How Widespread Is Food Addiction in Our Culture?

Abstract

Addiction is a term that has shock value. As Michael Moss indicates, the word conjures up visions of tragic celebrity deaths, street crime, crack houses, and abandoned children. Although the quote above and the subtitle of his book, , are as close as Moss gets to accusing Big Food of addicting us to junk foods, the book and associated tour brought national attention to the topic. Other authors have not been as careful in using the term. Some, like Moss, suggest that the linkage of food addiction to drug addiction is either coincidental or unfortunate, others indicate that the two forms of addiction are of equal consequence. Use of a term out of place to induce shock can be a clever tool to force us to rethink an idea or position, but continued use of the same term as stated fact distorts a conversation.