
Follow the link for the rest...
http://www.moderation.org/faq/coping.shtml
And finally, although it have by no means made up my mind, my link to a moderation management site might suggest I am on the side of moderation versus abstention. I'm exploring moderation, but right now I lean towards abstaining from your trigger foods.
As has been said, the human brain does tend to have a reward center and pattern that applies to things as diverse as
Lighting up a crack pipe
Eatting sugar
Petting puppies
Smiling at people
Remembering that gold star your teacher gave you in 3rd grade
Knifing your dealer so you can take his whole stash
Thinking about what you're going to order at KFC
Being intimate
Cranking the handle on the one armed bandit and hoping you get 3 cherries this time, this time for sure, I know it, stop telling me the odds are fixed, I know my luck is different time, you downer
The smell of really nice laundry detergent
etc...0 -
From a medical dictionary:
addiction [uh-dik-shuh-n] -
noun
1.
the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.
trauma [trou-muh]
noun
1.
Pathology.
a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident.
the condition produced by this; traumatism.
2.
Psychiatry.
an experience that produces psychological injury or pain.
the psychological injury so caused.0 -
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I don't think John was asking that if you boil it down to the lowest common denominator, do habits, craving, and enjoyable things have a commonality? It's a trivial question.goldthistime wrote: »Drinking alcohol to excess actually causes a physical change to the cells in the body. When drinking is stopped suddenly, the person goes through an intensely painful process called delirium tremens. The person will hallucinate, vomit, urinate and defecate without control, drool, and often need to be intubated because of the excessive suffering. People get intensely violent, even toward people they care about deeply. the cells in the body are affecting the person on a physical level as they are in a severe need of the substance that changed them in the first place.
People who eat a lot of sugar for a long time, and then stop eating it suddenly don't do any of that. Just because they get a little shaky from lack of energy or get a headache doesn't mean they have any understanding of the severe effects of any of the physical torture any addict suffers. Sugar doesn't change the cells of the body in any way, other than adding additional fat cells if eaten to excess.
On this I agree with you 100%. You can't compare the magnitude of sugar withdrawal (if it exists at all) with alcohol withdrawal. But withdrawal from alcohol is the most extreme of all addictions, if this were your only criteria to determine addiction, (I've read other posts you've written so I know it's not), other recognized addictions might not qualify either. Gambling is the easy one to throw out there. Surely it is less offensive to consider possible withdrawal effects from abstaining from sugary foods than from abstaining from gambling. But I have also read that cocaine withdrawal symptoms are very mild, and that it is much more of a behavioral addiction (as PeacyCarol suggests sugar cravings may be a result of) than alcohol.
But the OP did not ask us if we believed that sugar was an addictive substance. He asked if sugar cravings are similar to a drug addiction. The idea seems to me to be a good middle ground. Not addictive in a classical sense, but those damn cravings can have similarities with addiction.
And to answer an earlier posters question, what's the benefit of viewing sugar cravings in a similar way to a drug addiction, my answer, in part, is that we may be able to borrow from the study and research that has been done on addictions and apply it to our own struggles. Below, for example, is an excerpt from Moderation Management that may be of interest to some.
"Habits and urges go hand in hand. In fact, many people in the throes of an addictive behavior problem, whether it is overeating, drug use or alcohol abuse, claim that they derive no pleasure from their habit--that it is nothing but the relentless craving that fuels ongoing addictive behavior. What is usually most difficult for people when changing a bad habit is coping with the sometimes relentless urges. The initial days of a habit kicking plan can be exhausting as urges dominate thinking and interfere with daily routine. Many people give up change efforts because they feel that there is no way they can function without their habit as the urges interfere too much with quality of life.
It is important to remember that urges, in and of themselves, are normal. We experience craving in varying degrees every day. And because your habit has been important to you for a long time, it may be unreasonable to expect urges to vanish completely. What is hoped is that you will come to experience urges with less frequency and that when they are experienced you will be able to react in a way that avoids relapse.
