Cutting refined sugar feels like death

13

Replies

  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    edited February 2017
    Riskay123 wrote: »
    I don't see any issue with eating fruit in moderation. Yes, it does contain fructose but it also has fibre and other vitamins and minerals which slow down the liver processing it.
    Some fruits are higher in fructose than others. Bananas are very high as opposed to berries or kiwi fruit.Fructose from table sugar, honey, maple syrup etc are the problem as it hits the liver straight away and the liver converts to fatty acids very quickly.
    I would like to see a change in food labelling laws so you can easily tell if something that has been packaged has added sugar. At the moment in Australia, you can not easily tell if the sugar has been added or it if is naturally occurring. Milk is a great example. If you looked at the sugar content of milk on the label you would think that the sugar content is quite high but the type of sugar in milk is lactose, not fructose and your body processes this type of sugar very differently. So the sugar in milk is not bad for you. I can make an informed decision in relation to fat content when I pick up packaged food because I can see the different types of fats listed. I can't do that with sugar which is very frustrating. I know giving up sugar isn't for everyone but some people are trying to "do the right thing" it is very hard if you don't have the right information.

    Nah.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3533803/

    I just skimmed, but the meaning and implications of this study weren't instantly clear to me, although I did notice that the funding for the study may leave the door open for conflict of interest comments.

    However, I looked up where this study was cited, hoping for a straightforward summary and I found it. It supports your view clearly:

    " We conclude based on high quality evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCT), systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies that singling out added sugars as unique culprits for metabolically based diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease appears inconsistent with modern, high quality evidence and is very unlikely to yield health benefits. While it is prudent to consume added sugars in moderation, the reduction of these components of the diet without other reductions of caloric sources seems unlikely to achieve any meaningful benefit."

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/27827899/
  • matt2673
    matt2673 Posts: 20 Member
    ditter80 wrote: »
    I wonder how long the sugar withdrawals last.. friend me!

    Yes, it is not much fun at all. I went through it after getting diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Keep up the hard work. It may take a week or two before you start feeling better.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    Riskay123 wrote: »
    I don't see any issue with eating fruit in moderation. Yes, it does contain fructose but it also has fibre and other vitamins and minerals which slow down the liver processing it.
    Some fruits are higher in fructose than others. Bananas are very high as opposed to berries or kiwi fruit.Fructose from table sugar, honey, maple syrup etc are the problem as it hits the liver straight away and the liver converts to fatty acids very quickly.
    I would like to see a change in food labelling laws so you can easily tell if something that has been packaged has added sugar. At the moment in Australia, you can not easily tell if the sugar has been added or it if is naturally occurring. Milk is a great example. If you looked at the sugar content of milk on the label you would think that the sugar content is quite high but the type of sugar in milk is lactose, not fructose and your body processes this type of sugar very differently. So the sugar in milk is not bad for you. I can make an informed decision in relation to fat content when I pick up packaged food because I can see the different types of fats listed. I can't do that with sugar which is very frustrating. I know giving up sugar isn't for everyone but some people are trying to "do the right thing" it is very hard if you don't have the right information.

    Nah.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3533803/

    I just skimmed, but the meaning and implications of this study weren't instantly clear to me, although I did notice that the funding for the study may leave the door open for conflict of interest comments.

    However, I looked up where this study was cited, hoping for a straightforward summary and I found it. It supports your view clearly:

    " We conclude based on high quality evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCT), systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies that singling out added sugars as unique culprits for metabolically based diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease appears inconsistent with modern, high quality evidence and is very unlikely to yield health benefits. While it is prudent to consume added sugars in moderation, the reduction of these components of the diet without other reductions of caloric sources seems unlikely to achieve any meaningful benefit."

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/27827899/

    I should have specified. I posted it to oppose the statement that "Fructose from table sugar, honey, maple syrup etc are the problem as it hits the liver straight away and the liver converts to fatty acids very quickly." since this study breaks down what happens to fructose in the liver. Something like 40+% get burned off, 40+% get turned to glucose, some glycogen, some lactate, and a tiny amount of fatty acids, less than 1%.
  • fatblatta
    fatblatta Posts: 333 Member
    Check out the book Obesity Code. Easy read. I gave up all sugar, artificial sweeteners, and processed carbs which turn into sugar. Including beer, which was nearly impossible! I don't miss the sweet stuff. Now anything with sugar tastes way too sweet. It depends on your goals and weight. If you're a little fat some sugar won't kill you. If you are a huge fat person, prediabetic or type 2 diabetic give that sweet death up.

