Obesity and food addiction: Similarities to drug addiction

Abstract The global obesity epidemic suggests that this condition isn't triggered by a lack of motivation for weight loss. These findings lead to the theory that some foods, or substances added to them, can trigger an addiction process by activating in the brain the same reward system generated by drugs, the mesolimbic system via dopamine. It is possible to identify the existence of a cerebral metabolism, mainly controlled by the arcuate nucleus and a “cognitive” brain allowing interactions with the environment that offers the food, including its search and storage. Palatable foods and drugs seem to activate this same circuit of reward and pleasure in the brain, through the release of dopamine. The reviewed studies showed that the same neural basis is involved in the phenomena related to food and drug addiction. Individuals with morbid obesity present a reduction in dopamine D2 receptors and may develop resistance to leptin, leading to compulsive eating. This excessive consumption promotes the increased release of endogenous opiates, increasing the desire for food by determining the weight gain and obesity.