Public perceptions of food addiction: a comparison with alcohol and tobacco

Background: As science has begun to provide support for food's addictive properties, food addiction has gained increased attention from academics, health care professionals and mainstream media as a contributor to obesity. To date, no research has examined public perceptions of this condition, which may affect attitudes towards food addiction and obesity as well as beliefs about addictive food products. Methods: Using a survey methodology in a national sample of 570 adults, this study compared perceptions of food addiction to smoking and alcoholism, assessing beliefs about its etiology and whether it was perceived to be a disease or a result of individual choices. Results: Food addiction was perceived to be more of a disease than smoking and to be caused by individual choices to a greater extent than alcoholism. Conclusions: These results indicate that food addiction is vulnerable to stigmatization and may be perceived as a behavioural rather than a substance addiction.