Do I Have A Food Addiction?
Research has shown 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 switched on by food, especially things like sugar, fat, and salt. Hunger hormones get excreted when your stomach is empty (ghrelin) telling you that you're hungry. Another hormone (leptin) is excreted when you're full or satiated. Unnatural simple carbs like sugar, high fructose corn syrup, white flour, and polyunsaturated fatty acids that come from hydrogenated vegetable oils, often used in many foods, especially fast food will block the excretion of leptin causing you to NOT feel satiated or full which in turn leads to obsessively overeating.
The feel-good brain chemical like dopamine is triggered by these foods as well as with addictive drugs. Once people experience pleasure associated with increased dopamine release they quickly feel the need to eat again.
Compulsive overeating is a type of behavioral addiction. Meaning someone can become obsessed with a behavior similar to gabling or shopping. These activities can trigger intense pleasure. Individuals with food addictions lose control of their eating behavior and end up spending excessive amounts of time with food and overeating, or anticipating the meal.
Someone with tendencies of food addiction can even develop a tolerance to food eating more and more, and realizing it satisfies them less and less.
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 the negative behavior, even if they want to or have tried controlling their food intake. Many become yo-yo dieters. Losing weight to only gain it back within a year or two.
The symptoms and thought processes associated with food addiction are similar to that of drug abuse. It’s just a different substance, and the social consequences may be less severe. Food addiction can cause physical harm and lead to chronic health conditions like obesity , type 2 diabetes, and even death.
Researchers at Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Science & Policy developed a questionnaire to identify people with food addictions.
Here are some examples of questions that can help determine if you have a food addiction. Do you:
End up eating more than planned when you start eating certain foods
Keep eating certain foods even if you're no longer hungry
Eat to the point of feeling ill
Worry about not eating certain types of foods or worry about cutting down on certain types of foods
Go out of your way to obtain certain food you are attracted to
Consume certain foods so often or in such large quantities that you spend time dealing with negative feelings from overeating instead of working, spending time with my family or friends, or engaging in other important activities or recreational activities you enjoy.
Have problems functioning effectively at your job or school because of food and eating.
Have emotions such as depression, anxiety, self-loathing, or guilt due to eating food
Need to eat more and more food to reduce negative emotions or increase pleasure.
Notice the same amount of food doesn't reduce negative emotions or increase pleasure the way it used to.
The questionnaire asks about psychological withdrawal symptoms as well. For example, when you cut down on certain foods do you have symptoms such as:
Anxiety
Agitation
Other physical symptoms
It is important to remember recovery from food addiction may be more complicated than recovery from other kinds of addictions because as human beings we are dependent on food. However, that does not mean it is not possible to achieve health and healing from the negative compulsive behavior.
Working through addictive thinking and behaviors can be difficult. It is important to remember that similar to substance abuse the behavior of using the substance or ‘food’ to fill a void or numb out uncomfortable feelings is only the behavior. The real issue is what lies behind it. It isn’t the act of over eating, it is WHY are you over eating.
Identifying the real issue behind the eating is vital to gaining control of the compulsive behavior. Often people get caught up in managing the eating and not addressing their thinking. It is our thinking that create our feelings, that create our behaviors. You can start by working on self awareness. If you change your thinking you can really change your world.
You can also work from the outside in by changing your behaviors. Start living a lifestyle that is congruent with a healthy person, which will in turn change your feelings and then your thoughts. Find a purpose in recovery, in life, and in your future.
Help can be as simple as a phone call away with professionals who understand the principles of recovery, relationships, and ultimately healing. Please feel free to contact us for counseling or coaching and additional information on ways to assist in erasing and replacing it with attributes of health, service, relationships and purpose. Let us help you move from addict to athlete. Listen more about this topic on our podcast Can You Be Addicted To Food? and Nutrition: The Next Step To Healing.