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Abstract

Obesity is a worldwide health issue that shows no signs of abating despite concerted efforts in the past decade to understand the determinants of this growing problem, as well as efforts to prevent or reduce the problem. Associated with high rates of morbidity, and lower than anticipated life quality and years of life, as well as significant impacts in middle life on working ability, the costs to the individual and society are increasingly exorbitant, with no respite in sight. This brief was designed to examine the most recent data in PUBMED and Web of Science that discusses the possible role played by foods that can become addictive in the context of obesity, and to examine the evidence base linking food addiction and obesity. Results show that despite the absence of an extensive research base, and clear differences between addictive drugs and foods, there is increasing evidence from human and animal-based research that food addictions can occur in the same way individuals can become addicted to chemical substances, and that a linkage to obesity in some cases cannot be overlooked.