The "three Ds" can be helpful in coping with urges and craving, 'whether these urges are related to alcohol or drug use, overeating, tobacco use or any habit you are attempting to change. The Ds stand for Decatastrophizing, Disputing expectancies and Distracting."
Follow the link for the rest...
http://www.moderation.org/faq/coping.shtml
And finally, although it have by no means made up my mind, my link to a moderation management site might suggest I am on the side of moderation versus abstention. I'm exploring moderation, but right now I lean towards abstaining from your trigger foods.
As has been said, the human brain does tend to have a reward center and pattern that applies to things as diverse as
Lighting up a crack pipe
Eatting sugar
Petting puppies
Smiling at people
Remembering that gold star your teacher gave you in 3rd grade
Knifing your dealer so you can take his whole stash
Thinking about what you're going to order at KFC
Being intimate
Cranking the handle on the one armed bandit and hoping you get 3 cherries this time, this time for sure, I know it, stop telling me the odds are fixed, I know my luck is different time, you downer
The smell of really nice laundry detergent
etc...
Lol, did you have this reply ready or are you really this fast on your feet? Most amusing examples. So are we really arguing about magnitudes? We have different views about what the OP had in mind when he posted this question, maybe he will weigh in at some point.
I'm at risk of derailing here, but hopefully it's a good derailment. I wanted to post another paragraph from the link I gave above because it seems to encapsulate one of the points the anti-sugar addiction faction makes frequently.
"Decatastrophizing
Especially early on in your change efforts, craving can seem excruciating. Your daily routine has been altered by the elimination of an important part of life and now you can't get your mind off it. Everything you see reminds you of your habit. If you smoke, every room you enter may bring to mind the image of> a cigarette and associated pleasure. The inability to satisfy the urge can lead to frustration and inner statements like, "I can't stand this!" or "There is no way I will be able to live without giving in. I'll just go crazy!" Statements like this can be overwhelming. So much so that people often give up efforts.
As is the case with anxiety, catastrophic thoughts can lead to a great deal of arousal which can, in turn, make things seem worse than they are. If you believe that you are completely out or control, your emotions will follow. What is important to remember is that urges are normal and typically decline in intensity as you continue implementing change. To combat catastrophic reactions to urges it is important to remind yourself of times in the past when you have successfully changed habits (think now, we all have done so at least once or twice!). Do you still experience urges? If so, are they as intense as during the initial phase of your change efforts? Probably not, right? Furthermore, think about other people you have known who have undergone significant change. Do they seem haunted by urges such that they cannot function? If not, who is to say that you cannot accomplish that also?
Try to take some of the power away from a black and white adjective like "horrible" or "unbearable." Belief in horrible extremes only makes you feel worse. Just how unbearable is your urge right now? To accurately answer this you may need to conjure images of what other types of suffering reported as unbearable are like. Is this as unbearable as getting stabbed in the stomach? Or better still, what have you endured which was worse than your current urge? Was that unbearable? lf so, does it folIow that your urge is less than unbearable and perhaps only "very uncomfortable.""
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I've just seen this comparison made so many times, but if for most people "sugar cravings" are just hunger, how do you ever separate "addiction" and "basic survival instinct"?0
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http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10218216/sugar-and-carb-addiction-addiction/p1
@senecarr it may seem immodest for you to keep linking this but it IS an interesting read, so let me help.
ETA: sadly I have to run, but I will watch the discussion when I can0 -
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sunn_lighter wrote: »much of this thread reminds me of people who say owning their dogs is the same as having children.
That's a pet peeve of mine. Pun not intended, but still hilarious.0 -
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I've just seen this comparison made so many times, but if for most people "sugar cravings" are just hunger, how do you ever separate "addiction" and "basic survival instinct"?
