Overeating and Dieting Linked to Addiction, in Rats

Quitting a bad diet, and switching to a healthy one, might be just as difficult as kicking drug addiction.

When weaning rats off a high-calorie diet, researchers found similar effects on their brain to stopping drugs and alcohol.

Granted, rats and humans have very different brains—most of the time—but scientists believe these findings help explain why diets fail.

Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, experts claim when overeaters try to go on a diet it causes stress hormones in their brains to run wild.

This freaks them out, leading to anxiety, decreased motivation, and unwillingness to try other foods. A similar effect is seen with drug addiction.

To test this out, researchers gave the rats regular food for 5 days, then switched them to a chocolate-flavored sugary food, and after eating the junk food, the rats didn’t want to go back to the regular stuff.

And when deprived of the sugar, the rats’ brains acted as if they were coming off booze or drugs.

Researchers say knowing how food effects the brain can help treat people with obesity.

Via HealthDay News.

Image credit: In Other Words