Many previous studies have directly compared cocaine with food rewards and the results are conflicting. One study measured cell firing in the nucleus accumbens in primates directly after receiving a sip of juice or a dose of cocaine. In these animals, there was significantly greater activity in response to the drugs than the juice.

Now, this isn't to say that the idea of "food addiction", particularly to foods high in fat and sugar, is complete nonsense. For over the past 10 years Dr Nicole Avena and others have been conducting elegant experiments where they let rats binge on chocolate pellets and then measure changes in their brain and behaviour. These researchers quite frequently see similar effects in rats that have been gorging on chocolate as those given cocaine. This includes physical changes in the brain (including in that crucial reward centre), as well as behaviours reminiscent of craving and even withdrawal.

The idea that junk foods can create addictive-like tendencies is not new, nor is it wrong. But the claims that this particular study makes are.

As for whether the eating the middle of an Oreo first really is better, well I guess I'll let that one slide.

最近，好像所有事物都能让我们上瘾。iPhone、互联网、奥利奥。但是，仅因为一些事物使你感到愉悦，并刺激大脑引起相关反应，这不意味着上瘾。

上瘾就像一种强迫力，迫使你重复作出一种行为，即使它已产生了负面结果——就象即使已让你的驾驶证吊销，父母甚至爱人离你而去，你还要继续喝酒。上瘾包括你大脑中处理反应和自控力的部分的一系列变化。这些变化导致你渴望和抵制情绪的产生，而你已依赖于药品来保持正常的感觉。一些情况下，严重的抵制情绪会是你身体停止运转，如果不继续吸食药品的话，可能会死亡。

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