[What can addiction research contribute towards the understanding of obesity?]

Abstract

Recent research suggests similarities between obesity and addictive disorders on both phenomenological and neurobiological levels. In particular neuro-endocrine and imaging studies have shown a close link between homeostatic regulation involved in appetite regulation and regulation of motivation and reward expectancy, which are of special impact for addictive disorders. Based on findings on the neurobiology of reinforcement processes and on the role of classical conditioning in addiction, new interventions for prevention and treatment were developed that offer the opportunity for transfer to the treatment of obesity. A first step may be testing psychotherapeutic and pharmacotherapeutic interventions, which primarily target motivational processes. The relevance of this topic for general psychiatry is reflected by the fact that including obesity in the psychiatric chapters of disease classification systems is currently being discussed.