When Hunger Becomes Habit: Unraveling The Neurobiology Of Eating Addiction

Abstract

Food addiction is a psychosomatic health status that is indicated by high food cravings and frequent need to eat even in unsuitable circumstances. Using PRISMA chart guidelines to collect, extract, and clean all reports related to this review. A total of 1051 studies were collected from different search engines. Only 47 obeyed the screening after removing any reported in the scope. It has been shown that the current estimates suggest that approximately 5%–20% of adults, and nearly half of individuals with obesity, may show signs of food addiction. Different types of cravings were reported, such as Pica, chocolate, carbs, and salty food cravings. Different cases are related to frequent cravings, such as pregnant women, women with PMS, and children's desserts. It has been recommended that many governmental efforts must be carried out to control food addiction and shed light on the risk of obesity and its consequent chronic diseases.