    Cheers
  • fatblatta
    fatblatta Posts: 333 Member
    Riskay123 wrote: »
    I don't see any issue with eating fruit in moderation. Yes, it does contain fructose but it also has fibre and other vitamins and minerals which slow down the liver processing it.
    Some fruits are higher in fructose than others. Bananas are very high as opposed to berries or kiwi fruit.Fructose from table sugar, honey, maple syrup etc are the problem as it hits the liver straight away and the liver converts to fatty acids very quickly.
    I would like to see a change in food labelling laws so you can easily tell if something that has been packaged has added sugar. At the moment in Australia, you can not easily tell if the sugar has been added or it if is naturally occurring. Milk is a great example. If you looked at the sugar content of milk on the label you would think that the sugar content is quite high but the type of sugar in milk is lactose, not fructose and your body processes this type of sugar very differently. So the sugar in milk is not bad for you. I can make an informed decision in relation to fat content when I pick up packaged food because I can see the different types of fats listed. I can't do that with sugar which is very frustrating. I know giving up sugar isn't for everyone but some people are trying to "do the right thing" it is very hard if you don't have the right information.

    Nah.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3533803/

    Stop linking to decent, peer-reviewed scientific studies. It does nothing but educate people on both reality and critical thinking skills.

    Geez.

    The authors are employed full time by Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM). ADM is a major oilseed and grain commodity processor and produces, among other products, fructose-containing sweeteners.

    Unbiased helps too
  • JennyHsavage
    JennyHsavage Posts: 123 Member
    ditter80 wrote: »
    I wonder how long the sugar withdrawals last.. friend me!
    ditter80 wrote: »
    I wonder how long the sugar withdrawals last.. friend me!

    I'm a week in ;-) 3rd and 4th day I was tired and fuzzy but all good now
  • johnwelk
    johnwelk Posts: 396 Member
    fatblatta wrote: »
    Riskay123 wrote: »
    I don't see any issue with eating fruit in moderation. Yes, it does contain fructose but it also has fibre and other vitamins and minerals which slow down the liver processing it.
    Some fruits are higher in fructose than others. Bananas are very high as opposed to berries or kiwi fruit.Fructose from table sugar, honey, maple syrup etc are the problem as it hits the liver straight away and the liver converts to fatty acids very quickly.
    I would like to see a change in food labelling laws so you can easily tell if something that has been packaged has added sugar. At the moment in Australia, you can not easily tell if the sugar has been added or it if is naturally occurring. Milk is a great example. If you looked at the sugar content of milk on the label you would think that the sugar content is quite high but the type of sugar in milk is lactose, not fructose and your body processes this type of sugar very differently. So the sugar in milk is not bad for you. I can make an informed decision in relation to fat content when I pick up packaged food because I can see the different types of fats listed. I can't do that with sugar which is very frustrating. I know giving up sugar isn't for everyone but some people are trying to "do the right thing" it is very hard if you don't have the right information.

    Nah.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3533803/

    Stop linking to decent, peer-reviewed scientific studies. It does nothing but educate people on both reality and critical thinking skills.

    Geez.

    The authors are employed full time by Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM). ADM is a major oilseed and grain commodity processor and produces, among other products, fructose-containing sweeteners.

    Unbiased helps too

    I find this funny after you advertise a book written by Jason Fung.

    SC, I was thinking the exact same thing.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    vingogly wrote: »
    jmp463 wrote: »
    What if the guy just wants to give up sugar????? Some of you make it sound like a crime. Its no big deal - cut out sugar if you want. You dont have to cut it 100% but its not going to harm anything if you do. It might take a few days to a couple of weeks to get use to it. I swear some you just follow this thing all day and wait for the first chance to type your condescending views.

    What do you expect will happen when someone titles a thread "Cutting refined sugar feels like death", asks about his supposed "withdrawals", posters start on the "addiction" B.S. again (some here are former addicts or have worked with addicts, and know what addiction looks like), and people start promoting the usual broscience nonsense you see in this forum?

