How often do you get a craving that you just can’t seem to get out of your mind until you indulge in it. You know your body doesn’t need it, you’re not even hungry, but you just can’t kick the craving. You may not be the only one.
There is a new small study that suggests food lovers, wheather craving or indulging in their fixes, appear to have brain activity similar to that of substance abusers.
The study of observed 48 young women, all around the age of twenty, and ranging from lean to obese. Each woman had fMRI as they were exposed to two conditions — anticipation of a rich chocolate milkshake versus a tasteless control solution, and consumption of the milkshake versus the tasteless control.
Ashley Gearhardt, MS, of Yale, and colleagues reported that while the women were anticipating drinking the chocolate milkshake, those with higher food addiction scores showed a greater amount of activation in brain regions associated with reward.
The woman had reduced activation of inhibitory brain regions seen on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) when the women actually got to drink the milkshake. “Similar patterns of neural activation are implicated in addictive-like eating behavior and substance abuse and dependence,” Gearhardt and colleagues wrote.
The researchers have also noted that prior research has shown that there’s an addictive process in the development of obesity.
Food and drug use both result in dopamine release in the brain’s mesolimbic regions, and the degree of release correlates with subjective reward from both food and drug use.
Gearhardt’s group concluded that the study “supports the theory that compulsive food consumption may be driven in part by an enhanced anticipation of the rewarding properties of food,” and that eating “may override desires to limit caloric food consumption … resulting in disinhibited food consumption.”
If your cravings have taken control of your eating habits, and you are now experienceing the negative effects of weight gain you may want to consider our medical weight loss program.
Dr. Berger carefully considers several factors when tailoring a flexible, convenient weight loss program whether you just want to lose weight or need to fight obesity. These include your unique genetic, medical, social, metabolic and emotional situations. Furthermore, our team of weight loss experts is able to provide you with the steadfast medical, behavioral and emotional support needed to help you achieve and maintain your weight loss goals.
Information gathered from MedPage Today http://www.medpagetoday.com/Psychiatry/Addictions/25713
Dr. Berger is a renowned leader in cosmetic and anti-aging medicine, bringing over 25 years of diverse medical experience to his practice. He earned his medical degree from the University of Ottawa and completed advanced training in Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology at McGill University. Dr. Berger was board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine for two decades and is a diplomat of the American Board of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine.
Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Berger has developed expertise in clinical and medical management, pharmacology, nutraceuticals, emergency medicine, cosmetic surgery, cosmetic medicine, anti-aging, holistic, and regenerative medicine. Dr. Berger’s unique approach blends traditional Western medical training with integrative and preventative therapies, including Eastern Medicine. He is passionate about helping patients achieve both inner health and outer beauty, believing that a balance of anti-aging medicine and non-surgical cosmetic therapies is key to emotional, physical, and mental well-being. By combining the latest medical advancements with holistic care, Dr. Berger empowers his patients to look and feel their best, while also focusing on prevention and long-term wellness.
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