Week 8

Question 1

What is the definition of food addiction

Answer 1

no one is agreed common principles include

Compulsive over eating. Chronic Intake of food beyond homeostatic requirements. Intake of highly palatable foods

Question 2

What are the two main aspects of the food addiction hypothesis

Answer 2

Some foods warrant the classification as addictive substances
Some individuals are prone to becoming addicted to such foods

Question 3

What is the neurology of food addiction

Answer 3

The dopamine system is unbalanced and it overrides the homeostatic system

Question 4

Is the dopamine system down or up regulated as a result of food addiction in rats how does this related to drug addiction

Answer 4

They also had down regulation of dopamine receptors - similar to that of repeated drug consumption

Question 5

What food behaviours to rats take part in which is evidence of food addiction in rats

Answer 5

Binge eating, cue induced motivation, increased consumption over time, eating despite negative consequences (foot shock) and having access to nutritional food. They also showed withdrawal from sugar (but not fat)

Question 6

Discuss the idea that intermittent access of junk food that leads to addiction

Answer 6

While rats become addicted when they only access to the foods at specific times there is no evidence addiction when they have access 24/7

Question 7

What are the most commonly reported symptoms of food addiction

Answer 7

Unsuccessful attempts to restrict food intake and continued consumption despite negative consequences

Question 8

What is likely to occur with food addiction ?

Answer 8

Bmi, binge eating, food craving. Harm avoidance, emotion dysregulation, negative urgency, impulsivity. Mood disorders ptsd and adhd

Question 9

What happens to wanting and needing pathways in womens brains with FA

Answer 9

Womens brains with food addiction an increase in brain activity in motivational areas when anticipating food (looked at a chocolate milkshake) and had a decrease in activation in self control related areas upon actually receiving the food

Question 10

What resting brain patterns are seen in those with obesity

Answer 10

Higherer activation in areas associated with hunger in cases compared to controls

Question 11

Describe dopamine and opioid pathways in those with FA

Answer 11

People with food addiction show elevated dopamine pathways and opioid signalling pathways

Question 12

Discuss attentional biases in people with FA

Answer 12

Women are faster to respond to junk compared to healthy food

Question 13

Discuss inhibitory control in those with FA

Answer 13

There is no evidence of inhibitory control in food addiction

Question 14

Describe the role of performance monitoring in food addiction

Answer 14

People with FA demonstrated difficulty detecting and responding to errors made during the task

Question 15

Discuss the role of inhibition/cognitive flexibility

Answer 15

People with FA found it difficult to inhibit a response even if they knew it was wrong and had trouble adjusting to a new rule, rather they continued to play the game as before

Question 16

Are certain foods addictive

Answer 16

No, evidence leads to the notion that highly processed foods foods high in glycaemic loads (absorbed rapidly by the body e.i carbs sugar) are problematic but not one food is bound to make u addicted

Question 17

Define the differences between obesity and FA

Answer 17

Although FA symptoms can be evident people who are obese. Most people who are obese are not addicted to food. And people with FA are not always over weight

Question 18

desribe the overlap between binge eating disorder and food addiction

Answer 18

50% of those with BED meet criteria for FA which isnt surprising since the criteria for these two disorders share many of the same diagnostic factors.

Question 19

Describe twin studies in FA

Answer 19

Twin studies explained 50% of the variance in the link between sugar intake and polysubstance use the other 50 was accounted for by enviormental factors such as stress

Question 20

Discuss substance use disorders, food disorder and food addiction

Answer 20

There is little overlap between eating disorder and substance use but food addiction shares many of criteria from these two seperate disorders

Question 21

What are the issues of generalising animal studies to humans

Answer 21

Animals are on strict eating routines and kept in unnatural enviroments

Question 22

What are the issues with animal studies

Answer 22

They are kept in an unnatural environment with a strict schedule unlike what humans experience

Question 23

Describe the issue of circularity in FA

Answer 23

The FA scale captures addiction live behaviours, this reinforced the idea that food is addictive but maybe food is only addictive because we can measure it on a scale

Question 24

Describe evidence for and against the evolutionary hypothesis of food

Answer 24

We are exposed to food since birth and eating is a natural reward necessary for survival. Therefore we are dependant on systems appropriate expression of our needs. But hyperpalatable foods are a very recent result of industrialised products and are not essential for survival

Question 25

Give evidence that FA should be classified as behaviour addiction rather than a substance addiction

Answer 25

There is an inability characterise addictive components of food, as well as an inability to quantify an an amount that is addictive. But we can quantify behaviours surrounding food which lead to addiction

Question 26

What are some treatment options for FA

Answer 26

Psychotherapies and cognitive training. Inhibitory control and episodic future thinking. Conditioning

Question 27

Negatives of FA as a disorder

Answer 27

Stigma, labelling, limited public support to fund treatment

Question 28

What are some medications used in fa

Answer 28

Dopamine agonists to activate dopamine recetor to make over eating less rewarding
Opiod antagonists to block feel good receptors and make food less appealing
Deep brain stimulation (surgical procedure)
Trans cranial magnetic stimulation

Question 29

What is neurofeedback

Answer 29

Self regulation of brain activity through operant conditioning

Question 30

What are some society implications of FA

Answer 30

Reduce stigma and make people see that FA is a disease so they are more forgiving of people with FA. Increase self efficacy to reduce self stigma and increase willingness to seek medical treatment decrease ease that we can access addictive foods