Addicted to food, really?

ndj1979

I am probably going to catch some major flack for this one, but oh well what the hell, I am used to it.

Reading through the threads I am reading a lot of "I can't eat carbs because it make me binge on more carbs", or "I can't eat sugary foods, because then I want more sugary foods and can't stop myself" or "I have to eat clean because I have a food addiction..." there are more but I think I have laid out the general thoughts that I have seen on the subject.

So I think back to when I was like 200# and totally out of shape...I was never "addicted to food" I mean I just ate way too much of foods that I liked and did zero exercise. It was not like I eat some pasta, and was like "oh, my god I have to have more pasta" I would just cook a crap ton of it and eat all of it. Now, I still eat pasta, ice cream etc on occasion, I just eat less of it and watch my calories and macros goals or the day. Its not like I make a serving of pasta and immediately want to make five more servings to eat. I have ice cream in the freezer right now, if I have a servicing I do not woof down the whole pint...

I do not think that anyone can be "addicted to food", it just seems like a strange concept to me. I mean if you do not have that food will you have withdrawals? I just think that it is an excuse that people use to tell themselves that they can't eat certain foods, or to just blame their obesity issue on something else, or to cover up an underlying mental health issue. I mean people binge, but to me that seems tied into more of a mental health issue or just bad relationship with food.

So I will toss it out to the MFP crowed..what do you all think ...food addictions yes, no, or total garbage..?????

Unknown

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ndj1979

It seems to me that everyone is addicted to food. I think what people mean with the carb binging is that eating carbs is a pleasurable experience, probably dopamine release, and they are addicted to the pleasure of eating sweet things.

thats an interesting thought...I like sweet things too, but I can have one to two servings and be done with them....

kr3851

Its like I make a serving of pasta and immediately want to make five more servings to eat. I have ice cream in the freezer right now, if I have a servicing I do not woof down the whole pint...

^^ This is what goes through my head when I eat. I do eat everything that's not nailed down.

It's not crap. Food addiction is serious. I don't restrict carbs, but I certainly do eat more than I should, more often than I should. If there are leftovers, I obsess about eating them until I do, regardless of my level of hunger. In fact, I don't think I've actually BEEN hungry for a long time. It's not just carbs, though, it's everything. If it tastes good, I eat it all. And sometimes even if it doesn't taste good, I'll eat it anyway.

It's a combination of my upbringing and our culture of food-based events. I don't know what the answer is, but I know that it is only I who can change my habits and try to control my addiction. I love food, and I can't give it up like smoking or alcohol. Small changes every day, little slips here and there, they're all a part of my life.

I don't have 'withdrawals' per se, but I do have strong cravings if I give something up - so I don't. My mind instantly wants what I tell it we're not having. It's how my mind works. I know it sounds like bull****, because to someone who has never experienced it, it's CRAZY!

I find it strange that people are addicted to smoking or drugs, given all the knowledge that we have around how bad it is for you. But they are. I have so much knowledge about proper nutrition, proper serving sizes, and good exercise habits, yet I continue to behave in a manner that goes against all that knowledge. It's the same thing.

ETA: Just providing the other side of the coin.

ndj1979

Its like I make a serving of pasta and immediately want to make five more servings to eat. I have ice cream in the freezer right now, if I have a servicing I do not woof down the whole pint...

^^ This is what goes through my head when I eat. I do eat everything that's not nailed down.

It's not crap. Food addiction is serious. I don't restrict carbs, but I certainly do eat more than I should, more often than I should. If there are leftovers, I obsess about eating them until I do, regardless of my level of hunger. In fact, I don't think I've actually BEEN hungry for a long time. It's not just carbs, though, it's everything. If it tastes good, I eat it all. And sometimes even if it doesn't taste good, I'll eat it anyway.

It's a combination of my upbringing and our culture of food-based events. I don't know what the answer is, but I know that it is only I who can change my habits and try to control my addiction. I love food, and I can't give it up like smoking or alcohol. Small changes every day, little slips here and there, they're all a part of my life.

