Food addiction
Such foods often have high sugar, fat, and salt contents (HFSS), and markedly activate the reward system in humans and other animals.Those with eating addictions often overconsume such foods despite the adverse consequences (such as excess weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease) associated with their overconsumption.[8] This behavior may suggest that food addiction is not only a problem of self-control, but that it is furthermore the body providing a stimulus so powerful as to numb the individual to the negative consequences of overeating.[10] Unlike individuals with bulimia nervosa, persons with compulsive overeating do not attempt to compensate for their bingeing with purging behaviors, such as fasting, laxative use, or vomiting.During binges, compulsive overeaters may consume between 5,000 and 15,000 food calories daily (far more than is healthy), resulting in a temporary release from psychological stress through an addictive high not unlike that experienced through drug abuse.This sense of loss of control may impede function during work due to disorganized thoughts, leading to a decrease in efficiency.[19] The antidepressant fluoxetine is a medication that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of an eating disorder, specifically bulimia nervosa.Off-label medications, such as other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), have shown some efficacy, as have several atypical antidepressants, such as mianserin, trazodone and bupropion.[26] Several twelve-step programs exist to help members recover from compulsive overeating and food addiction,[9] such as Overeaters Anonymous.The Ontario Health Insurance Plan has announced a new program designed to assist individuals struggling with food addiction.Due to poor mental health and lack of control and environmental factors,[29] overeaters may relapse into their old habits even after completing various treatments.