Fatty foods may cause cocaine-like addiction

[Writer]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/28/fatty.foods.brain/

Scientists have finally confirmed what the rest of us have suspected for years: Bacon, cheesecake, and other delicious yet fattening foods may be addictive.

A new study in rats suggests that high-fat, high-calorie foods affect the brain in much the same way as cocaine and heroin. When rats consume these foods in great enough quantities, it leads to compulsive eating habits that resemble drug addiction, the study found.

[canetoad]

Mmmmmmmm

Bacon.

[louis-t]

1. Don't I know it.

Gotta go eat now. Lasagna tonight.

[virgogal]

2. Another stupid waste of money study.

[lame54]

3. Is that why fat guys are always getting laid?

[Nikki Stone1]

4. I am not surprised. Just look at people with a bag of chips.

..

[carlyhippy]

5. oh noooo, then most of us are considered druggies by definition?

no more coke heads....we are fat heads...

[Arugula Latte]

8. "cake heads"

:)

[Kahuna]

6. I know that's right. My addiction to cheesecake caused me to gain...

a lot of weight. I'm happy to report that I am a recovering cheesecake addict. :patriot:

[951-Riverside]

7. Loneliness and depression may also cause a fatty foods addition.

Now excuse me I need to order 3 double whoppers, a large coke and pizza. :cry:

[applegrove]

20. I'm definitely one of those people who gets easily addicted to food.

[XemaSab]

9. This is the silliest thing I ever heard

Back in the day, fatty foods were a terrific source of calories, so we evolved to like to eat fatty foods.

Now fatty foods are still a terrific source of calories, so we still like to eat fatty foods.

Seriously, I think all food is like cocaine and heroin.

Every damn day, several times a day, I find myself heading into the kitchen to get more food. I just can't stop.

Do I need to go to rehab?

[Canuckistanian]

10. Hand me the Prime Rib. Real slow.

And no one gets hurt.

[Alexander]

11. Really?

[REP]

12. Image

Stolen. By me. Thanks!

[Alexander]

15. It's one of my favorite motivational poster-style images. No problem.

Another favorite of mine:

[REP]

17. I love that one too

You obviously have great taste. :-)

[Alexander]

16. Dupe

[a la izquierda]

21. love it...

I'm bu-bu-bu-bu-back!

[ddeclue]

13. So I need a razor blade.. a dollar bill.. a mirror.. and some BBQ pork?

:rofl:

[demosincebirth]

14. People, please stop it !

[high density]

18. So rats like tasty fatty stuff as well?

Huh, who woulda thunk it?

[Abq_Sarah]

19. I call BS

It's the carbs, not the fat that make you hungry for more. If you went to your favorite steak house and ate a 12 oz sirloin, chances are you'd decline a second steak if it were brought out and offered to you, claiming you were too stuffed to eat another. But... if they rolled out a desert cart full of sugary treats, most people would magically find the extra room to chow down on that piece of cheesecake.

[upi402]

24. Actually, in the article it gave *cheesecake* as an example

Anyway, SOMETHING is up. I agree that it's probably many issues, not just fat and calories. Sugar is an obvious one too. Carbs would be a good focus for a study, and GI, Glycemic Index increasers.

[Abq_Sarah]

28. If they want to show fat is the cause

They need to exclude protein and sugar. It's absurd to claim cheesecake is bad because it's high in fat without looking at the sugar as well.

[upi402]

32. true

sure hope there will be more studies to come. i'm not fat but would rather not have to go to the gym 4-5 days a week to keep it that way. Americans were never this fat and consumed by diet and being thin at the same time. something is up, where there's smoke...

[ecstatic]

29. I agree. It's the carbs... the things I'm addicted to have almost no

fat but are full of carbs. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE cheesecake too!

[Arkana]

22. I'd rather be hooked on bacon than crack.

Bacon tastes better, at least.

[Cid_B]

30. What about bacon flavored crack?

Good lord.. I think I've got a drug empire in the making..

[upi402]

23. I've been saying this for YEARS!

Yay! Finally.:bounce:

[HuckleB]

25. Probably anything can cause such an addiction.

TV. Video games. Gardening. One's marble collection.

The things we've BEGUN (as in just begun) to learn about brain plasticity make such a "revelation" not so much of a discovery, but more of another confirming step in our understanding.

[upi402]

26. Is health.com a valid source? n/t

[ecstatic]

27. I'm having a tough time with Snyders Old Tyme pretzels

I think about them at least once a day. They are not fattening, but they are salty as hell with a bunch of calories. :(

[Warren DeMontague]

31. I tried snorting a Wendy's triple bacon cheeseburger once, in college.

Bad idea.

[BlueIris]

33. Food addiction is really no better than heroin, cocaine, meth or alcohol addiction.

I hate food addicts.