Milk's Favorite Cookie (Steven W. / Flickr Creative Commons).

According to the study, eating Oreos activates more chemical activity associated with pleasure in the brains of rats than drugs such as cocaine.

Researchers used a standard condition place-preference test during this study. In the first test, rats were put into a maze and were given a choice between eating rice cakes or Oreos; obviously, the majority chose the Oreos. In fact, the rats were seen to like the Oreo cream filling the most, and would often break open the cookie to eat the cream filling first. In a second test, the rats were again put into a maze and were given a choice between being injected with saline or being injected with cocaine or morphine; the majority chose the latter option.

Since the rats were observed spending more time in the Oreo chamber than the cocaine chamber, and since higher brain acitivity was observed in the pleasure center of the brain after rats injested Oreos than when they were injected with drugs, researchers suggest that these findings imply that high fat and sugar foods have the same effects as drugs in regards to brain addictive properties, and that eating disorders contributing to obesity may also be linked to similar properties of drug addiction.

However, many critics believe that this study doesn’t prove anything except that rats prefer Oreos to rice cakes and cocaine to saline. It seems that everything can be considered “addictive” nowadays. However, just because something is pleasurable, that does not mean it is addictive. Until this study becomes a peer-reviewed and published story, or until it has been presented at a conference, many critics refuse to even consider this claim.

Merriam-Webster defines addiction as “persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful.” As far as research shows, Oreos have no harmful side effects on humans except for a mere sugar rush. In addition, an addict can have severe withdrawals when he is taken away from his addiction, and his body may begin to shut down if he doesn’t take another hit. No matter how long you go without eating high fat and sugary foods, your body will not shut down on you.

Studies claiming that high fat and sugary foods can create addictive-like tendencies are not new. In fact, many of them are quite compelling. A 2009 study done by researchers at Scipps Research Institute in Florida found that the nucleus accumbens, otherwise known as the area in the brain associated with pleasure, of rats that were fed high fat and sugary foods became less responsive over time, a telltale signal that the rats were becoming addicted. In order to get these foods, some rats would even go so far as to endure electric shock to get it.

Compared to some of these studies, the claims Connecticut College assert have not been as thoroughly backed up with hard-proof facts or evidence.

Whether or not these claims would translate to people is currently under consideration. However, Connecticut College will continue pursuing this study in hopes of finding a breakthrough in the medical community. Researchers believe that if these studies were tested on humans, than those results could help the medical community rethink the correlation between the rising obesity epidemic and addictive like drug tendencies.

Reach Staff Reporter Janelle Cabuco here.