Oreos are as addictive as cocaine, morphine

[emily_in_nc]

And the counterpoint (well made, I think):

No, Oreos aren't as addictive as Cocaine

[GLC1968]

I see what that author is trying to say in the counterpoint post, but he/she is kind of missing the point.

OK, you don't form an addiction to food-like substances by the textbook definition. You can develop a chemical dependency on it. This " You can stop eating Oreos with no physical symptoms. " is just wrong. Sure, if you just eat one Oreo in conjunction with a healthy meal, maybe. If you live on predominantly junk food and you stop eating it for 24 hours there will be physical symptoms - even if you substitute in an unlimited amount of healthy food.

For example, anyone can go over to the Whole 9 forum and do a search on the 'withdrawal' symptoms everyone goes through for a few days just for cutting out all processed foods, grains, dairy and sugar. EVERYONE experiences it. Everyone. How is that 'no physical symptoms'?

Of course the media is responsible for over-hyping just about everything. And maybe Oreos are not AS addictive as cocaine (oddly enough, at the end of that article, they make the point that nicotine is more addictive than cocaine by the numbers), but to say that you cannot form a chemical dependency on junk food is just ignoring the obvious in my opinion.