Interesting Addictions

The one eating disorder that seems to function most like a traditional drug addiction, however, is binge eating—in which people spend excessive amounts of time thinking about or planning eating experiences, and engage in periods of frenzied eating, often past the point of fullness. It’s not hard to see how this particular behavior can become pathological. From an evolutionary standpoint, getting humans to nourish themselves is one of the primary reasons the reward system even exists. Scientists have determined that tasty foods—in particular those high in sugar and fat—activate the dopamine reward circuit the same way drugs do. Other addictions include the internet and all the wonderful social media and communication services that come with it. A recent addition to the hallowed pages of the DSM-5, “Internet gaming disorder” is listed in the section on disorders requiring more study. The extra interest comes mostly because of reports out of Asia of young males becoming so engrossed in their game of choice that they stop eating, commit suicide or neglect their children. Would you ever get so interested in the online world that you would even forget about your kids?