Abstract
For years, the concept of food addiction has been gaining increased attention in the scientific literature and the media. A conceptualization of the condition from a substance use disorder and behavioral addiction perspective has emerged. Even though food addiction remains a controversial diagnosis, with research being in the nascent stages, this condition can have a devastating impact on the lives of those afflicted. In this chapter, the authors provide a comprehensive review of the literature targeting food addiction. Topics for discussion include epidemiology and risk factors, pathophysiology and neurobiology, symptomatology framework based on the diagnostic criteria of behavioral and nonbehavioral addictions, physical and psychiatric comorbidities, and proposed treatment avenues of food addiction.