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Food Addiction - A Different Perspective
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I'm completely against infantilising adults1
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PeachyCarol wrote: »daniwilford wrote: »I actually found calling my unhealthy relationship with Pepsi an addiction, helped me. Reading materials that focused on recovering from addiction gave me some valuable tools. Since I don't really need Pepsi, I am planning on abstaining for the rest of my life. Some might say I need a therapy, because I call it an addition but I can't imagine a therapist would agree to treat me for such a silly condition as calling my unhealthy relationship with Pepsi an addiction; or try to help me improve said relationship, so I could drink it in moderation.
Eh... what you experienced was probably akin to something like caffeine addiction, actually.
What was your Pepsi habit that you considered it problematic enough to call it an addiction? That's the whole point of this post? It's all about behaviors. Substituting unhealthy behavior with healthy behavior will help people who don't truly meet the addiction threshold (most of the people on these boards who say they're "addicted" to something) get past their problem.
One thing that often gets brought up in this thread is that some people DO find it easier to cut some stuff out than moderate. Or they find some stuff not worth keeping in. Non-diet soda is in that category for me, mostly because I switched away from it at age 16 and don't like it anymore, but nevertheless I suspect that even if I did like it I'd try to quit it. And I can also see how someone who is in the HABIT of drinking it instead of water might easily fall back into a pattern of drinking several cans of coke vs. water if they trigger that habit. So rather than break the habit and learn to drink coke in moderation, it might well be easier to just give it up as never worth the calories, whether or not you switch to diet.
I suspect that some people use "addiction" to refer to things they find easier to quit than learn to moderation and that they don't find valuable enough to learn to moderate, given how difficult they think it would be.
(I don't think that's an accurate use of the term "addiction," but I think I get it somewhat.)0 -
Oh, I completely agree that one can live forever without soda. I never drink regular soda either. I always drink diet, and really only small amounts. I chug water in ridiculous amounts.
I think the greater point was that... she wasn't addicted to soda. She was likely hooked on the caffeine in it, though.
When I was getting in my steps this morning, I was trying to come up with some words that would encompass how some people feel about foods they say they're addicted to that validates their feelings but properly classifies them.
I feel self-talk is powerful. If the review Caitwn posted is how the field is moving, the diagnosis of Eating Addiction might show up in a future edition of the DSM. And I have a feeling that given the discussion in the review, it would not be near as common as people think.
So how would we describe what people feel? A compulsion? Loss of control? What words could we give to people who say, "Help, I'm addicted to sugar!" to help them? Instead of just telling them, no, you're not addicted?0 -
I'm completely against infantilising adults
+1 Especially adults hoping to succeed at weight loss. This ain't for wimps. You''ve got to face a lot of hard truths to do this. There is no getting around that. Everything can be sugar coated and wrapped in cotton wool, but sadly, if it keeps you from ultimately facing certain things about yourself and making the necessary changes and forming the necessary habits? It's not helpful.
Not everyone is ready to face hard truth, granted, but I can tell you something about that readiness aspect. Even people who aren't ready read information and absorb it. That information plants a seed. At some point down the line, that seed takes root and starts to grow. It just takes time.
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I think this is a very helpful OP and subsequent discussion. I agree with others that there may not be a physiological addiction with food, however, many people who use the term do have some urges/needs which they feel are going to only be satisfied by a particular type of food, and therefore looking at the behavioral components of the desire for that food and addressing those, could be very helpful to that person.
Many people associate that food with filling a void, looking for comfort, dealing with a stressful situation. This doesn't make the perceived need for the food, or the resulting feeling it provides an actual physical addiction, but it may be a behavioral compulsion and getting the poster to isolate the situations in which they are compelled toward that food could be very helpful.
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Sometimes a craving really is a craving. One day the science will support it. They will give it a name. Then people who don't believe it will be able to google it...or as so many people like to call it, "research" it...and will be able to believe it.0
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Great post ! I think its definitely a behavioral issue and definitely isn't the same as a heroin addict . a lot of people reach for excuses to justify their behavior .0
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Sometimes a craving really is a craving. One day the science will support it. They will give it a name. Then people who don't believe it will be able to google it...or as so many people like to call it, "research" it...and will be able to believe it.
craving does not equal addiction.
