Food Addiction and its Contribution to Metabolic Syndrome: A Review of Biological Pathways and Epidemiological Evidence

Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a significant obstacle to public health, characterized by a constellation of metabolic abnormalities such as insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and abdominal obesity. High economic burden to the health service of metabolic syndrome was reported. As a contributing factor to metabolic syndrome, the concept of food addiction is receiving more attention. Food addiction is linked to changes in reward system and dopamine signaling, especially within the mesolimbic reward circuit. Highly palatable foods that are high in sugar, fat, and sodium stimulate dopamine receptors similarly to addictive drugs, which reinforces compulsive eating habits. Prolonged exposure to the mentioned foods causes neuro-adaptive changes that reduce satiety signals and encourage overeating, leading to central obesity and ultimately metabolic syndrome. Although excessive caloric intake could be a behavioral problem, food addiction shares neurobiological pathways with substance use disorders. In addition to body weight, factors influencing by food addiction such as reward pathways, hormonal imbalances, dysbiosis, systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, and genetic factors play a role in the relationship between food addiction and metabolic syndrome. This narrative review explores the mechanisms connecting food addiction to metabolic syndrome and addresses epidemiological patterns that highlight its importance.