Editorial: Neurobiology of food addiction

Abstract

Food addiction (FA) is an intriguing issue that has received significant attention in recent years. The concept of “food addiction,” which refers to food as an addictive-potential factor, was first described in Randolph (1956). However, in the last two decades, this topic has been revisited and experienced a surge of academic interest as evidenced by numerous studies in the literature (Gearhardt et al., 2009a; Brewerton, 2017; Cassin et al., 2019; Munguía et al., 2022). This increased interest in FA can be attributed to several factors, including easy access to calorie-dense foods, the growing obesity epidemic, and advancements in neuroscience, which have prompted researchers to investigate whether addictive mechanisms apply to certain foods. FA is characterized by a hedonic eating behavior involving consuming highly palatable foods in amounts beyond homeostatic requirements (Kalon et al., 2016). Accordingly, studies carried out by Gearhardt et al. (2009a) and Avena et al. (2012) suggest parallels between food-related behaviors and substance use disorders (SUD) due to their impact on the dopaminergic system, among other neuronal pathways (Avena, 2010; Gearhardt et al., 2011). In this context, the “Yale Food Addiction Scale,” developed by Gearhardt et al. (2009b, 2016) assesses food addiction based on SUD criteria in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) (Schulte and Gearhardt, 2017). Despite the widespread usage of the term “food addiction” in the literature, the debate over its formal classification as a disorder within the scientific community remains unresolved. Notably, it is not currently recognized as a disease in specialized references such as the DSM-5 Text Revision (DSM-5-TR). It is important to revisit and re-discuss the use of the term “food addiction” to prevent potential stigmatization. Additionally, ongoing debates persist regarding the similarities and differences between FA and other eating disorders (Hauck et al., 2020). Furthermore, the precise mechanisms underlying addictive behaviors related to food have not been fully elucidated.