The Effects of Food on Mood and Behavior: Implications for the Addictions Model of Obesity and Eating Disorders
- 23 March 2000
- journal article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Drugs & Society
- Vol. 15 (1-2) , 17-47
- https://doi.org/10.1300/j023v15n01_02
Abstract
The addictions model of obesity claims that individuals gain excess weight due to their dependence on and inability to control the intake of certain food substances. The dependence and lack of control over these food substances is undergirded by, according to the addictions model, the psychoactive properties of foods. The article reviews the literature on the purported psychoactive effects of foods and concludes that although, under certain circumstances, some food substances may have subtle effects on mood and behavior, the effects of food are quite different from that of psychoactive drugs such as nicotine and alcohol. Therefore, the food addictions model is unlikely to provide a fruitful paradigm for understanding the complex problem of obesity.Keywords
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