People Who Are Impulsive Have Higher Chances of Binge Eating

Impulsive individuals are at a much higher risk of binge eating, according to a recent study.

Researchers from the University of Georgia have found the same kind of impulsive behavior that lead people to abuse alcohol and other drugs may also be an important contributor to an unhealthy relationship with food. They discovered that people with impulsive personalities were more likely to report higher levels of food addiction which was in turn directly associated with obesity. Their study was published in the journal Appetite.

"The notion of food addiction is a very new one, and one that has generated a lot of interest," said James McKillop, the study's principal investigator and associate professor of psychology in UGA's Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. "My lab generally studies alcohol, nicotine and other forms of drug addiction, but we think it's possible to think about impulsivity, food addiction and obesity using some of the same techniques."

Dr. McKillop and his colleagues hope that their research will help physicians and other experts plan treatments and interventions for obese people who have developed an addiction to food, paving the way for a healthier lifestyle. "Our study shows that impulsive behavior was not necessarily associated with obesity, but impulsive behaviors can lead to food addiction." He added: "Modern neuroscience has helped us understand how substances like drugs and alcohol co-opt areas of the brain that evolved to release dopamine and create a sense of happiness or satisfaction."

"And now we realize that certain types of foods also hijack these brain circuits and lay the foundation for compulsive eating habits that are similar to drug addiction."