Tag: Food dependency

According to research from Yale University, chocolate consistently ranks among the most problematic foods for addictive-like eating behaviors, with some studies highlighting it as a leading contender for food addiction. If you often ask, "Why am I addicted to eating chocolate?", the answer involves a complex interplay of your brain's reward system, hormonal changes, and emotional triggers.

According to a 2008 study conducted on rats, intermittent, excessive sugar intake can lead to behavioral and neurochemical changes that resemble the effects of a substance of abuse. This raises a critical question many people struggle with daily: **how addictive is sugar actually**?

Food provides the energy that our bodies need to keep going, with a person typically surviving only a few weeks without it. The answer to "Do we actually need food to survive?" is a definitive and resounding yes, though the body has remarkable, yet ultimately limited, adaptive mechanisms to cope with short-term deprivation.

According to research utilizing the Yale Food Addiction Scale, a measure mimicking diagnostic criteria for substance abuse, roughly 20% of the global population qualifies as having a food dependency. This complex condition involves more than just overeating; it is characterized by a compulsive relationship with certain foods, often high in sugar, fat, and salt, despite negative consequences.

According to research, the gliadin protein in wheat can be broken down into opioid-like compounds that bind to receptors in the brain, which helps explain the intense, craving-driven question: **Why am I addicted to wheat?**. This phenomenon, often mistaken for a simple lack of willpower, involves complex physiological and neurological processes that make breaking up with bread, pasta, and pastries feel nearly impossible for many people.