In 2004, "Super Size Me" made Americans cringe as they watched filmmaker Morgan Spurlock balloon 25 pounds as he ate his way through a monthlong fast food binge. Spurlock's rising kidney enzymes, expanding waistline and declining health graphically revealed the physical toll of a fat-laden, low-nutrient diet. Over time, Spurlock claimed to develop a craving for the food that was damaging his liver and clogging his arteries. Like an addict, after a short period of overindulgence, he began to find solace in the very food that was killing him.
Fast Food
Spurlock's story of food addiction may sound familiar to busy people on the go, grabbing a hamburger and fries for lunch and picking up takeout after a long day of work. According to the USDA's 1994 to 1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals, fast food makes up more than one-third of the calories consumed in a day by adults who frequent fast food restaurants.
Super-Size Research
The documentary "Super Size Me" was not grounded in nutrition science, but the film inspired a 2008 study in Sweden. The study, published in the journal "Gut," attempted to determine if Spurlock's results could be replicated in a controlled research setting. Similar to Spurlock's experimental diet, participants were required to eat a minimum of two fast-food meals daily -- with the goal of doubling their usual calorie intake -- and discontinue exercise and vigorous physical activity for one month. Although the study was small -- only 18 participants were placed in the intervention group -- the results did mirror Spurlock's physical and biochemical changes. The subjects gained weight, increased triglyceride levels and developed elevated liver enzymes. However, the study did not attempt to measure psychological changes or monitor subjects for signs of addictive behaviors. The study added weight to Spurlock's conclusions about the effects of overconsumption of fast food, but it failed to address the addiction component.
Evidence of Addiction
Repeated exposure to great-tasting foods triggers cravings in many individuals. While the development of a food craving does not meet the criteria for classification as an actual addiction, some aspects of overeating do mimic addiction behavior. In 2010, researchers in the journal "Nature Neuroscience" demonstrated that when laboratory rats are exposed to high volumes of great-tasting food, they become obese and eat compulsively, and their brains transmit signals in a fashion similar to a heroin addict. It's easy to draw the parallels to today's world, where the sights and smells of fast food decorate most communities in America.
Addictive Environments
Many researchers disagree with the idea that fast food -- or any type of food -- is clinically addictive. These researchers point out that chronic overeaters do not meet all diagnostic criteria for addiction. Instead, an article published in 2010 in "European Eating Disorders Review" suggests that food-laden environments may be to blame for overeating. This toxic food environment poses many opportunities to overeat and may drive people to overconsume because of temptation rather than addiction.
References
- Common Sense Media: Supersize Me
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; Fast Food Consumption of U.S. Adults: Impact on Energy and Nutrient Intakes and Overweight Status; Bowman et. al.; April 2004
- "Gut"; Fast Food Based Hyper-Alimentation Can Induce Rapid and Profound Elevation of Serum Alanine Aminotransferase in Healthy Subjects; Ketchagius et. al.; May 2008
- "Nature Neuroscience"; Dopamine D2 Receptors in Addiction-like Reward Dysfunction and Compulsive Eating in Obese Rats; Johnson et. al.; March 28, 2010
- "European Eating Disorders Review"; Eating Disorders, Obesity and Addiction; Wilson; September 2010
