An overwhelming body of scientific evidence has led experts to conclude that fatty and sugary foods have the same addiction potential as drugs. This puts cupcakes in the same boat as cocaine – high in price, low in quantity, and a lot of fun with a stripper.

In the 28 studies published on food addiction this year, scientists have come to the conclusion that fatty and sugary food triggers the same areas of the brain that drugs do. This is known as the brain’s “reward centre” and is the main reason that you get addicted to something. If you do something to stimulate the reward centre, your brain releases a whole bunch of happy into your system, and you feel good. The next time you’re sad, the brain remembers what you did, and that’s where you get the craving for Columbian Marching Powder.

Participants in the study were subjected to some interesting tests, including being put into an MRI to see what the brain was doing when shown pictures of food. In some subjects, showing a picture of broccoli did nothing, whilst a picture of a milkshake lit up the same areas of the brain as an alcoholic in anticipation of a drink.

This is of course nothing new – feel sad, eat a cupcake. It’s a tried and trusted method. The evidence however does open up a whole new web of legal ground – should companies that manufacture these foods be held accountable for causing obesity in their consumers? If their food is addictive, should packs of Romany Creams carry warning labels and pictures of obese people?

[Source: Bloomberg]