    I think he wanted to provoke a battle, and he got what he wanted. Silence in the face of misinformation that may potentially do damage to people does no one any good.

    I didn't see it that way at all. I saw a poster describe how he felt when he cut his sugar consumption. I can relate. Are we misattributing the cause for the crappy way we felt? Maybe. I will say that it's a tough connection for me to give up but I haven't found a ton of science backing up my ideas.

    I think discussing the science around it all is important. But I don't get the level of aggression I see here sometimes.

  • Hello_its_Dan
    Hello_its_Dan Posts: 406 Member
    vingogly wrote: »
    jmp463 wrote: »
    What if the guy just wants to give up sugar????? Some of you make it sound like a crime. Its no big deal - cut out sugar if you want. You dont have to cut it 100% but its not going to harm anything if you do. It might take a few days to a couple of weeks to get use to it. I swear some you just follow this thing all day and wait for the first chance to type your condescending views.

    What do you expect will happen when someone titles a thread "Cutting refined sugar feels like death", asks about his supposed "withdrawals", posters start on the "addiction" B.S. again (some here are former addicts or have worked with addicts, and know what addiction looks like), and people start promoting the usual broscience nonsense you see in this forum?

    I think he wanted to provoke a battle, and he got what he wanted. Silence in the face of misinformation that may potentially do damage to people does no one any good.

    I didn't see it that way at all. I saw a poster describe how he felt when he cut his sugar consumption. I can relate. Are we misattributing the cause for the crappy way we felt? Maybe. I will say that it's a tough connection for me to give up but I haven't found a ton of science backing up my ideas.

    I think discussing the science around it all is important. But I don't get the level of aggression I see here sometimes.

    I see an enhanced aggression now compared to two or three years ago. Have you ever challenged CICO?
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    And no, I don't recall ever challenging the concept of cico.
  • Hello_its_Dan
    Hello_its_Dan Posts: 406 Member
    vingogly wrote: »
    jmp463 wrote: »
    What if the guy just wants to give up sugar????? Some of you make it sound like a crime. Its no big deal - cut out sugar if you want. You dont have to cut it 100% but its not going to harm anything if you do. It might take a few days to a couple of weeks to get use to it. I swear some you just follow this thing all day and wait for the first chance to type your condescending views.

    What do you expect will happen when someone titles a thread "Cutting refined sugar feels like death", asks about his supposed "withdrawals", posters start on the "addiction" B.S. again (some here are former addicts or have worked with addicts, and know what addiction looks like), and people start promoting the usual broscience nonsense you see in this forum?

    I think he wanted to provoke a battle, and he got what he wanted. Silence in the face of misinformation that may potentially do damage to people does no one any good.

    I didn't see it that way at all. I saw a poster describe how he felt when he cut his sugar consumption. I can relate. Are we misattributing the cause for the crappy way we felt? Maybe. I will say that it's a tough connection for me to give up but I haven't found a ton of science backing up my ideas.

    I think discussing the science around it all is important. But I don't get the level of aggression I see here sometimes.

    I see an enhanced aggression now compared to two or three years ago. Have you ever challenged CICO?

    Enhanced aggression in the forums in general or the OP or me? As to the OP, I looked at his posts. The two previous were just reaching out looking for friends. If someone wanted to create an account to just stir the pot I doubt they'd start off looking for friends. If it's me you mean, I'm not the aggressive type. Have a look back at my posts if you like. And as to the forums in general I can't see that I've seen any real change since I first signed on, the same arguments just different posters.

    Personally I had hoped that the addition of the debate section would be used to move some of the heated discussion away from unsuspecting newbie posts. It did for a while, it seemed.

    I get that you don't want to leave what seems to you to be fear mongering and misleading comments unaddressed, I'd just like to see the discussion happen in a way that people new to the discussion don't feel publicly humiliated.

    The forum.
    Not anyone on this thread.
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
    vingogly wrote: »
    jmp463 wrote: »
    What if the guy just wants to give up sugar????? Some of you make it sound like a crime. Its no big deal - cut out sugar if you want. You dont have to cut it 100% but its not going to harm anything if you do. It might take a few days to a couple of weeks to get use to it. I swear some you just follow this thing all day and wait for the first chance to type your condescending views.