I don't have 'withdrawals' per se, but I do have strong cravings if I give something up - so I don't. My mind instantly wants what I tell it we're not having. It's how my mind works. I know it sounds like bull****, because to someone who has never experienced it, it's CRAZY!

I find it strange that people are addicted to smoking or drugs, given all the knowledge that we have around how bad it is for you. But they are. I have so much knowledge about proper nutrition, proper serving sizes, and good exercise habits, yet I continue to behave in a manner that goes against all that knowledge. It's the same thing.

ETA: Just providing the other side of the coin.

I had a typo in my orignal post ...it should have read, which I have corrected, "Its not like I make a servicing of pasta and then want five more ...sorry about that ...

don't you think its more a self control issue than an actual addiction?

Duck_Puddle

I don't know if I believe in food "addiction", but I think it takes a very different mindset and relationship with food to become morbidly obese (as I was). For me, it was not just a matter of taking a huge serving and eating all of it (which I did), but a weird compulsion to eat more and more of everything. I could take A serving of ice cream, but if there was more in the freezer, I would feel compelled to eat it. I wouldn't consider it addiction, but it definitely stemmed from a bad relationship with food.

As I crossed from the obese to overweight BMI category, that "compulsion" has pretty much gone away. I don't know it it was the months losing the first 60 to build new "habits" or if having less fat on me played a part or maybe crossing into territory where it seemed "real" that I might actually reach a healthy weight. I really don't know. But I know that the last 20 lbs I have lost have been very different mentally than the first 60-food now feels controllable, where it really wasn't before.

lynn1982

Well aren't you special. Just because you've never struggled with this does not mean it doesn't exist. If I had a pint of ice cream in my freezer, I would feel compelled to eat the entire thing RIGHT NOW. I wouldn't call it an "addiction," but it's definitely a form of disordered eating. It's just easier not to have it in my kitchen.

jamielynas

People use the word "addiction" to justify a lack of willpower

mandasalem

So... because this wasn't your experience, it's no one's experience?

Don't get me wrong, I have no experience with this myself and I can't always wrap my brain around it, but I think there are plenty of mental healthcare professionals who would disagree with you and give you a wealth of evidence as to why.

Also, I think you're confusing "a lot of people exaggerate and say they have this problem" with "this problem can't possibly exist."

Leah_Brooke

Yep.

People use the word "addiction" to justify a lack of willpower

ndj1979

Well aren't you special. Just because you've never struggled with this does not mean it doesn't exist. If I had a pint of ice cream in my freezer, I would feel compelled to eat the entire thing RIGHT NOW. I wouldn't call it an "addiction," but it's definitely a form of disordered eating. It's just easier not to have it in my kitchen.

Did you even read what I posted? I said that I used to be 210+ and out of shape ..so obviously I over ate I was just never addicted to food..

I believe what you are suffering from is the same condition I suffered from...overeating...

ndj1979

So... because this wasn't your experience, it's no one's experience?

Don't get me wrong, I have no experience with this myself and I can't always wrap my brain around it, but I think there are plenty of mental healthcare professionals who would disagree with you and give you a wealth of evidence as to why.

Also, I think you're confusing "a lot of people exaggerate and say they have this problem" with "this problem can't possibly exist."

thats is why I am asking the question....I posted my experience and asked for thoughts on it...

Mainebikerchick

I think some people may have some valid issues with food addiction but I think way too many use it as an excuse as to why they can't lose weight....

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yellosd

I'm 301 down from 430. Imagine eating until you're nauseous and your stomach physically feels like it's going to burst, and still having the desire to eat more. That's food addiction. It's an insatiable hunger. Keto helped me get rid of that, but when I eat carbs the hunger comes back.

laurimaki

don't you think its more a self control issue than an actual addiction?

Using that logic, there would be no such thing as addiction. Meth-heads just lack the self -control to stop doing meth. Cigarette smokers just lack self-control to stop smoking. Addiction is a very real thing, and I do believe in food addiction. I was a smoker and quit cold turkey...yet I can't quit cold turkey. Ok, that was bad to make a joke about it, but addiction is real, it just depends how your body reacts. I stopped smoking and thought nothing of it, while others struggle daily...but food has a grip on me, which I have been working on over the years. So maybe you just don't have the same physiological reaction to food as others, that doesn't mean it's not real.