I think because those that find sugar addictive, it's not just hunger. Even stuffed, they will still seek sugar. It's not helping one survive. In fact the insane amounts of sugar they are eating can cause many problems detrimental to their health, yet they still eat sugar like it's going out of style. They aren't satisfied with a slice of cake, they can eat the whole thing...0 -
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I think @mccindy72 makes a good point. There are two different components to consider in addiction - physical and psychological. The physical response to sugar that everyone is talking about is the release of dopamine from the reward center of the brain. It can happen with sugar, eating in general, exercise, gambling, petting a cute puppy. The long term changes to brain chemistry (permanent, chemical and grey matter changes) that happen with drugs like heroin or cocaine are not seen with sugar, which is why sugar and eating are considered a psychological, behavioral issue.0
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short answer is yes0
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In some ways, yes. Both can cause intense almost uncontrollable cravings and self loathing.
In other ways, no. Sugar cravings are more psychological in nature, whereas many drug addictions are physical in nature.0 -
hollydubs85 wrote: »
I would assume the 700 lb man that is too obese to leave his house, yet still eats an entire cake for breakfast would be able to answer that for you.
I bet he was eating more than just cake, though.
I do think there is such thing as food addiction, and I would compare it to other behavioral addictions like pornography. I don't think it's fair though, to compare sugar or food addiction to that of a drug addiction.
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Jersey__Devil wrote: »Lasmartchika wrote: »thorsmom01 wrote: »No.
If you've ever withdrawn from opiates , you wouldn't claim the feeling is the same.
I understand studies may show the same receptors are "lit" up, but that doesn't even compare.
Person A wants a cookie, doesn't get it.
person B is addicted to opiates and wants a fix but doesn't get it.
Person A would not go through the same withdraw symptoms as person b. Person B would be in extreme withdraw within hours and would experience symptoms like, vomiting, the shakes, diarrhea, pain and so on. Person A wouldn't experience those symptoms because they didn't get to eat a cookie.
It's not the same, precisely because of what ^^Thorsmom^^ said.
You go to a NA meeting saying, "Hi I'm Joe Schmoe and I'm addicted to sugar." You'll get you *kitten* laughed outta there... :noway:
I don't know anyone who ever tried to melt a jelly donut on a spoon and shoot it up...or trade sexual favors for a pint of ice cream.
Because there is no need. If a junkie could buy their drug of choice in every grocery, supermarket and convenience store for a low price, would they still trade sex for it?0 -
yes. i am addicted to sugar. but only to the sugar that is produced by consuming whiskey, because i cannot seem to stop drinking that stuff.0
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Jersey__Devil wrote: »Lasmartchika wrote: »thorsmom01 wrote: »No.
If you've ever withdrawn from opiates , you wouldn't claim the feeling is the same.
I understand studies may show the same receptors are "lit" up, but that doesn't even compare.
Person A wants a cookie, doesn't get it.
person B is addicted to opiates and wants a fix but doesn't get it.
Person A would not go through the same withdraw symptoms as person b. Person B would be in extreme withdraw within hours and would experience symptoms like, vomiting, the shakes, diarrhea, pain and so on. Person A wouldn't experience those symptoms because they didn't get to eat a cookie.
It's not the same, precisely because of what ^^Thorsmom^^ said.
You go to a NA meeting saying, "Hi I'm Joe Schmoe and I'm addicted to sugar." You'll get you *kitten* laughed outta there... :noway:
I don't know anyone who ever tried to melt a jelly donut on a spoon and shoot it up...or trade sexual favors for a pint of ice cream.
Because there is no need. If a junkie could buy their drug of choice in every grocery, supermarket and convenience store for a low price, would they still trade sex for it?
They probably would if they had run out of money (from spending it on drugs) and still needed money for rent and more drugs.0 -
I'd still disagree. When someone is addicted to a drug, or alcohol or nicotine, they continue to need that substance when the body tells them it's time for the next 'fix'. When someone has a craving for sugar, the person can easily be distracted by something else. If any other event happens, the person does something else, that person forgets about the craving. It might come back later, when the person isn't thinking of something else, or is hungry, but it might not. That doesn't happen with addiction. The need for the addictive substance is the overwhelming thought process of the moment and nothing can distract the person from that drive, especially when it's a drug. People will abandon children, go without food and sleep, walk in public naked, if that's what it takes to get the substance they need. Sexual favor required? Often, price paid. Thievery from family or criminal behavior becomes acceptable when the addiction is driving the craving.
