Is Food Addictive?
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Historically, addiction has been defined as physical and psychological dependence on psychoactive substances (for example alcohol,tobacco, heroin, caffeine and other drugs) which cross the blood-brain barrier once ingested, temporarily altering the chemical milieu of the brain.
Addiction can also be viewed as a continued involvement with a substance or activity despite the negative consequences associated with it. Pleasure, enjoyment or relief from actual or perceived ailments would have originally been sought; however, over a period of time involvement with the substance or activity is needed to feel normal.[1] Some psychology professionals and many laypeople now mean 'addiction' to include abnormal psychological dependency on such things as gambling, video games, food, sex, *****graphy, computers,internet, work, exercise, adrenaline, idolizing, watching TV or certain types of non-*****graphic videos, spiritual obsession, self-injury and shopping.[2][3][4][5]
The American Society of Addiction Medicine begins their definition of addiction by describing it as "a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry."[6
