WEDNESDAY, April 25, 2012 — A history of binge eating, which the National Eating Disorders Association defines as eating excessively large amounts of food while feeling out of control, may increase a person's likelihood for other addictive behaviors, a new rat study from the Penn State College of Medicine found.
PSU researchers looked at a link between binging on fatty foods and developing a cocaine addiction. To test this, four groups of rats were put on one of four diets: normal rat chow, continuous access to fat, one hour of daily access to fat, and one hour of access to fat three days a week. All rats had continuous access to chow and water.
Next, researchers gave the rats optional tests that rewarded them with cocaine, and monitored the rats' drug seeking and taking behaviors. The rats with the most restricted access to fat were more likely to take cocaine, and continued to try to get it once the researchers made it unavailable.
"In our study, the probability of addiction to cocaine increased to approximately 50 (percent) for subjects with a history of having binged on fat," said Patricia Sue Grigson, Ph.D., who led the team of researchers that studied the rats.
Previously, numerous studies have found that sugary or fatty foods, such as ice cream or fast food, activate the same pathways in the brain as drug use. When these pleasure centers in the brain become continuously overloaded, people with food or substance addiction have to take more and more of their drug of choice to feel satisfied, falling into an out-of-control spiral. Researchers on the Penn State study hope that this information will lead to the development of long-term solutions for all addictions.
What Triggers Eating Disorders?
The effects of eating disorders can be devastating — and deadly. Although the causes of eating disorders vary widely from person to person, new research published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a lack of support following a traumatic life event may be a contributing factor.
In a study of 26 women and one man who had been living with eating disorders for an average of 20 years, researchers from the University of Minnesota identified a few themes that commonly brought on eating disorders. Topping the list? School transitions, relationship changes, including divorce, death in the family, home and job transitions, illness and hospitalizations, and abuse or sexual assault.
Almost all of the volunteers reported that a sense of loneliness and isolation trigger their disordered eating. "I felt really alone and had no-one to talk to or hang out with," said one woman who began to struggle with food after moving and starting a new job. "I just felt lost and my eating problems began," reported another.
Last Updated: 4/25/2012