Brain on food: chocoholia and drug addiction

clipped from www.sciam.com Mounting evidence shows that compulsive eating and drug abuse engage some of the same brain circuits in similar ways, offering a new angle for understanding and treating obesity. The system in the brain that both drugs and food activate is basically the circuitry that evolved to reward behaviors that are essential for our survival. One of the reasons why humans are attracted to food is because of its rewarding, pleasurable properties. High calorie foods—particularly foods that are high in fat or sugar—are more likely to trigger compulsive eating. Addiction is not a choice. It is a reflexive response. The message that you get when dopamine is liberated in striatum—in this case, the dorsal striatum—is that you need to get into action to achieve a certain goal. It is a powerful motivator. It is extremely hard to overcome these impulses with sheer willpower.