Food Addiction Clinical Trials 2023

What Are Food Addiction Clinical Trials?

Food addiction is when the afflicted person suffers from an overreliance on food. Like other addictive behaviors, food addiction can harm those experiencing it. Food addiction is characterized by binge eating and an inability to control oneself around food.

Common signs of food addiction include regular overeating, cravings despite being full, continuously eating until too full, hiding food from others, and an overall inability to stop eating. Approximately 20% of people may have a food addiction or display addictive eating habits.

Food addiction clinical trials explore the similarities between food addiction and substance abuse disorders to discover an effective treatment to control these habits.

Why is Food Addiction Being Studied Through Clinical Trials?

Currently, there are over 70 million adults with food addiction all over the world, and this number is expected to increase. This is a cause for concern, so food addiction has become central to clinical trial research.

Food can have the same effect on the brain as other drugs and addictive substances, which is why it can be potentially dangerous. Food addiction causes obesity, a leading concern in the U.S. According to the CDC, obesity is a costly concern for the nation. The estimated medical cost of obesity was $173 in 2019.

Given the threat of food addiction, it must be studied through clinical trials that can devise better ways to control the common causes behind this addiction.

What Are the Types of Treatments Available for Food Addiction?

While food addiction is not considered a mental disorder under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), its treatment is similar to other kinds of addiction.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Drug Therapy
• 12-Step Programs for food disorders

What Are Some Recent Breakthrough Clinical Trials for Food Addiction?

There have been several landmark studies involving food addiction in recent years. Some of the most recent studies are:

2019: The study explores the similarities between overeating, the precursor to food addiction, and substance abuse. It establishes causes of food addiction like impaired control, impulsive tendencies, reward sensitivity, and cravings. These findings pave the way for better, more targeted interventions to overcome food addiction.

2013: The study established a correlation between food addiction and obesity, reporting findings that food addiction is a major contributing factor to the severity of obesity. It also found that food addiction shares a similar neurobiological pattern with substance addiction.

Who Are Some of the Key Opinion Leaders / Researchers / Institutions Conducting Food Addiction Clinical Trials Research?

Dr. Nicole Avena is a neuroscientist and resident expert on nutrition and food addiction. She has pioneered much research on food addiction, which has opened up avenues for medicinal and nutritional interventions. She is known for her ground-breaking research exploring how highly-palatable foods can induce addictive eating habits.

Dr. Mark Gold reserves particular interest in food addictive behaviors. He has produced the famous hypothesis, which establishes a link between great food and other addictive habits like sex and gambling. He is touted as a prominent addiction researcher by the Wall Street Journal.