Why sugar is so addicting and how you can remove it from your diet this year, according to an expert

Whether you're attempting a "dry January" or setting a new diet or workout goal, breaking old habits in the new year can be hard. For those who are looking to cut out added sugars, they may actually be addressing an addiction.

"Physiologically, it's as addictive as cocaine — sugar is," author and health expert Susan Peirce Thompson told CBSN's Anne-Marie Green Wednesday. "So, people are literally trapped in a physiological addiction. The brain scans are very clear on that."

While health officials urge Americans to limit their sugar intake, Thompson argues that giving up the highly processed and refined chemical can be for some one of the hardest addictions to battle.