Crash dieters' cravings 'like drug addiction'

Published on Monday 9 November 2009 21:51

YO-YO dieting may produce withdrawal symptoms similar to those suffered by alcoholics and drug addicts, a study suggests.

Many people who diet get locked into a cycle of calorie- cutting and binge-eating.

The new research on rats suggests they may be experiencing effects in the brain seen in relapsing drug users.

Scientists found that when the rats were deprived of sugary food it affected a stress gene in the brain.

Only when the animals were fed the chocolate-flavoured food did stress levels abate.

The same stress system has been implicated in alcoholics and drug addicts who cannot beat their cravings.

Dr Valentina Sabino said:

"The stress experienced by frequent dieters in abstinence from palatable food has neurobiological similarities to the negative emotional state of drug and alcohol addicts."