You are not just "weak" or "lazy". Food can be an ADDICTION.

Verity1111
Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
edited October 2016 in Food and Nutrition
I am tired of people posting stupid things saying that food can not be as addictive as drugs or even in the same way and that people should use sheer willpower. I'm tired of seeing it in person. Getting upset if their friend who is on a diet won't go for pizza with them because they could just have one slice - instead of respecting that they can't sit there and watch them eat fast food. I had a friend who was over 700lbs...hes down to maybe 400+ now but he had "friends" who would go to his own home and order food or drink a lot of liquor in front of him with no regard for him trying to lose weight. He was too kind to know how to ask them to stop because he already had and they didn't care. People should be able to expect support from their loved ones by them not bringing their temptations around them... You can go out to eat on your own without dragging someone else into it. It has been shown in many studies that sugar and other food products can be highly addictive and even compared to certain drug addictions. Don't tell someone they should be able to just have one cookie or one chocolate and put the rest away because they have "will" to do it. It makes them feel like they are a failure when they can't do it and you can. Some people are prone to alcohol addiction, some are prone to a nicotine addiction and some are addicted to food. It takes more than a couple weeks to break a habit or an addiction. It might be best for some people to steer clear of anything they're addicted too until they no longer go into any sort of withdrawal. Yes, food addiction can cause withdrawal of it's own. You can become jittery, get headaches and have other symptoms. If you care about someone and they are trying to lose weight or break bad habits, don't tempt them and expect them to deal with it. If you wouldn't buy an alcoholic who is trying to stop their addiction a 6 pack and tell them to drink just one, you should not buy a food addict a pizza and tell them to eat one slice or a box of candy and tell them to eat one piece. Just keep it away from them if you can.

If someone says they are off candy and you buy them a box of chocolate Santa's for Christmas - you're not thoughtful, you're inconsiderate.
If someone says they are not eating pizza or fast food and you drag them to their favorite restaurant, when they specifically said they would overeat - you're not thoughtful, you're inconsiderate.

Most people do not become hundreds or a thousand pounds because it is a great life to live. Obviously, if they COULD stop on their own, they would! In *most* cases. But not everyone can just say no. This does not mean they will fail long term, but it takes a lot of time and effort to develop healthier habits and telling someone it's easy and it's just a simple choice makes it harder when they have a mistep during their journey! It's a struggle for some of us. For some, it takes a lot of time, effort and discomfort to overcome an addiction to food, but it can happen. But everyone needs to find their own way and what works for you may not work for them.

"Sugar and other junk foods, due to their powerful effect on the reward centers of the brain, function similarly to drugs of abuse like cocaine and nicotine"
https://authoritynutrition.com/how-sugar-makes-you-addicted/

"Would a rat risk dying just to satisfy its desire for chocolate?
I recently found out. In my laboratory, we gave rats unlimited access to their standard fare as well as to a mini cafeteria full of appetizing, high-calorie foods: sausage, cheesecake, chocolate. The rats decreased their intake of the healthy but bland items and switched to eating the cafeteria food almost exclusively. They gained weight. They became obese.
We then warned the rats as they were eating—by flashing a light—that they would receive a nasty foot shock. Rats eating the bland chow would quickly stop and scramble away, but time and again the obese rats continued to devour the rich food, ignoring the warning they had been trained to fear. Their hedonic desire overruled their basic sense of self-preservation.
Our finding mirrored a previous trial by Barry Everitt of the University of Cambridge—only his rats were hooked on cocaine."

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-obesity-an-addiction/

"The reviewed evidence supports the theory that, in some circumstances, intermittent access to sugar can lead to behavior and neurochemical changes that resemble the effects of a substance of abuse. According to the evidence in rats, intermittent access to sugar and chow is capable of producing a “dependency”. This was operationally defined by tests for bingeing, withdrawal, craving and cross-sensitization to amphetamine and alcohol. "
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/
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Replies

  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited October 2016
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    I think they should ban junk food to avoid temptation

    I'm not sure who you mean, but what I am saying is yes some people need to ban it in their own life. We don't take alcohol off the shelf because it's not addictive to everyone. However it's also disrespectful to drink around someone you know is an alcoholic on the mend. It's ignorant to eat a giant ordered pizza in front of someone you know is addicted to pizza and on a diet. Same concept, different substance. Some people say get over it. But no. Go in another room out of respect if you care about the person. Or don't get mad if they leave the room. You can still enjoy your food, but you don't need to push it on anyone else.
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    I think they should ban junk food to avoid temptation

    I guess they should ban alcohol and cigarettes and internet and gambling and sex and anything people could possibly overdo while we are at it.

