Food, like chemical substances, can be addicting. Many people use food as a comfort when feeling down, depressed, anxious, stressed or angry. Foods high in sugar, salt, starch and fat are the most addictive and can trigger the brain with “feel-good” chemicals, similarly to heroin or cocaine. When food addicts experience pleasure from feel-good chemicals, such as dopamine that are released after eating certain foods, they quickly feel the need to eat again. An addiction to food can also lead to a tolerance of food, meaning the food addict becomes less and less satisfied by food, leading them to eat more. Scientists believe this is the link between food addiction and obesity. Like an addiction to drugs or alcohol, food addicts will struggle to simply …