While the overconsumption of sugars is not in the same class of threats to health as heroin
and other opiates, it does contribute directly to obesity and related diseases, which we pay for
in health-care dollars at ten times the amount we spend on drug addiction. But does every
chocoholic need a 12-step program? Although similar biological mechanisms are at play,
sugar cravings and drug addiction are not equally burdensome. For most people, gradually
altering lifestyle choices and seeking behavior-change therapy should be enough. Weaning
oneself from overindulging in sweets is, according to the researchers, a challenge, but not
quite in the same league as a heroin addict entering treatment.
Hoebel’s Princeton research raises questions about whether sugar belongs with the classic
addictive narcotics or with things we simply crave, such as love and affection. Since his latest
research he has replaced the term “sugar dependency” with “sugar addiction,” but he reminds
the media that his findings are based on rats, not humans. Yet his research has opened a
door that many hope will lead to more investigations and help for people who strive to control
sugar cravings and who may have a chemical dependence that makes their dopamine
moments more debilitating than those of someone with a mild attraction to sweets.
Breaking a Sugar Habit
While overindulging in sweets can be a difficult habit to change, it is easier to separate the