I think food addiction is real. I am not a food addict myself and never have been, but I've seen it. I have known people that literally cannot control themselves around food. It's almost as though they have no idea what they are doing and how much they are putting into their mouths. The hardest place to control this? Social situations.....restaurants that put free endless bread on the table.....eating at a friend's house when you don't control the menu.....Buffets.
Food addiction, like any addiction is unhealthy and sad. Nobody gets "addicted" to fresh veggies and fruit. Well, not usually, anyway.
According to an article on WebMD, experiments in animals and humans show that, for some people, the same reward and pleasure centers of the brain that are triggered by addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin are also activated by food, especially highly palatable foods that are foods rich in:
*Sugar
*Fat
*Salt
The website noted that like addictive drugs, highly palatable foods trigger feel-good brain chemicals such as dopamine. Once people experience pleasure associated with increased dopamine transmission in the brain's reward pathway from eating certain foods, they quickly feel the need to eat again. The reward signals from highly palatable foods may override other signals of fullness and satisfaction. As a result, people keep eating, even when they're not hungry.
People who show signs of food addiction may also develop a tolerance to food. They eat more and more, only to find that food satisfies them less and less. Scientists believe that food addiction may play an important role in obesity. But normal-weight people may also struggle with food addiction. Their bodies may simply be genetically programmed to better handle the extra calories they take in. Or they may increase their physical activity to compensate for overeating.
People who are addicted to food will continue to eat despite negative consequences, such as weight gain or damaged relationships. And like people who are addicted to drugs or gambling, people who are addicted to food will have trouble stopping their behavior, even if they want to or have tried many times to cut back.
Signs of Food Addiction:
Researchers at Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Science & Policy have developed a questionnaire to identify people with food addictions.
Here's a sample of questions that can help determine if you have a food addiction.
Do you:
1) End up eating more than planned when you start eating certain foods?
2) Keep eating certain foods even if you're no longer hungry?
3) Eat to the point of feeling ill?
4) Worry about not eating certain types of foods or worry about cutting down on certain types of foods?
5) When certain foods aren't available, go out of your way to obtain them?
The questionnaire also asks about the impact of your relationship with food on your personal life. Do these situations apply to you...
-You eat certain foods so often or in such large amounts that you start eating food instead of working, spending time with the family, or doing recreational activities.
-You avoid professional or social situations where certain foods are available because of fear of overeating.
-You have problems functioning effectively at your job or school because of food and eating.
The questionnaire asks about withdrawal symptoms. For example, when you cut down on certain foods (excluding caffeinated beverages), you may have symptoms such as:
*Anxiety
*Agitation
*Other physical symptoms
The questionnaire also tries to gauge the impact of food decisions on your emotions. Have you ever thought that-
-Eating food causes problems such as depression, anxiety, self-loathing, or guilt.
-You need to eat more and more food to reduce negative emotions or increase pleasure.
-Eating the same amount of food doesn't reduce negative emotions or increase pleasure the way it used to.
So, is this YOU? Or maybe someone that you love? What do you do about food addiction?
Some argue that recovery from food addiction may be more complicated than recovery from other kinds of addictions. People who are addicted to food still need to eat; they can't just give up food. Believe it or not, there are support groups out there to address this. If there isn't one in your area, you can take the questionnaire above and answer the questions honestly. Educate yourself on what kinds of foods you are drawn to....what you can't say no to. Steer clear of having those foods in your house for now. Come up with a plan for social situations. Then, take a look at WHY you eat what you do and face any issues that you have emotionally, mentally, etc. Set some realistic goals and work at them. Recruit someone you love to be an accountability partner for you. It's hard to recover from anything by yourself.
Give yourself a break if you slip into addictive eating habits and remember that change takes time. Remember that as long as you keep working on reaching your goals instead of quitting, you will eventually get there. Try and then try some more and try some more. Plan for obstacles AND success.