I am not sure how this statement is even germane to the topic at hand.0 -
Sometimes a craving really is a craving. One day the science will support it. They will give it a name. Then people who don't believe it will be able to google it...or as so many people like to call it, "research" it...and will be able to believe it.
What's wrong with the name "craving"
It exists
It just doesn't turn you into a victim ...0 -
I'm not sure that anyone has ever asked to be considered a victim. I certainly haven't.Sometimes a craving really is a craving. One day the science will support it. They will give it a name. Then people who don't believe it will be able to google it...or as so many people like to call it, "research" it...and will be able to believe it.
What's wrong with the name "craving"
It exists
It just doesn't turn you into a victim ...
I don't consider myself a victim and don't need anyone to point out that I'm not, lol.
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Sometimes a craving really is a craving. One day the science will support it. They will give it a name. Then people who don't believe it will be able to google it...or as so many people like to call it, "research" it...and will be able to believe it.
I'm not sure what the term 'craving' has to do with the topic at hand, which is whether or not food addiction exists. The two are completely separate.0 -
Personally and professionally, I can accept the label of "eating addiction" rather than "food addiction". I still believe far too many people (frankly, the majority of those claiming to be food "addicts") apply the "addiction" label to themselves when they're really just talking about the fact that they eat too much and need to stop it. But within that larger group is the much smaller subset of folks who have always left me feeling concerned, because when they are able to articulate their experiences, it sure as hell sounds like addiction to me.
Highlights from the article:
• Evidence for addiction to specific macronutrients is lacking in humans.
• “Eating addiction” describes a behavioral addiction.
• An “eating addiction” is not necessarily associated with obesity.
• Obesity prevention strategies should focus on “eating addiction”.
• Consider “eating addiction” as a disorder in DSM-5 “Non-Substance-Related Disorders”.
I think eating addiction is probably a better description. though, I would say lack of macronutrients is not always the case0 -
When someone says they crave certain foods, others start in with the "You're not addicted!" thing.Sometimes a craving really is a craving. One day the science will support it. They will give it a name. Then people who don't believe it will be able to google it...or as so many people like to call it, "research" it...and will be able to believe it.
I'm not sure what the term 'craving' has to do with the topic at hand, which is whether or not food addiction exists. The two are completely separate.
But if everyone agrees that people can say they crave food without needing to be told they aren't addicted (or "not a victim" as above), that's wonderful.
I am glad to hear it, honestly!
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Personally and professionally, I can accept the label of "eating addiction" rather than "food addiction". I still believe far too many people (frankly, the majority of those claiming to be food "addicts") apply the "addiction" label to themselves when they're really just talking about the fact that they eat too much and need to stop it. But within that larger group is the much smaller subset of folks who have always left me feeling concerned, because when they are able to articulate their experiences, it sure as hell sounds like addiction to me.
Highlights from the article:
• Evidence for addiction to specific macronutrients is lacking in humans.
• “Eating addiction” describes a behavioral addiction.
• An “eating addiction” is not necessarily associated with obesity.
• Obesity prevention strategies should focus on “eating addiction”.
• Consider “eating addiction” as a disorder in DSM-5 “Non-Substance-Related Disorders”.
I think eating addiction is probably a better description. though, I would say lack of macronutrients is not always the case
That's not what is being said here - what is being said is that there is a lack of evidence that there is an addiction to a specific macronutrient - as when people say they are addicted to carbohydrates (re:sugar), or fat.0 -
As far as I know, no one has ever started a "Help!!! I crave _________" thread, so bringing up the issue of craving, or appealing to it in the context of this thread is sort of besides the point.
No one argues that people get urges for different foods at different times, and most people don't tend to find them problematic, either. I certainly never thought my pregnancy cravings were problems. Unless you count craving cantaloupe in the dead of winter a problem. Because it was. Couldn't find it anywhere.
Again, to reiterate, the point is science does not support the notion that IN HUMANS the substance is the problem. The problem is the behavior behind the substance. The key to breaking the bad behavior pattern with the substance is understanding what lead to it.
