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A narrative review of potential treatment strategies for food addiction

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Abstract

The concept of food addiction (FA) remains controversial with research being in the nascent stages; FA like any addiction can have a devastating impact on the lives of those afflicted. There exists a clinical need for treatment strategies for those affected. This article reviews potential treatment strategies for FA. The treatment strategies target four core behaviours of the addiction phenotype specifically craving through the opioid system, impulsivity as a personality trait, compulsivity through the serotonergic system and lastly motivation through the dopaminergic system. A range of pharmacological and psychological interventions are reviewed. Future research should seek to test and validate the proposed clinical treatment strategies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia

    Shae-Leigh C. Vella & Nagesh B. Pai

  2. Wollongong Hospital, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, NSW, Australia

    Nagesh B. Pai

Authors
  1. Shae-Leigh C. Vella
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  2. Nagesh B. Pai
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Correspondence to Shae-Leigh C. Vella.

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This article is part of the topical collection on Food addiction.

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Vella, SL.C., Pai, N.B. A narrative review of potential treatment strategies for food addiction. Eat Weight Disord 22, 387–393 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-017-0400-2

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