Is Food Addiction Real?

Eating Disorder Support

Understanding Cravings, Binge Eating, and Treatment

Many people describe feeling “addicted” to food. They may experience strong cravings, loss of control around eating, and distress afterwards. The term food addiction is often used to make sense of these experiences, but it is important to understand what it does – and does not – mean in clinical practice.

This article explains how food addiction is understood by clinicians, how it overlaps with recognised eating disorders, and what support is shown to help.

Is food addiction a recognised diagnosis?

At present, food addiction is not a formal diagnosis in diagnostic systems such as DSM-5 or ICD-11. This means it is not classified in the same way as substance addictions or eating disorders.

However, the term is sometimes used to describe:

• Intense cravings

• Compulsive eating patterns

• Difficulty stopping once eating has started

• Eating in response to emotional distress

  
  

These experiences are very real, even if the label itself remains debated.

Why the concept is controversial

Research shows that highly palatable foods can activate reward pathways in the brain. This has led to comparisons with substance addiction. However, there are important differences.

Unlike drugs or alcohol:

• Food is necessary for survival

• Complete abstinence is not possible or healthy

• Restriction often worsens binge-type behaviours

  
  

For this reason, many clinicians are cautious about using addiction-based models, as they can increase fear, rigidity, and shame around eating.

How this overlaps with eating disorders

What is often described as food addiction overlaps most closely with binge eating disorder (BED) and other binge-type eating difficulties.

People may experience:

• Loss of control during eating

• Eating beyond physical fullness

• Strong guilt or shame afterwards

• Cycles of restriction followed by bingeing

  
  

These patterns are better understood as disordered eating driven by emotional regulation, neurobiology, and learning, rather than addiction to a specific substance.

What actually drives compulsive eating?

Rather than a single cause, compulsive eating is usually influenced by several factors.

Biological factors

• Hunger hormones disrupted by dieting

• Reward sensitivity in the brain

• Stress-related physiological responses

  
  

Psychological factors

• Emotional regulation difficulties

• Using food to cope with distress

• Shame–restriction–binge cycles

  
  

Environmental factors

• Diet culture and moralised food rules

• Irregular eating patterns

• Chronic stress or deprivation

  
  

Cravings are often a response to restriction, not proof of addiction.

Why “addiction” language can be unhelpful

While the term food addiction may feel validating at first, it can also:

• Increase fear of certain foods

• Promote all-or-nothing thinking

• Reinforce cycles of restriction and bingeing

• Reduce trust in internal cues

  
  

For many people, recovery improves when the focus shifts from control to understanding.

What support actually helps

Evidence-based treatment focuses on reducing binge cycles and improving the relationship with food, rather than eliminating “trigger foods”.

Support may include:

Psychological therapy

Therapy helps explore:

• Emotional triggers for eating

• Beliefs about control and shame

• Patterns of restriction and compensation

  
  

CBT and other therapies focus on normalising eating and reducing binge frequency.

Dietetic support

Dietetic work aims to:

• Establish regular, adequate eating

• Reduce deprivation-driven cravings

• Remove rigid food rules

  
  

This often leads to fewer binge episodes over time.

Mindfulness-based approaches

Mindfulness can help people:

• Recognise hunger and fullness cues

• Respond to urges with less reactivity

• Reduce shame after eating

  
  

This is not about “eating perfectly”, but about increasing awareness.

When to seek professional help

If eating feels:

• Compulsive or distressing

• Difficult to regulate

• Driven by shame or secrecy

• Disruptive to health or daily life

  
  

Professional assessment can help clarify whether binge eating disorder or another eating difficulty is present and guide appropriate support.

How we can help

At The Eating Disorders Clinic, we do not treat food addiction as a standalone diagnosis. Instead, we assess eating patterns, emotional factors, and nutritional needs to understand what is maintaining the difficulty.

Our approach is non-restrictive, evidence-based, and individualised.

A gentle next step

If you are struggling with compulsive eating or intense food cravings, you are welcome to book a free initial call to talk things through.

You can also review our website to understand how assessment and support work before making any decisions.

Author: Stefanos Pagonidis – Clinical Director, Lead Dietitian at the Eating Disorders Clinic

References:

• Gearhardt, A. N., Corbin, W. R., & Brownell, K. D. (2009). Preliminary validation of the Yale Food Addiction Scale. Appetite, 52(2), 430-436.

• Davis, C. (2013). From passive overeating to “food addiction”: A spectrum of compulsion and severity. ISRN Obesity, 2013.

• National Health Service (NHS). (2020). Understanding food addiction. Available at: NHS Website