Chunk 0 Report post Posted January 30, 2003 from the BBC: Fast food 'as addictive as heroin' Hamburgers and French fries could be as addictive as heroin, scientists have claimed. Researchers in the United States have found evidence to suggest people can become overly dependent on the sugar and fat in fast food. The controversial findings add weight to claims that over-eating is simply down to a lack of self-control. It may also explain soaring rates of obesity in the western world. Dr John Hoebel and colleagues at Princeton University in New Jersey based their theory on a study of rats. 'Cold turkey' They found that rats fed a diet containing 25% sugar are thrown into a state of anxiety when the sugar is removed. Their symptoms included chattering teeth and the shakes - similar to those seen in people withdrawing from nicotine or morphine, according to researchers. Dr Hoebel said he believed high-fat foods stimulate opioids or 'pleasure chemicals' in the brain. "The implication is that some animals - and by extension some people - can become overly dependent on sweet food," he said. Further studies published in New Scientist magazine back up this theory. Ann Kelley, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, the behaviour of rats after the were given sweet, salty and fatty foods. She found a link between the brain's pleasure chemicals and a craving for this type of food. She stimulated the rats' brains with a synthetic version of the natural opioid enkephalin. This caused rats to eat up to six times their normal intake of fat. In addition, Dr Kelley identified long-lasting changes in rats' brain chemistry - similar to those caused by extended use of morphine or heroin. Dr Kelley said: "This says that mere exposure to pleasurable tasty foods is enough to change gene expression and that suggests that you could be addicted to food." However, other experts expressed doubts over whether people can become addicted to food. Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition lobby group in Washington DC, said there was a lack of evidence. "I think the burden is on advocates of the addiction argument to provide evidence of addiction," he said. Dr Jeane Randolph, from the University of Toronto, dismissed the theory. She said fast food causes blood sugar to peak and then plunge, creating a natural desire for another snack. "It's a set-up for a late-afternoon binge rather than addiction," she said. Wierd huh. I guess im not the only one that does a couple of lines of milkshake in the morning. lol ChUnK! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Sandman9000 Report post Posted January 30, 2003 ::Injects a Big Mac into his arm:: I'm not addicted! I can quit any time I want! (And go to Burger King, Taco Bell, Wendy's...) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest converge241 Report post Posted January 30, 2003 i crave wendy chicken nuggets like a fiend so maybe Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chunk 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2003 ::Injects a Big Mac into his arm:: I'm not addicted! I can quit any time I want! (And go to Burger King, Taco Bell, Wendy's...) lol I just got an image of an arm with a huge burger shape bulge under the skin. lol ChUnK! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest kkktookmybabyaway Report post Posted February 1, 2003 Keep 'dem lawsuits coming!!! One of 'em is bound to cash in... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Agent of Oblivion Report post Posted February 1, 2003 Holy fuck I'm going to jump all over this. I haven't been to the doctor in a while, but I imagine my blood pressure's still pretty high. Besides, I've got an "addictive personality" so I bet I could win. Look out Ronald McDonald. I'm gonna fuck your shit up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chunk 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2003 Did you hear about the american (im not sure if they were male or female) that sued McDonalds for making them fat. I'm not sure how much truth is in that story, but it made me laugh. ChUnK! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
