Using fMRI scanning, individuals with greater food scores (seediagnosis section for information on YFAS scoring) have also been shown to have greater activation of motivation-related brain regions when anticipating highly palatable food, similar todrug-addicted individuals when viewing cues associated witha drug. As eating for pleasure, rather than survival, becomes more prevalent, neuroimaging changes similar to drugs of abuse are found. Both obese and drug-addicted individuals suffer from impairments in dopaminergic pathways that regulate neuronal systems associated not only with reward sensitivity and incentive motivation, but also with memory/learning, impulse control, stress reactivity, and awareness. References

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