    Exactly. out of sight out of mind
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited October 2016
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    I think they should ban junk food to avoid temptation

    I guess they should ban alcohol and cigarettes and internet and gambling and sex and anything people could possibly overdo while we are at it.

    Yes that's ridiculous. There's a big difference between banning something and keeping it to yourself and not pushing it on other people. You can respect someone's decision and go to get pizza on your own time instead of pushing your friends into it or buying them mcdonalds for lunch if you know theyre dieting. I see a lot of that and its getting upsetting. I have a friend who was over 700lbs and his friends kept going to his home and drinking in front of him and ordering pizza in front of him with no concern with how it would affect his own diet.
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    I think they should ban junk food to avoid temptation

    I guess they should ban alcohol and cigarettes and internet and gambling and sex and anything people could possibly overdo while we are at it.

    Yes that's ridiculous. There's a big difference between banning something and keeping it to yourself and not pushing it on other people. You can respect someone's decision and go to get pizza on your own time instead of pushing your friends into it or buying them mcdonalds for lunch if you know theyre dieting.

    maybe they just want to spend lunch together with their friend. You make it sound like there dealers
    I would hate to have to alter my friendship and socialising just because I am dieting
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited October 2016
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    I think they should ban junk food to avoid temptation

    I guess they should ban alcohol and cigarettes and internet and gambling and sex and anything people could possibly overdo while we are at it.

    Yes that's ridiculous. There's a big difference between banning something and keeping it to yourself and not pushing it on other people. You can respect someone's decision and go to get pizza on your own time instead of pushing your friends into it or buying them mcdonalds for lunch if you know theyre dieting.

    maybe they just want to spend lunch together with their friend. You make it sound like there dealers
    I would hate to have to alter my friendship and socialising just because I am dieting

    Good for you? If your friend says "no" however or says it will affect them then have a little respect. That's not difficult. Intentions really don't matter. If your friend is saying they can not handle it then you respect that.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    I'm guessing this is a response to another thread, but I'm also going to go out on a limb and say you didn't read his thread. Sugar and other junk foods do have an impact on the reward centers of the brain similar to snorting cocaine, petting a puppy, kissing someone you love, and stubbing your toe. It's the pain and pleasure area of the brain and a strong history of avoiding starvation has taught our ancestors brains that eating is good.

    It doesn't matter. It goes further than that as well. And no it isn't only about other threads. There is something personal about it as I just added. I have a friend who's about 400lbs and was 700lbs. And he had asked more than once politely for his friends to not bring food to his house. His friends would come over bring alcohol and order pizza around this man who is on oxygen. Now this is an extreme example, but it makes the same point. You can handle yourself, fine, but some people can not say no and if they ask you to not tempt them or bring it around them - don't. It's that simple.
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    I think they should ban junk food to avoid temptation

    I guess they should ban alcohol and cigarettes and internet and gambling and sex and anything people could possibly overdo while we are at it.

    Yes that's ridiculous. There's a big difference between banning something and keeping it to yourself and not pushing it on other people. You can respect someone's decision and go to get pizza on your own time instead of pushing your friends into it or buying them mcdonalds for lunch if you know theyre dieting.

    maybe they just want to spend lunch together with their friend. You make it sound like there dealers
    I would hate to have to alter my friendship and socialising just because I am dieting

    Good for you? If your friend says "no" however or says it will affect them then have a little respect. That's not difficult. Intentions really don't matter. If your friend is saying they can not handle it then you respect that.

    They are not friends then.
    I order what I want they order what they want
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited October 2016
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    I think they should ban junk food to avoid temptation

    I guess they should ban alcohol and cigarettes and internet and gambling and sex and anything people could possibly overdo while we are at it.