    What do you expect will happen when someone titles a thread "Cutting refined sugar feels like death", asks about his supposed "withdrawals", posters start on the "addiction" B.S. again (some here are former addicts or have worked with addicts, and know what addiction looks like), and people start promoting the usual broscience nonsense you see in this forum?

    I think he wanted to provoke a battle, and he got what he wanted. Silence in the face of misinformation that may potentially do damage to people does no one any good.

    I didn't see it that way at all. I saw a poster describe how he felt when he cut his sugar consumption. I can relate. Are we misattributing the cause for the crappy way we felt? Maybe. I will say that it's a tough connection for me to give up but I haven't found a ton of science backing up my ideas.

    I think discussing the science around it all is important. But I don't get the level of aggression I see here sometimes.

    I do agree OP didn't seem to be looking for a battle. I guess only he knows for sure.

    I also had a very difficult time giving up soda several years ago. It was too very long weeks, and then I felt ok and did not crave anymore (and still don't). I felt on edge, etc. It wasn't caffeine, because I replaced Coke with large volumes of unsweetened iced tea with lemon. I do not believe sugar is addictive, and I don't go to great lengths to reduce sugar, nor do I fear it. But I do wonder why I had such an issue with eliminating soda. I suppose it could have been psychological :). So when I read the OP, I just assumed he was feeling something similar I guess.

    For me, it certainly didn't feel like death, although I was not much fun to be around. And I certainly don't believe it was even remotely what drug addicts feel.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I think OP is genuinely looking for help, it's just the words he used opened himself up for debate.
  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
    edited February 2017
    Dnarules wrote: »
    I do agree OP didn't seem to be looking for a battle. I guess only he knows for sure.

    I also had a very difficult time giving up soda several years ago. It was too very long weeks, and then I felt ok and did not crave anymore (and still don't). I felt on edge, etc. It wasn't caffeine, because I replaced Coke with large volumes of unsweetened iced tea with lemon. I do not believe sugar is addictive, and I don't go to great lengths to reduce sugar, nor do I fear it. But I do wonder why I had such an issue with eliminating soda. I suppose it could have been psychological :). So when I read the OP, I just assumed he was feeling something similar I guess.

    For me, it certainly didn't feel like death, although I was not much fun to be around. And I certainly don't believe it was even remotely what drug addicts feel.

    That could very well be the case. Anecdotally, I eliminated soda about 10 years ago and didn't feel on edge at all. And like you, I replaced it with unsweetened iced tea. But to be fair, I wasn't drinking a ton of soda at that point in my life to begin with. One, maybe two cans of Coke or Pepsi per day, at most.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    fatblatta wrote: »
    Check out the book Obesity Code. Easy read. I gave up all sugar, artificial sweeteners, and processed carbs which turn into sugar. Including beer, which was nearly impossible! I don't miss the sweet stuff. Now anything with sugar tastes way too sweet. It depends on your goals and weight. If you're a little fat some sugar won't kill you. If you are a huge fat person, prediabetic or type 2 diabetic give that sweet death up.

    Cheers
    All carbs get broken down into sugar. Hope you haven't given up vegetables.
    vingogly wrote: »
    jmp463 wrote: »
    What if the guy just wants to give up sugar????? Some of you make it sound like a crime. Its no big deal - cut out sugar if you want. You dont have to cut it 100% but its not going to harm anything if you do. It might take a few days to a couple of weeks to get use to it. I swear some you just follow this thing all day and wait for the first chance to type your condescending views.

    What do you expect will happen when someone titles a thread "Cutting refined sugar feels like death", asks about his supposed "withdrawals", posters start on the "addiction" B.S. again (some here are former addicts or have worked with addicts, and know what addiction looks like), and people start promoting the usual broscience nonsense you see in this forum?

    I think he wanted to provoke a battle, and he got what he wanted. Silence in the face of misinformation that may potentially do damage to people does no one any good.

    I didn't see it that way at all. I saw a poster describe how he felt when he cut his sugar consumption. I can relate. Are we misattributing the cause for the crappy way we felt? Maybe. I will say that it's a tough connection for me to give up but I haven't found a ton of science backing up my ideas.