Oh, and not to be a **** but it's wolf...people wolf things down, no one woofs anything, except Buzz's girlfriend.

jeffpettis

It's not an addiction, it's a lack of self control. People don't have withdrawls from not eating one more oreo! It's an excuse because they can't control themselves. And before anyone jumps all over me for this, everyone on this site has had this problem at one point or another or we wouldn't be here. Some have just learned self control along the way...

Mr_Knight

Food addiction, if it were real, would be an extremely negative evolutionary trait and strongly selected against.

Which is exactly why it's not real.

SpecialKitty7

while i do think there is a thing as a food addiction (for say 1 item not "food" in general), i think most people claim they are addicted to food to explain their total lack of self control.

ndj1979

I'm 301 down from 430. Imagine eating until you're nauseous and your stomach physically feels like it's going to burst, and still having the desire to eat more. That's food addiction. It's an insatiable hunger. Keto helped me get rid of that, but when I eat carbs the hunger comes back.

interesting, thanks for sharing.

do you think that is more a mental thing or physical addiction?

MyLovesMyLife

A person can be addicted to anything, yes even food. There is an addict for anything you can name, even sniffing gasoline. So you can't say you don't believe a person can be addicted to food because there are plenty who are, thus a majority of the population is overweight. I do agree most food addicts are also lazy addicts because if your putting in the effort of working out than that extra piece of cake doesn't seem so appealing. You have to get to the mindset of" is that food really worth that extra pound or two of fat or should I just pass on it?" And it is hard to get there! But ultimately worth it!

whierd

while i do think there is a thing as a food addiction (for say 1 item not "food" in general), i think most people claim they are addicted to food to explain their total lack of self control.

I think there are some mental issues that are passed off as a food addiction.

kr3851

Its like I make a serving of pasta and immediately want to make five more servings to eat. I have ice cream in the freezer right now, if I have a servicing I do not woof down the whole pint...

^^ This is what goes through my head when I eat. I do eat everything that's not nailed down.

It's not crap. Food addiction is serious. I don't restrict carbs, but I certainly do eat more than I should, more often than I should. If there are leftovers, I obsess about eating them until I do, regardless of my level of hunger. In fact, I don't think I've actually BEEN hungry for a long time. It's not just carbs, though, it's everything. If it tastes good, I eat it all. And sometimes even if it doesn't taste good, I'll eat it anyway.

It's a combination of my upbringing and our culture of food-based events. I don't know what the answer is, but I know that it is only I who can change my habits and try to control my addiction. I love food, and I can't give it up like smoking or alcohol. Small changes every day, little slips here and there, they're all a part of my life.

I don't have 'withdrawals' per se, but I do have strong cravings if I give something up - so I don't. My mind instantly wants what I tell it we're not having. It's how my mind works. I know it sounds like bull****, because to someone who has never experienced it, it's CRAZY!

I find it strange that people are addicted to smoking or drugs, given all the knowledge that we have around how bad it is for you. But they are. I have so much knowledge about proper nutrition, proper serving sizes, and good exercise habits, yet I continue to behave in a manner that goes against all that knowledge. It's the same thing.

ETA: Just providing the other side of the coin.

I had a typo in my orignal post ...it should have read, which I have corrected, "Its not like I make a servicing of pasta and then want five more ...sorry about that ...

don't you think its more a self control issue than an actual addiction?

Self control is a major part of it. A part of addiction is compulsion, another part is habit. It's hard to separate what is habit and what is compulsion. Yes, saying you're an addict can be considered a 'cop-out', and like being gluten-intolerant or lactose-intolerant, it is easy for someone to make that statement without being officially diagnosed. I think we all need to recognise that others are not like us, and that what is normal for you is certainly not what is normal for me. In this case, what is normal for me is not healthy for me, but it is up to me to accept it, and try to change it.

