Dr. Lovejoy: I would like to ask a controversial question that ties to what most of the speakers have talked about. Are there specific foods, for example those high in sugar or fat, that have effects on the brain or body that are parallel to those of addictive drugs? If that is the case, do we need to consider this in relation to obesity treatment and strategies for a healthy diet?Dr. Rolls: I presume you are talking about addiction in a stringent way using a formal definition that includes withdrawal symptoms. Dr. Lovejoy: I think that has been a part of the controversy. There are those who would argue that the stringent definition of addiction applies to food, including withdrawal. But others disagree and say that it's not truly addiction with food. But obviously certain foods are stimulating the same areas in the brain as addictive drugs. How do we come to grips with that as a field in a way that makes sense to the public?
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