But there is no suggestion that games are addictive in the sense that they create physical dependence in their players.
They miss out on the games' sociable and problem-solving aspects, which are what make them so addictive in the first place.
The exception to this picture of corporate cynicism is the devious and endearing Bennett LeBow of Liggett Corp, who first breaks ranks to declare tobacco addictive in a desperate bid to save his company.
And cheese, he says, breaks down into potentially addictive casomorphins in the digestive tract.
"Mimicking addictive behaviour in animals is much easier than mimicking depressed or schizophrenic behaviour, " said Prof Spanagel.
In general, religious investors wanted to avoid investments in companies involved in addictive substances and behavior: alcohol, tobacco and gambling.
He is Peter Vesterbacka, chief marketing officer at Rovio Mobile, the Finnish developer behind Angry Birds--the addictive mobile game in which you launch vengeful birds at greedy pigs.
Developed by Free Range Games, its "balls vs blocks" in this addictive game with simple controls and an adorable cast of characters.
They found some evidence that low concentrations of dopamine, a brain chemical, may respond to the sight and smell of food in an addictive manner for some obese people.
People who struggle with addictive behaviors are often in denial about their situation or are unwilling to seek treatment, and they don't recognize the negative effects their behavior has on themselves and others.
It was, in fact, instantly addictive, as I hunted down five year old e-mails that had been buried in my in-box.
Part of me missed the fast twitch, addictive nature of being plugged in, however another part of me appreciated the time to take a deep breath and consciously focus on being in a particular moment in time.
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Nimble Quest all comes together in a rather addictive envelope that keeps you coming back for more each time, trying to beat the last score, unlock a new character, or send quick video to Twitter or Facebook via the in-game social options.
Dr Axel Klein specialises in the study of addictive behaviour at the University of Kent.
They end up substituting one addictive substance for another, manufactured in volume inside the conservative idea mills like pills in a pharmaceutical factory.
Researchers have uncovered some evidence that certain foods stimulate more dopamine release in mammals than others--critical to the legal argument that those foods are unreasonably addictive and dangerous--but their findings are tentative or difficult to replicate in humans.
The companies were shown, for instance, to have cynically disregarded evidence from their in-house researchers about the addictive properties of nicotine.
More importantly, the exposure and publicity given tobacco industry documents spelling out market targeting tactics and an awareness of nicotine's addictive nature will undercut tobacco's arguments in future suits.
Jacobson, who insists "sugary soft drinks contribute to obesity"--with caffeine, an ingredient in many sodas, as the perniciously addictive hook.
Just after the media event ended I stayed around to try the service, still in beta, and found it quite addictive.
As is the nature of gaming, "Government in Action" has been designed to be addictive.
In legal joints regulators can bar the most addictive sorts of gambling machines.
Sure, they feel weird in the mouth, but they are surprisingly addictive.
If the FDA exercised that authority, smokers would have to smoke more--and get more of the bad stuff--in order to get the relatively harmless but addictive nicotine they crave.
While adrenaline boosts performance in the short-term, it can be addictive and have long-term consequences if overused.
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It is so addictive that compulsive players have been asking their doctors for help in kicking the habit.
Anyone who has ever been in love knows that those first months are a heady and addictive mix of emotions.
Some of those reward systems and the changes you see in them are quite similar to the changes you see with addictive drugs.
The ubiquity of information vying for our attention, not to mention the accessibility and addictive nature of it via mobile devices, will require big leaps forward in how brands think about media, and break through.
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