The drives for social interaction and food share common biological pathways and funnel into the dopamine system.

“Now we think of that as comfort foods or soothing oneself through eating rather than social interaction as a kind of pathology, but while it might not be healthy, depending on the context and the person, it's really important to understand that the reason that happens is because we have a common circuit and that the system meaning the person is actually craving dopamine release. They don't consciously know this, this is all subconsciously carried out, but they're craving dopamine release. And if they can't get it from social interactions, as they normally would, they'll start seeking it from food.”