Obesity and Food Addiction: Consumption of High-Fructose Corn Syrup and the Effectiveness of Clinical-Nutritional Management

¹Specialized Unit in Research, Development and Innovation in Genomic Medicine, Nayarit Center for Innovation and Technology Transference, Autonomous University of Nayarit, Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico
²Integral Health Academic Unit, Degree in Nutrition, Autonomous University of Nayarit, Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico
³Civil Hospital Dr. Antonio González Guevara, Health Services in Nayarit, Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico

*Corresponding author: Unit specialized in Research, Development and Innovation in Genomic Medicine, Nayarit Center for Innovation and Technology Transfer, Autonomous University of Nayarit, Av. Emilio M. Gonzalez S/N, Col. Ciudad Industrial, Tepic, 63173, Nayarit, Mexico, E-mail: [email protected]; Tel: +52-331-252-3644.
Received: December 14, 2019
Published: August 26, 2020

ABSTRACT

Over time, food has undergone modifications to become an unhealthy diet. Currently, the consumption of processed foods with a high content of simple sugars and saturated fats is preferred, making the food a health risk. This situation has increased obesity rates becoming a serious problem worldwide. The constant consumption of foods enriched with high-fructose corn syrup exerts a direct effect on the dopaminergic mesolimbic system, estimulate the synthesis of dopamine causing a sensation of pleasure. Continued use of these foods establishes the process of food addiction, which causes neuroadaptive changes and increased reactive tolerance. This causes overeating even knowing the health consequences. The uncontrollable weight gain highlights the need that obesity to be considered as a condition derived from an addictive process. Moreover, the constant failure of clinical-nutritional treatments in the obese patient is related to food addiction. Continuous contact with processed foods causes an addictive reminder, which favors the patient to regain lost weight. This is why the need to modify the approach to obesity, implement specialized treatments involving a multidisciplinary team. In this way, it will be possible to directly influence the problem of obesity, which is a direct cause of the main pathologies that affect today's world society.

Keywords: Obesity; Food Addiction; High-Fructose Corn Syrup; Cerebral Reward System; Dopamine; Addictive Process