ItsCasey

People use the word "addiction" to justify a lack of willpower

Exactly what I was thinking. There's a difference between addiction and being unwilling to control your behavior. Someone said if they make one serving of pasta, they want to make 5 more. You're not addicted to the food. You're not going to go into withdrawals if you don't eat 5 more servings of pasta. You'll go to sleep and wake up tomorrow and be just fine. You have a bad HABIT, not an addiction.

zorbaru

im sure there is a condition called "food addiction" however i dont think every obese person that says they have it actually does.

a lot of people want a way to explain their obesity but not take the responsibility for it.

just like those people that are suing mcdonalds for making them fat. its a problem with society today. people always need someone else to blame for their shortcomings.

ndj1979

don't you think its more a self control issue than an actual addiction?

Using that logic, there would be no such thing as addiction. Meth-heads just lack the self -control to stop doing meth. Cigarette smokers just lack self-control to stop smoking. Addiction is a very real thing, and I do believe in food addiction. I was a smoker and quit cold turkey...yet I can't quit cold turkey. Ok, that was bad to make a joke about it, but addiction is real, it just depends how your body reacts. I stopped smoking and thought nothing of it, while others struggle daily...but food has a grip on me, which I have been working on over the years. So maybe you just don't have the same physiological reaction to food as others, that doesn't mean it's not real.

Oh, and not to be a **** but it's wolf...people wolf things down, no one woofs anything, except Buzz's girlfriend.

i used to smoke and I had a hell of a time quitting ...your example of drugs is an interesting one, but again, I think that is more of a chemical reaction that occurs in the brain and makes you want something...and no one starts out wanting meth you have to try and then get hooked into the "high"...People always have to eat food, so were we/they always addicted to food?

yellosd

I'm 301 down from 430. Imagine eating until you're nauseous and your stomach physically feels like it's going to burst, and still having the desire to eat more. That's food addiction. It's an insatiable hunger. Keto helped me get rid of that, but when I eat carbs the hunger comes back.

interesting, thanks for sharing.

do you think that is more a mental thing or physical addiction?

It feels like a cigarette craving. It's been 535 days since I've had a smoke, too. I think I have decent willpower after that much weight loss and dropping cigarettes. There have been studies that demonstrated a higher dopamine response from binge eaters in response to food in comparison to normal people. Read about leptin resistance. I haven't found studies showing what causes it, but it's essentially the hunger hormone, and it doesn't work very well in some people.

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Howdoyoufeeltoday

it's not the food itself they're addicted too (although sugar is hard to let go of), it's the feelings they get during or after they eat that they're addicted to. It's not like cigarettes or drugs where the product itself is addictive but they eat as a comfort for their emotion and in the moment the food makes them feel better and they're addicted to the "feel better" feeling. Even if they feel guilty about eating the way they do they still feel like they can't stop because they need that "feel better" feeling a little longer. It's a mental thing, so the person saying they're "addicted" to ice cream isn't actually addicted to ice cream but they probably have an emotional connection to it that makes them feel better when they eat it.

*I think that makes sense. It makes sense to me but that's cause I know what i'm trying to say.*

Madame_Goldbricker

The support group Overeaters Anonymous exists so I'm assuming there are many who view it as a genuine addiction. I met a guy who attends the meetings & dropped 70lbs+. Whose to say if that's what works for someone good for them.

MuseofSong

It seems to me that everyone is addicted to food. I think what people mean with the carb binging is that eating carbs is a pleasurable experience, probably dopamine release, and they are addicted to the pleasure of eating sweet things.

thats an interesting thought...I like sweet things too, but I can have one to two servings and be done with them....

I can have one or two drinks a New Year's Eve party and be set for the entire evening. An alcoholic will use the holiday as an excuse for a major bender and cannot stop themselves once they get started.

Addictions are real.

I'm glad it hasn't happened to you. I'm glad I never got hooked on drugs like some of my friends did. I'm glad I never became an alcoholic like some people I know. One of my alcoholic friends has pancreatitis and he could not stop his drinking even though it caused him terrible pain and was making his pancreas digest itself. I couldn't watch him kill himself, so he isn't my friend anymore.

I do not doubt these people with food triggers that send them on benders.