Food is the key to life, but as the standard of living of our people has improved, diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity have risen. Many of these patients suffer from a combination of food addiction. Food addiction is a condition in which people are unable to rationally control the amount and duration of consumption of certain foods (generally high-salt, high-fat and high-sugar foods) for a long period of time, and the tolerance to food increases during overeating. Cross-sensitization also occurs. Food addiction-prone people have the following characteristics: 1. irregular diet, unable to eat three meals a day on time; 2. high frequency of eating out; 3. frequent substitution of snacks for regular meals; 4. excessive restriction of diet; 5. childhood sweet tooth; 6. serious picky eating, partial eating; 7. premenstrual syndrome; 8. habit of eating to reduce stress. Several studies have shown that the prevalence of food addiction in the surveyed population ranged from 5.4% to 56.8%, with an average prevalence of 19.9%. The prevalence of food addiction was 11.1% in normal weight people, 24.9% in overweight people (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2), and up to 62% in people with bulimia. Therefore, patients with combined food addiction disorder and are prone to diabetes, hypertension and other obesity-related diseases. We recommend an article that tells you what food addiction disorder is and how to prevent and manage it. It is recommended that people who are overweight and diabetic, as well as those who are friends with people who want to lose weight, read this article carefully. There may be people around you who are obsessed with high-energy foods rich in sugar and fat and cannot resist eating such favorite foods whenever they see them, even when they are full. In general, we will call this situation gluttony, gluttony. But, eaters pay attention! This may be a mental illness, called food addiction. In many people’s concept, “food addiction” is still a relatively new term, and I am also confused, food is just a necessary substance for survival, how can addiction? Along with the questions, I will join my doctors and friends to understand the “hidden” behind the metabolic disease of food addiction and unveil its mysterious veil. I. What is food addiction? Before understanding the definition of food addiction, let’s look at a few terms: 1. Binge eating refers to the uncontrollable intake of large amounts of food during abnormal eating times to achieve psychological comfort. 2. Withdrawal refers to the specific psychophysiological reactions that occur when people stop or reduce their intake of the food in the process of trying to change or destroy this harmful and unhealthy addiction, including anxiety, excitement, cravings, frustration and anger. 3.Tolerance refers to the physiological reactions such as satiety, satisfaction and pleasure that occur when the body’s response to the amount of that food decreases when a certain food is continuously consumed and the amount of food needs to be increased to achieve the original amount of food consumed. 4, cross-sensitization is based on the principle of drug sensitization, drug sensitization that repeatedly given the same dose of drugs, not only does not reduce the pharmacological effects of drugs, but also enhance the body’s tolerance; given two or more drugs, cross-sensitization between the two drugs will enhance the effectiveness of another drug. After being familiar with the above terms, let’s look at the definition of food addiction: the inability to rationally control the amount and duration of consumption of a certain food, and at the same time, tolerance, withdrawal, and craving behaviors for the corresponding food. In other words, food addiction is the inability to rationally control the amount and duration of consumption of a certain food (generally high-salt, high-fat, high-sugar foods) for a long period of time, and the tolerance to food increases during overeating. These symptoms are similar to the behavioral characteristics of drug addiction and alcohol addiction, and there is also a cross-sensitization phenomenon. (Food addiction epidemiological findings The literature on food addiction is also limited and mostly focuses on obese and diabetic populations. A meta-analysis that included 28 papers showed that the prevalence of food addiction in the investigated population ranged from 5.4% to 56.8%, with a mean prevalence of 19.9%. The prevalence of food addiction was 11.1% in normal-weight people, 24.9% in overweight people (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2), and up to 62% in people with binge eating disorder. Another comparison by age and gender found that those aged >35 years were higher than those aged <35 years (22.2% vs. 17.0%); women were higher than men (12.2% vs. 6.4%). A 2015 study from Australia included 344 patients with type 2 diabetes evaluated for food addiction and found that 70% of patients with type 2 diabetes met the diagnosis of food addiction and that