Ceren Gezer, Merve Yurt, Fulya Taş Fidan

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0985056226000191

This article reviews the concept of Food Addiction and focuses on how highly processed foods may trigger addiction-like eating behaviors. It explains that researchers compare these eating patterns to substance-use disorders by examining features such as cravings, loss of control, continued eating despite harm, and repeated unsuccessful attempts to cut back. The article also highlights how studies often use tools like the Yale Food Addiction Scale to measure these symptoms in human populations.

It further summarizes evidence from experimental and observational research showing that certain foods, especially those high in refined fats and sugars, may strongly activate brain reward systems linked to dopamine. The review also discusses how these responses overlap with patterns seen in other addictions, while noting ongoing debate about whether food addiction should be considered a distinct clinical disorder. It concludes that the current evidence is mixed but that there are sufficient consistent findings to continue studying food addiction as a potential diagnostic construct.