Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
The Current

Can food be addictive?

With a new study out of Memorial University indicating 1 out of 20 Canadians has a food addiction, we're asking about the research, the reality and the consequences of legitimizing certain foods as addictive substances....
CBC Radio ·
The Current21:59Can food be addictive? - Sept 18, 2013
With a new study out of Memorial University indicating 1 out of 20 Canadians has a food addiction, we're asking about the research, the reality and the consequences of legitimizing certain foods as addictive substances.


Research suggests 1 in 20 Canadians are addicted to food

It's hard to turn on the TV and not be tempted by advertisements for the greasiest, fattiest and sweetest foods you can imagine. It can be a guilty pleasure for most -- but some Canadians say the pressure to consume is more than just tantalizing.

A new study compiled by a research team at Newfoundland's Memorial University suggests five per cent of Canadians are certified "food addicts." It's a controversial diagnosis with some wondering if you can actually be addicted to food.

Mike Mackinnon says he is a food addict and has been all his life and always will be. He has been in recovery for four years. Mike Mackinnon was in Guelph, Ontario.

Is food an addiction?

  • Dr. Vera Tarman is a medical director at Renascent, one of the country's largest rehabilitation centres for drug and alcohol abuse. She would like to see wider recognition of food addiction as a medical condition. Vera Tarman was in Toronto.
  • Hisham Ziauddeen feels differently, he says viewing food as an addiction is problematic because current research hasn't given us conclusive answers. Hisham Ziauddeen is a clinical research associate with the University of Cambridge's Department of Psychiatry.

What are your thoughts on the food addiction debate?

Tweet us @thecurrentcbc. Follow us on Facebook. Or e-mail us through our website. Call us toll-free at 1 877 287 7366. And as always if you missed anything on The Current, grab a podcast.

This segment was produced by The Current's Lara O'Brien and Pacinthe Mattar.

More from this episode