    I think discussing the science around it all is important. But I don't get the level of aggression I see here sometimes.
    I think you're projecting aggression where there's actually just a simple objection to misinformation.
    vingogly wrote: »
    jmp463 wrote: »
    What if the guy just wants to give up sugar????? Some of you make it sound like a crime. Its no big deal - cut out sugar if you want. You dont have to cut it 100% but its not going to harm anything if you do. It might take a few days to a couple of weeks to get use to it. I swear some you just follow this thing all day and wait for the first chance to type your condescending views.

    What do you expect will happen when someone titles a thread "Cutting refined sugar feels like death", asks about his supposed "withdrawals", posters start on the "addiction" B.S. again (some here are former addicts or have worked with addicts, and know what addiction looks like), and people start promoting the usual broscience nonsense you see in this forum?

    I think he wanted to provoke a battle, and he got what he wanted. Silence in the face of misinformation that may potentially do damage to people does no one any good.

    I didn't see it that way at all. I saw a poster describe how he felt when he cut his sugar consumption. I can relate. Are we misattributing the cause for the crappy way we felt? Maybe. I will say that it's a tough connection for me to give up but I haven't found a ton of science backing up my ideas.

    I think discussing the science around it all is important. But I don't get the level of aggression I see here sometimes.

    I see an enhanced aggression now compared to two or three years ago. Have you ever challenged CICO?

    I've noticed that your posting style is different than it was 2 or 3 years ago. Might have something to do with it.
  • fatblatta
    fatblatta Posts: 333 Member
    johnwelk wrote: »
    fatblatta wrote: »
    Riskay123 wrote: »
    I don't see any issue with eating fruit in moderation. Yes, it does contain fructose but it also has fibre and other vitamins and minerals which slow down the liver processing it.
    Some fruits are higher in fructose than others. Bananas are very high as opposed to berries or kiwi fruit.Fructose from table sugar, honey, maple syrup etc are the problem as it hits the liver straight away and the liver converts to fatty acids very quickly.
    I would like to see a change in food labelling laws so you can easily tell if something that has been packaged has added sugar. At the moment in Australia, you can not easily tell if the sugar has been added or it if is naturally occurring. Milk is a great example. If you looked at the sugar content of milk on the label you would think that the sugar content is quite high but the type of sugar in milk is lactose, not fructose and your body processes this type of sugar very differently. So the sugar in milk is not bad for you. I can make an informed decision in relation to fat content when I pick up packaged food because I can see the different types of fats listed. I can't do that with sugar which is very frustrating. I know giving up sugar isn't for everyone but some people are trying to "do the right thing" it is very hard if you don't have the right information.

    Nah.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3533803/

    Stop linking to decent, peer-reviewed scientific studies. It does nothing but educate people on both reality and critical thinking skills.

    Geez.

    The authors are employed full time by Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM). ADM is a major oilseed and grain commodity processor and produces, among other products, fructose-containing sweeteners.

    Unbiased helps too

    I find this funny after you advertise a book written by Jason Fung.

    SC, I was thinking the exact same thing.

    Did either of you read the book?
  • fatblatta
    fatblatta Posts: 333 Member
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    fatblatta wrote: »
    Check out the book Obesity Code. Easy read. I gave up all sugar, artificial sweeteners, and processed carbs which turn into sugar. Including beer, which was nearly impossible! I don't miss the sweet stuff. Now anything with sugar tastes way too sweet. It depends on your goals and weight. If you're a little fat some sugar won't kill you. If you are a huge fat person, prediabetic or type 2 diabetic give that sweet death up.

    Cheers
    All carbs get broken down into sugar. Hope you haven't given up vegetables.
    vingogly wrote: »
    jmp463 wrote: »
    What if the guy just wants to give up sugar????? Some of you make it sound like a crime. Its no big deal - cut out sugar if you want. You dont have to cut it 100% but its not going to harm anything if you do. It might take a few days to a couple of weeks to get use to it. I swear some you just follow this thing all day and wait for the first chance to type your condescending views.

    What do you expect will happen when someone titles a thread "Cutting refined sugar feels like death", asks about his supposed "withdrawals", posters start on the "addiction" B.S. again (some here are former addicts or have worked with addicts, and know what addiction looks like), and people start promoting the usual broscience nonsense you see in this forum?

