A recent study suggests that food addiction and drug addiction have a very similar brain response. Well, I didn't have to spend a ton of money on research to tell you that! Addiction is addiction, but my real question is how does a food addict give up food when we need it to sustain life? An alcoholic or drug addict can choose to never drink or use again, not so with food addiction. Food addiction is much harder to conquer and stay clean, because you still have to use your "drug" every day. That is why so many people go up and down the scale all of their lives, because you can be under control and lose weight for long periods of time and all it takes is one weak moment or several to send you back up the scale and into full blown relapse. I admire people who can lose large amounts of weight and keep it off for long periods of time because the amount of self control that takes is mind blowing.
It always amazes me to hear people who have never had a weight problem talk about over weight people like we are just lazy or stupid. I doubt they would say the same nasty things about people with other substance abuse issues, we just happen to wear our addiction on our bodies for everyone to see.
I really hope this study will open up some discussion about new ways to treat obesity. People with severe substance abuse problems enter in-patient treatment, well maybe that is something to consider for severe food addiction as well.
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