BMI was elevated in patients with type 2 diabetes with food addiction. A 2016 report published in the Chinese Journal of Diabetes on food addiction in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients in northeast China noted that the prevalence of food addiction among the included newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients was 8.65%, significantly higher than those with normal blood glucose (1.28%). Among them, food addicts were younger and had higher obesity-related measurements (weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio), blood uric acid, fasting glucose, and insulin resistance index compared to non-food addicts. This is the first article published in China on diabetes and food addiction related to diabetes. Third, the clinical manifestation of food addiction Liu is a college student in Nanjing, 22 years old, 1.55 meters tall, weighing 140 pounds, and obese. Because of a quarrel with his family, he started to eat desperately, then ate laxatives, continued to eat after diarrhea, and so on, and later developed to even use his fingers to induce vomiting. After a few months, there was a serious endocrine disorder. This is a real typical case of food addiction disorder. If a food is consumed for a long time, a physical and psychological dependence on it may develop. If you stop eating the food, you will develop specific behavioral characteristics - craving, anxiety, depression, etc.; when you get the food again, you will overeat and even binge. Food addiction-prone people have the following characteristics: 1. irregular diet, not eating three meals a day on time; 2. high frequency of eating out; 3. frequent substitution of snacks for regular meals; 4. overly restrictive diet; 5. childhood sweet tooth habits; 6. serious picky eating, partial eating; 7. premenstrual syndrome; 8. habit of eating to reduce stress. V. Foods that are more likely to cause addiction Not all foods cause addiction. Processed foods rich in fat, sugar and/or salt, and caffeine may have a higher addictive potential. Ingredients such as salt, sugar and fat give food better taste and flavor, while caffeine unknowingly promotes the physiological and psychological desire to consume soft drinks. 1, high sugar food: too much sugar in the diet can cause blood sugar fluctuations, first excessive blood sugar, then under the action of a large amount of insulin, blood sugar and quickly drop to the trough, re-generating the desire for sweets, forming a vicious circle. In addition, foods with high sugar content stimulate specific areas in the brain, thus constantly releasing signals of food cravings, cueing the addict to continue eating. Typical foods: sweet drinks, candy, desserts Alternative foods: mint sparkling water, vegetable juice, fresh fruit, dark chocolate with more than 70% cocoa butter 2, high-fat diet: fat not only provides energy, but also is an important source of flavor in food, which can stimulate appetite. But the trans-fats in fried foods and saturated fats in fatty meats are unhealthy fats, long-term consumption will lead to a decline in striatal activity, the amount of such food is also rising, causing a vicious circle. Typical foods: potato chips, fried chicken, fatty meat Alternative foods: nuts, roasted vegetable slices, fish 3, high sugar + high fat food: the combination of fat plus sugar is the most addictive, the stimulation of the brain reward circuit than simple high fat food or high sugar food is much greater. Typical foods: doughnuts, butter cookies, buttercream, ice cream Alternative foods: granola bars, fruit smoothies, cheese 4, foods rich in caffeine: after the body's blood sugar is lowered, in addition to eating sweets can make blood sugar back up, caffeine can play the same role, it can raise stress hormone levels and thus raise blood sugar, which is the reason why drinking coffee will make people feel awake. Not only is caffeine addictive, but it also lowers the functioning of the nervous system. In order to get back to a sober state, you need to consume more and more caffeine, and your adrenal glands will be overwhelmed by this. Typical foods: coffee, cola, milk tea, some teas Alternative foods: water, lemonade, bananas, citrus 5, refined foods: Although, there is not enough evidence to prove that any refined ingredients are addictive foods, but such foods have the characteristics of releasing energy quickly, keeping blood sugar levels high and stimulating insulin secretion. In particular, refined carbohydrates with added refined sugar, corn syrup, and dextrin increase the secretion of appetite-stimulating hormones, making the brain crave more food while suppressing the production of satiety. Typical foods: cookies, white bread, white rice, white buns Alternative foods: potatoes, beans, corn, yams 6, pickled foods: pickled foods are very high in sodium and act like opioid receptor agonists in the brain, inducing the release of dopamine and making people feel happy. Typical food: meat sausage, salted fish, pickles, bacon Alternative food: sour food