    I think he wanted to provoke a battle, and he got what he wanted. Silence in the face of misinformation that may potentially do damage to people does no one any good.

    I didn't see it that way at all. I saw a poster describe how he felt when he cut his sugar consumption. I can relate. Are we misattributing the cause for the crappy way we felt? Maybe. I will say that it's a tough connection for me to give up but I haven't found a ton of science backing up my ideas.

    I think discussing the science around it all is important. But I don't get the level of aggression I see here sometimes.
    I think you're projecting aggression where there's actually just a simple objection to misinformation.
    vingogly wrote: »
    jmp463 wrote: »
    What if the guy just wants to give up sugar????? Some of you make it sound like a crime. Its no big deal - cut out sugar if you want. You dont have to cut it 100% but its not going to harm anything if you do. It might take a few days to a couple of weeks to get use to it. I swear some you just follow this thing all day and wait for the first chance to type your condescending views.

    What do you expect will happen when someone titles a thread "Cutting refined sugar feels like death", asks about his supposed "withdrawals", posters start on the "addiction" B.S. again (some here are former addicts or have worked with addicts, and know what addiction looks like), and people start promoting the usual broscience nonsense you see in this forum?

    I think he wanted to provoke a battle, and he got what he wanted. Silence in the face of misinformation that may potentially do damage to people does no one any good.

    I didn't see it that way at all. I saw a poster describe how he felt when he cut his sugar consumption. I can relate. Are we misattributing the cause for the crappy way we felt? Maybe. I will say that it's a tough connection for me to give up but I haven't found a ton of science backing up my ideas.

    I think discussing the science around it all is important. But I don't get the level of aggression I see here sometimes.

    I see an enhanced aggression now compared to two or three years ago. Have you ever challenged CICO?

    I've noticed that your posting style is different than it was 2 or 3 years ago. Might have something to do with it.

    I eat more veggies now than before I went low carb. But no sugar or processed carbs.
  • Hello_its_Dan
    Hello_its_Dan Posts: 406 Member
    edited February 2017
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    I've noticed that your posting style is different than it was 2 or 3 years ago. Might have something to do with it.

    Elaborate. I'm always a student and if what I'm saying to people is offensive, I'd like to know.
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
    How about eat some refined sugar now and then and not worry about it? This doesn't have to be a form of punishment.

    To get back on topic....This ^^^^^
  • AFGP11
    AFGP11 Posts: 142 Member
    edited February 2017
    RAinWA wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    Evamutt wrote: »
    My hubs is addicted to sugar too. He's lost a lot of weight & got off insulin but it's a battle. He was watching a documentary about drug addiction & they said on there that sugar is more addicting than any drug

    I say this as someone with a drug addiction. Sugar is not more addictive than a drug.
    aybkeg8ulyh3.gif

    Thank you! As someone who very recently lost a loved one to addiction I feel like your gif every time someone says they are "addicted" to sugar.

    I have lost people to addiction too, but that doesn't mean someone can't struggle with a food addiction. I'd say more people die each day from overeating than from drugs or alcohol. Obesity will kill you a full decade earlier (on average) than smoking cigarettes. This has been researched and is not simply my opinion. Obesity is one of the deadliest issues facing the modern world. Someone dying from an obesity related disease is them dying from being unable to control a substance they put into their bodies. Both are self destructive behaviors that get out of control and then take over your life.

    Downplaying someone else's problems because you think yours are worse is just a you problem. I don't play the suffering Olympics because some people have compassion for more than one person at a time. Kindness and understanding are dying sentiments unfortunately.
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
    This is definition of addiction taken from the American Society of Addiction:
    "Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry."
    People can be addicted to behaviours (eg gambling)as well as substances. So eating *could *be included in that. Personally I think the word "addicted " is another word that's overused and misused. For example I've often said that I'm "addicted "to candy crush (yes,I really am that sad) But of course it's nothing like drug addiction. I think people use the word without thinking. In the same way that they might describe themselves as "ocd" when in fact they aren't at all- true ocd is a debilitating mental illness.
  • illyasHodrick
    illyasHodrick Posts: 33 Member
    " There's no such thing as cocaine withdrawal. You're just craving it because you're denying yourself it".