This talk will explore the scientific validity and measurement of food addiction in humans and discuss its contribution as an account of overeating or subtype of obesity. Scientific consensus on food addiction has implications for understanding the potency of certain foods and the nature of people who are drawn to consume those foods. However, thinking on food addiction should also be differentiated from the complex homeostatic mechanisms that extend from the importance of eating for energy and nutrition.

An account of food addiction should also go further than what is already known about the operation of the human reward system in an environment where foods that are highly liked and wanted are readily accessible. Further scientific debate on food addiction is warranted and experimental evidence on the concept should be evaluated carefully in order for messages communicated to the public and reported in the media to be accurate and qualified.