The DSM -5 is the current edition of the great reference book of Psychiatry and Psychology define the many different deviations of the psyche for the purpose of classification, treatment and therapy. Anorexia nervosa , bulimia and even obesity have been included in the DSM for over 30 years (Kaplan & Sadock , 1981) .
But now Dr. Suzanne Dickson , a researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, is reported to have suggested that binge eating obesity may be a type of food addiction (Browser , 2013). Dr Dickson was speaking at the 26th European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress in Barcelona , Spain.
Dependency theory
The popular press is full of articles that compare foods , particularly fatty foods and sweets, to narcotics and argue that sugar is as addictive as a drug.
" The Secret Power of sugar over the mind," an article published in the Sunday Times Cherrill Hicks (2013), explains the concept of " hedonic hunger " , a powerful unit that makes certain foods irresistible. According to the article , hedonistic hunger is how our bodies respond under the influence of the reward center of the brain that makes us eat certain foods for the simple pleasure of eating them. These foods are invariably not steamed broccoli or fish, but high in fat, high in sugar and also foods that are high in salt. Apparently our brains light up during neuroimaging when we are exposed to such foods in the same way that the brains of opiate and alcohol glow when presented with their medications chosen . The reaction is related to the release of dopamine in the brain , which is in turn associated to the system of awards. In addition , ghrelin hormone usually produce in our stomach when we need energy that stimulates hunger and the response of eating , is also produced when we see or smell or even think of these high-fat foods, rich in sugar .
The theory postulates that this system hedonic hunger was developed as a survival mechanism over eons of feast and famine during human evolution . Because food was scarce for thousands of years , when energy-rich , calorie-laden foods suddenly became available (for example , a mammoth successful hunting or searching for a beehive !) , Hedonic hunger made humans eat too much so that we a hidden reserve of energy in our fat stores for times of lean and hungry who ruled until about a century ago. Then alas, we have become adept at controlling our food supply and famine were no longer the rule in some areas of the globe. But our primitive neurological make- up, which is probably closer to that of our hunter-gatherer ancestors to that of an astronaut, still drives us to overeat when we are faced with these foods for survival.
Dutch reaction
Lawmakers in the Netherlands have called for a legislation to force sugary drinks to carry health warnings that sugar is ' highly addictive and dangerous ' (Daily Telegraph , 2013). According to a front-page article in the Times , the head of health services in Amsterdam, Paul van der Velpen , said " Just like alcohol and tobacco , sugar is actually a drug . " He went on to declare that " the use of sugar should be discouraged. And users should be aware of the dangers . " This concern for an addictive substance recently identified in a city where dagga can be purchased legally, does not make one wonder about the priorities of these legislators Dutch .
The obesity conundrum
While theories dependence of food consumption are plausible , the suggestion that obesity is an addiction to food as suggested by Dr. Dickson , needs further investigation. She claims that up to 20 % of obese patients also suffer from binge eating disorder , but that the normal-weight people also often suffer from this condition without gaining weight .
At this point, Dr. Dickson says that "The evidence is insufficient in itself to support the idea that food addiction is a mental disorder . " I, for one , am relieved that although binge eating disorder was included in the -5 DSM as a mental condition , binge eating obesity has not yet been classified as such. Although there are physiologically wired to react to signals from the nervous system and brain , obesity is a condition so complex that has its origins in a variety of contributing factors that I would not accept this type of classification . On the one hand make life marginally easier for obese patients not to be judged as ' weak and out of control ' , but could also be used as an excuse for overeating . " I can not help gorging on fat and sugar , because I have a mental illness ! '
Opposing Views
I was interested to read that Dr. Hans - Ulrich Wittchen , who acted as moderator of the session of Congress in Barcelona above , warned delegates that seek to classify certain types of obesity as an addiction because of a mental illness , it is was " premature. " As one of the people who was responsible for the development of DMS -5 , Dr. Wittchen at the Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy , Technical University of Dresden , Germany, said it is difficult to say whether a certain food components actually do create some brain disorder that would justify classifying them as a dependency. He also disputes the claim that the supposed brain's reaction to foods rich in fat and high sugar content is a ' brain disease ' ( Brauser , 2013).
A word of caution
I have always believed that moderation in all things is the golden rule , and that also applies to the witch hunts of certain foods , instinctive reactions to the dramatic sounding new research and trying to solve a global problem that has multiple sources with a solution pool. If we ban all foods high energy, or force them to carry ' health warnings ' and our population continues to suffer from obesity due to genetic factors or lack of exercise or poverty or lack of healthy foods accessible , then we can do our species a disservice. A solution of many fronts is necessary to solve a problem as big as the obesity epidemic here and in the world and until more concrete evidence is produced by a large body of scientific research, I think that the theories of addiction to food and the classification of obesity as a mental illness should not still be embraced as gospel until more research evidence is collected .
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