That type of thing doesn't happen when people have a sugar craving.
the only reason why those things end up happening is because they are not readily available. chances are not nearly crazy things happen when someone doesnt' have a smoke0 -
hollydubs85 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Jersey__Devil wrote: »Lasmartchika wrote: »thorsmom01 wrote: »No.
If you've ever withdrawn from opiates , you wouldn't claim the feeling is the same.
I understand studies may show the same receptors are "lit" up, but that doesn't even compare.
Person A wants a cookie, doesn't get it.
person B is addicted to opiates and wants a fix but doesn't get it.
Person A would not go through the same withdraw symptoms as person b. Person B would be in extreme withdraw within hours and would experience symptoms like, vomiting, the shakes, diarrhea, pain and so on. Person A wouldn't experience those symptoms because they didn't get to eat a cookie.
It's not the same, precisely because of what ^^Thorsmom^^ said.
You go to a NA meeting saying, "Hi I'm Joe Schmoe and I'm addicted to sugar." You'll get you *kitten* laughed outta there... :noway:
I don't know anyone who ever tried to melt a jelly donut on a spoon and shoot it up...or trade sexual favors for a pint of ice cream.
Because there is no need. If a junkie could buy their drug of choice in every grocery, supermarket and convenience store for a low price, would they still trade sex for it?
They probably would if they had run out of money (from spending it on drugs) and still needed money for rent and more drugs.
If the exact same situation were true of someone who feels they are addicted to sugar. All things equal. Are you certain they would never trade sex for candy?0 -
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »hollydubs85 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »Jersey__Devil wrote: »Lasmartchika wrote: »thorsmom01 wrote: »No.
If you've ever withdrawn from opiates , you wouldn't claim the feeling is the same.
I understand studies may show the same receptors are "lit" up, but that doesn't even compare.
Person A wants a cookie, doesn't get it.
person B is addicted to opiates and wants a fix but doesn't get it.
Person A would not go through the same withdraw symptoms as person b. Person B would be in extreme withdraw within hours and would experience symptoms like, vomiting, the shakes, diarrhea, pain and so on. Person A wouldn't experience those symptoms because they didn't get to eat a cookie.
It's not the same, precisely because of what ^^Thorsmom^^ said.
You go to a NA meeting saying, "Hi I'm Joe Schmoe and I'm addicted to sugar." You'll get you *kitten* laughed outta there... :noway:
I don't know anyone who ever tried to melt a jelly donut on a spoon and shoot it up...or trade sexual favors for a pint of ice cream.
Because there is no need. If a junkie could buy their drug of choice in every grocery, supermarket and convenience store for a low price, would they still trade sex for it?
They probably would if they had run out of money (from spending it on drugs) and still needed money for rent and more drugs.
If the exact same situation were true of someone who feels they are addicted to sugar. All things equal. Are you certain they would never trade sex for candy?
{img]http://i.imgur.com/13KSRKW.jpg[/img]
Lmao!!
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hollydubs85 wrote: »
I would assume the 700 lb man that is too obese to leave his house, yet still eats an entire cake for breakfast would be able to answer that for you.
You're right in saying this is an assumption. That person could become 700 pounds overeating ANYTHING. So, is food addictive? Most experts agree that it's a psychological or behavioral condition, not physical.0 -
Psychological addiction - I believe so. Just like gambling that the body has no necessary need for but the brain learns to gain satisfaction from it.
Physiological addiction - I don't think so. I don't believe the body becomes dependent on sugar. I have not done much research at all, just my thought. If someone has studies, much better to go off.0
![http://i.imgur.com/13KSRKW.jpg[/img]](https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/home/leaving?allowTrusted=1&target=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F13KSRKW.jpg%5B%2Fimg%5D){kind=link}
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