Food addiction is a brain disease like alchoholism and drug addiction. It causes loss of control over the ability to stop eating certain foods. The body of a food addict has become depentent on certain foods. Scientifically, food addiction is a cluster of chemical dependencies on specific foods or food in general. After the ingestion of highly palatable foods such as sugar, excess fat, flour, grains and or salt, the brains of some people develop a physical craving for these foods.

Over time, the progressive eating of these foods distorts their thinking and despite negative consequences they are unable to stop the behavior.

Food addiction is a DIFFERENT disease than non-substance dependent obesity and eating disorders. Food addiction requires a DIFFERENT approach to treatment. While all of the overweight and obese people are not food addicted, chemical dependency (addiction) is one of the driving forces of the obesity epidemic. Food addiction is a more complex and difficult problem and requires special, addiction informed care in order to be properly and successfully treated.