Unfortunately for a lot of people who think the problem is the food itself, they have to do a lot of hard thinking to analyze WHY their eating is out of control to begin to address it.0 -
PeachyCarol wrote: »As far as I know, no one has ever started a "Help!!! I crave _________" thread.
LOL so true
Never happened
Addiction is an illness, one is a victim of an illness unfortunately
A craving is a desire ...like fancying Hugh Jackman ...I can get over it0 -
Craving something is not the same as being addicted to something. An addict a physical need for a substance, such that if they don't get it, there are physiological responses that manifest: shakes, sweats, chills, etc. A craving is a desire for something, and it certainly exists, just ask any pregnant woman, but if the desire is not met, the same physiological response does not occur.
No one ever said that a person can't crave certain foods.0 -
Personally and professionally, I can accept the label of "eating addiction" rather than "food addiction". I still believe far too many people (frankly, the majority of those claiming to be food "addicts") apply the "addiction" label to themselves when they're really just talking about the fact that they eat too much and need to stop it. But within that larger group is the much smaller subset of folks who have always left me feeling concerned, because when they are able to articulate their experiences, it sure as hell sounds like addiction to me.
Highlights from the article:
• Evidence for addiction to specific macronutrients is lacking in humans.
• “Eating addiction” describes a behavioral addiction.
• An “eating addiction” is not necessarily associated with obesity.
• Obesity prevention strategies should focus on “eating addiction”.
• Consider “eating addiction” as a disorder in DSM-5 “Non-Substance-Related Disorders”.
I think eating addiction is probably a better description. though, I would say lack of macronutrients is not always the case
That's not what is being said here - what is being said is that there is a lack of evidence that there is an addiction to a specific macronutrient - as when people say they are addicted to carbohydrates (re:sugar), or fat.
oh, yup, I misread thatthorsmom01 wrote: »Great post ! I think its definitely a behavioral issue and definitely isn't the same as a heroin addict . a lot of people reach for excuses to justify their behavior .
Exactly.
And since the topic of craving is being unfortunately being forced into this discussion. Cravings are often a symptom of the disease of addiction, but because one has a craving does not make them an addict. Additionally, I'd say with food the craving is often for the emotional and behavior component of what that food means or represents.
Example: Whenever I go apple picking, I crave cider donuts. I crave them because they are delicious, but also because they are heavily linked with the experience of apple picking with my family. The craving in and of itself does not mean I am addicted in any sense of the word.
I think we have to realize that different words mean different things to different people and that we rarely use the same words with the same understanding as the other person we are speaking to.
humans speak frequently figuratively and connotatively
if I say I am craving a cider donut, I probably don't mean I will go to extreme measures to get but I have a strong desire for it
but at the same time, cravings can be completely consuming. an addict might say he is craving his fix, but it's not the same as me saying I crave a donut. and I certainly didn't mean it the same either.0 -
Disagree. It is the food. I quit the white pasta because if I ate it, I craved more. NB: I didn't eat more. I craved more.PeachyCarol wrote: »As far as I know, no one has ever started a "Help!!! I crave _________" thread, so bringing up the issue of craving, or appealing to it in the context of this thread is sort of besides the point.
No one argues that people get urges for different foods at different times, and most people don't tend to find them problematic, either. I certainly never thought my pregnancy cravings were problems. Unless you count craving cantaloupe in the dead of winter a problem. Because it was. Couldn't find it anywhere.
Again, to reiterate, the point is science does not support the notion that IN HUMANS the substance is the problem. The problem is the behavior behind the substance. The key to breaking the bad behavior pattern with the substance is understanding what lead to it.
Unfortunately for a lot of people who think the problem is the food itself, they have to do a lot of hard thinking to analyze WHY their eating is out of control to begin to address it.
The craving was annoying, so I quit it. Plus, whole wheat pasta is healthier, so good on that.
The craving wouldn't go away until I'd had a good night's sleep. It was when I began reading here that I found others had the same issue.
It's a thing. It's real. It might not happen to everyone, but it happens.
If this is unrelated to the whole "You're not addicted!", though, I'll be happy to drop it.
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