Neuroscience of Reward: Implications for Food Addiction and Nutrition Policy

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization, unhealthy diet is one key contributor to the development of noncommunicable diseases. The global response to this problem has primarily involved the implementation of nutritional policies intended on raising public awareness, and providing information through nutritional guidelines and product labels. However, there is experimental evidence suggesting that certain foods may promote addictive processes and consequent unhealthy dietary choices. This review discusses neurobiological mechanisms of reward involved in the consumption of refined sugars and fats, and the aforementioned indicators of their addictive characteristics. By acknowledging that these foods can act on brain reward systems to promote excessive or addictive consumption, policy makers may need to address issues of unhealthy diets by considering approaches that target availability, regulations within the food industry, taxation and advertising.

Effect of steady-state methadone on high fructose corn syrup consumption in rats

“…This said, because this is the first demonstration of modified POMC mRNA expression by liquid HFCS, it will be important to verify whether exposure to other concentrations, or other palatable foods differing in glucose/fructose ratios, can produce similar effects. Incidentally, these data are relevant to the hypothesis of food addiction (Horman and Leri, 2016) which involves the HPA stress axis and its role in behavioral responses to drugs of abuse (Hildebrandt and Greif, 2013).…”

“…can produce similar effects. Incidentally, these data are relevant to the hypothesis of food addiction (Horman and Leri, 2016) which involves the HPA stress axis and its role in behavioral responses to drugs of abuse (Hildebrandt and Greif, 2013). Along the same line of reasoning, reductions of D2R binding observed in both obese and drug-addicted individuals are considered critical to compulsive reward seeking (Blum et al, 1996;Johnson and Kenny, 2010;Volkow et al, 2013).…”