Is food addiction responsible for obesity?

The link between food addiction and New Zealand's obesity epidemic is discussed by psychiatrists meeting in Wellington this week.

Psychiatrists from around the country are meeting for their annual meeting, with food addiction one of several topics to be explored.

National Addiction Centre director Doug Sellman says 68 percent of New Zealanders are overweight and food addiction needs to be considered as a possible cause.

"We're wondering whether one of the things that could really help ultimately in the treatment of people with obesity is a focus on this new paradigm of looking at food addiction as part of what's driving the obesity epidemic."

He says there tends to be a mood towards surgery when dealing with obesity, but other options need to be considered.

"The relationship that they have with food is very similar to the relationship that we see people have with drugs who have a problem with drug addiction."

Doug Sellman says food addictions don't tend to apply to healthy wholesome food, but processed junk food.

Photo: NZ Herald