Food Addictions May Be Real
By George Anderson
A new study published in the April issue of the medical journal NeuroImage appears to give credence to the argument that people can become addicted to certain types of foods.
Brain scans of people tested in the study showed brain activity picked up when they saw or smelled their favorite foods. According to a Reuters report, the activity was ” much
the same way as the brains of cocaine addicts when they think about their next snort.”
The leader of the study, Dr. Gene-Jack Wang of Brookhaven National Laboratory, said in a released statement, “These results could explain the deleterious effects of constant
exposure to food stimuli, such as advertising, candy machines, food channels, and food displays in stores.”
“The high sensitivity of this brain region to food stimuli, coupled with the huge number and variety of these stimuli in the environment, likely contributes to the epidemic of
obesity in this country.”
Moderator’s Comment: What if the findings of this study are correct?
The study sample was relatively small with 12 men and women selected to participate.
The foods that generated the greatest response (no surprises here) were bacon-egg-cheese sandwiches, cinnamon buns, pizza, cheeseburgers, fried chicken,
lasagna, BBQ ribs, ice cream, brownies and chocolate cake. – George
Anderson – Moderator