    Yes that's ridiculous. There's a big difference between banning something and keeping it to yourself and not pushing it on other people. You can respect someone's decision and go to get pizza on your own time instead of pushing your friends into it or buying them mcdonalds for lunch if you know theyre dieting.

    maybe they just want to spend lunch together with their friend. You make it sound like there dealers
    I would hate to have to alter my friendship and socialising just because I am dieting

    Good for you? If your friend says "no" however or says it will affect them then have a little respect. That's not difficult. Intentions really don't matter. If your friend is saying they can not handle it then you respect that.

    They are not friends then.
    I order what I want they order what they want

    You obviously are missing the point. Saying they are not friends because they refuse to go to a restaurant is ridiculous. You can go eat what you want and visit them later without expecting them to be around fast food when they're dieting and can't resist it. Why should you force them to go out to eat?
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited October 2016
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    I think they should ban junk food to avoid temptation

    I guess they should ban alcohol and cigarettes and internet and gambling and sex and anything people could possibly overdo while we are at it.

    Exactly. out of sight out of mind

    So basically make everything illegal? Um that wouldn't be practical or wise.

    Maybe we should go the debate thread isn't there a really long thread called "should junk food be taxed"?
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    I think they should ban junk food to avoid temptation

    I guess they should ban alcohol and cigarettes and internet and gambling and sex and anything people could possibly overdo while we are at it.

    Exactly. out of sight out of mind

    So basically make everything illegal? Um that wouldn't be practical or wise.

    Maybe we should go the debate thread isn't there a really long thread called "should junk food be taxed"?

    Actually I forgot to add if we can't ban it we should heavily tax it. They are talking about sugar tax here
  • Puppybear1
    Puppybear1 Posts: 35 Member
    Sugar is a drug. And just like alcoholics, some people have genetic predispositions for addiction, ie - diabetics. I have been preaching this topic for a week and fending off the shade I get for comparing sugar to drugs, but it IS a drug, or food companies wouldn't put it in practically everything! Kudos to the Enlightened!
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
    Sloth2016 wrote: »
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    I think they should ban junk food to avoid temptation

    I guess they should ban alcohol and cigarettes and internet and gambling and sex and anything people could possibly overdo while we are at it.

    Exactly. out of sight out of mind

    So basically make everything illegal? Um that wouldn't be practical or wise.

    Maybe we should go the debate thread isn't there a really long thread called "should junk food be taxed"?

    Actually I forgot to add if we can't ban it we should heavily tax it. They are talking about sugar tax here

    I dunno. All the California sales tax in the world still didn't save me from overindulging in German cars. :p

    Banning them is the only solution. Society must do without them because I cannot control myself in a Mercedes Benz dealership.

    I mean, what other solution could there possibly be, right? ;)

    Yes let's ban the benz. my other half won't be happy though
  • kbmh611
    kbmh611 Posts: 110 Member
    Therealobi1 wrote: »
    kbmh611 wrote: »
    Thank you! This is what I've tried saying on here many times. I hate when some people on here say "there is no bad food," "food shouldn't be vilified," "you can eat what you want in moderation so nothing should be off limits." Yeah...maybe for some people, but not all. If moderation, self control, and heathy eating habits were practiced by everyone there wouldn't be sooo many people very heavily overweight and on here looking for help. Everyone can have their opinions about food, but what I'm opposed to is the people posting on these boards who say these things and say them so matter-of-factly like anyone would be uneducated and ridiculous to think otherwise. As a fat person, let me share with you my mindset about why I deem some foods as bad. There are many things that I could not stop myself from eating only one or two of to stay under my daily calories. And I don't just want "a taste." Because for me there is no such thing. So for my diet I will avoid them all together or only have them as a treat once in a blue moon or I'll find a substitute. I don't feel like I'm refusing myself anything...before you give me that blah, blah excuse about how my diet will fail if I ban foods yadda, yadda. My dieting has been working fairly well so far and I don't feel deprived. I'm down 27 pounds since 4th of July. And I'm feeling good about it. So when people ask questions about the nutritional value or calories of one food over the other be mindful that they might not have the self control you have and don't consider every food an option for their dieting success.

    Just because some people cant eat food in moderation doesn't make the food bad. I can't eat biscuits in moderation but the biscuit isn't bad it's delicious

    Sorry, but you're missing my point. I'm saying that the food is bad in my mind because I can't eat it regularly or have as many as I want because it would tank my diet. I was explaining the mindset that supports some people deeming certain foods as bad. I would wager that there are many overweight people that operate with that same mindset. Again, not saying everybody.

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