Addicted to food, really?

hookilau

clipped for brevity...

oh but you ARE judging. you basically said that anyone that says that they have a food addiction is full of schit.

don't try to act all innocent now. it was very clear from the get-go what your position on this is. you didn't simply "pose a question and ask for thoughts".

i understand that you might come back and say something like "well that's my personal belief, how is that judging?"

well, it is a very judgemental, very ignorant point of view. i am typically forgiving toward the naive, but you haven't at all demonstrated an appreciation for the information given by those who do not share your "point of view", and so that is why you are being called judgemental. you knowingly stirred the pot on this, and you're acting like a bigoted *kitten*.

:laugh: :drinker:

ndj1979

I don't have time to read 12 pages of pop-faux-internet psychology. Saying that it's a "mental problem" is absolutely correct. Addictions are mental problems. DUH! Saying that it's "just an excuse for overeating" is bull****. There's a difference between an excuse and a reason. If this were an excuse, those people wouldn't be taking responsibility for their recovery and coming to MFP to talk to you people about their problems—if they were using it as an excuse. It's a reason. A perspective. A position original and unique to them whether you can relate to it or not.

I can drink beer once a year without ever craving it. Does that mean alcoholism is bull****? NO. I put down cigarettes without a second look after 20 years of smoking. Does that mean you cannot be addicted to them? NO.

Just because something doesn't happen to YOU doesn't mean it doesn't exist. You can sit in judgement of people all you want but the fact of the matter is that we ALL have something we struggle with, some to greater or lesser extents than others. Sometimes you don't understand someone's behavior, but it's not your place to understand it unless it has some bearing on you personally. Maybe your problem isn't obvious. Maybe it's just a tiny little **** or something else you can hide. But we all have our 'thing,' don't we? Tossing around these psychological theories as form of recreation to make yourself feel superior to those struggling beside you is ... well, bent.

An addiction is defined not be the regularity of indulgence alone, but by the effect it has on you, your life, your loved ones. Once something goes from being purely pleasurable and harmless to having negative consequences and the person responsible cannot manage it alone, it's an addiction. You have no right to judge the validity of something you claim to have never experienced and that you know absolutely nothing about. We are ALL special snowflakes, believe it or not. We ALL deserve the benefit of the doubt and owe a hand up of support to ANYONE who has the courage to come to this site and especially throw their personal thoughts and feelings out in front of a crowd they know are going to tear them to shreds like a pack of coyotes.

And it's NOT just your mind. Junk food is pumped full of all kinds of chemicals DESIGNED to make you eat more, like MSG. It comes under dozens of different names and is in probably everything you eat that's packaged if not organic. Check out MSGTruth.org for well-cited documentation (click on "Disease states" and then "obesity" and "Diabetes"). Just like cigarettes, which are soaked in 100+ chemicals to ensure your addiction and make them burn faster, junk food is engineered to keep you eating. Can some people fight becoming addicted to MSG? OF course they can, just like some can never be bothered by alcohol, nicotine or other drugs. But that doesn't mean it's not happening, or that some of our compadres are not suffering.

Yet another MFP over reaction .

I never judged anyone. I posed a question and asked for thoughts on the subject. If I was judging, I would of just said that all "Obese people use food addiction as an excuse to over eat or something like that..."

As far as your last statement of course "blame the evil corporations" because they had the common sense to make food taste good...would you buy food if it tasted like crap?

oh but you ARE judging. you basically said that anyone that says that they have a food addiction is full of schit.

don't try to act all innocent now. it was very clear from the get-go what your position on this is. you didn't simply "pose a question and ask for thoughts".

i understand that you might come back and say something like "well that's my personal belief, how is that judging?"

well, it is a very judgemental, very ignorant point of view. i am typically forgiving toward the naive, but you haven't at all demonstrated an appreciation for the information given by those who do not share your "point of view", and so that is why you are being called judgemental. you knowingly stirred the pot on this, and you're acting like a bigoted *kitten*.

Ummm no, I did not judge anyone. I made a comment from personal experience and asked posed a question for people to respond to. That is called discussion and debate.

So in your world that is bigoted? You might need to get out a little more.

ndj1979

But food is not addictive. Those chemicals are just there to make it more nutritious, right?!

I don't think there are many, if any, foods that have chemicals in them that cause physiological addictions.

However, there is absolutely no doubt that manufactured food is an engineered product, with very specific design criteria in mind when it is created.

Manufactured foods are designed to be cheap to manufacture, cheap to transport, have long shelf lives, and be very compelling/tasty to eat.

And it's not just a shot in the dark when they do this - there is a boatload of R&D money that goes into taste tests and psychology right down to the color of the box and what shelf on the grocery store it sits on all designed to maximize consumption and thus sales.

So the food most definitely is addictive, but probably not chemically addictive. I

Do a little reading before you conjecture on scientific evidence ***that already exists*** ... MSGTruth.org ... READ it! Actual information makes sorting out fact from emotions so much easier!!!

EDIT TO ADD from MSGTruth.org:

Why do food companies add MSG to foods?

There are several reasons:

MSG tricks your tongue into making you think a certain food is high in protein and thus nutritious. It is not a "meat tenderizer". It is not a "preservative". The food industry is trying to confuse the issue by focusing on the "fifth" taste sense they call umami. Free glutamic acid is detected by the taste buds as a simple way to signal the presence of protein in a food, just as there are fat receptors to detect fats and receptors that sense carbohydrate or sweet flavors. The purpose is to help us discern real food from inedible matter. It changes your perception of not simply taste but the nutritious qualities of what you put into your mouth. However, and here is the main problem with free glutamic acid - It is the very same neurotransmitter that your brain and many organs including your ears, eyes, nervous system and pancreas in your body use to initiate certain processes in your body.

MSG stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin. So many diets these days are concerned about the Glycemic Index of foods and yet none of them address the fact that MSG and free glutamic acid stimulate the pancreas to release insulin when there doesn't even have to be carbohydrates in the food for that insulin to act on. The food industry has found their own "anti-appetite suppressant". It's a convenient way to keep consumers coming back for more. The blood sugar drops because of the insulin flood. And you are hungry an hour later. Sound familiar?

The body changes excess glutamate to GABA. GABA may be addictive. It is calming and affects the same receptors in the brain as valium.

Cost. The illusion created by adding MSG to a food product enables the food processor to add LESS real food. The illusion of more protein in a food allows the food producer to put LESS protein in it. The consumer perceives the product - say chicken soup - to have more chicken in it than is actually there. Example: A well-known brand of dehydrated chicken noodle soup. Is that chicken in there, or a piece of confetti?

I dont think she likes MSG....

NonnyMary

All i understand about MSG is when I go into a chinese restaurant to try to get my food without it, something about it being akin to what sodium does. if thats true, then i have just given you an easy two-line explanation.

mrspinky85

Personally, I often struggle with whether, I have had a food addiction or just bad food habits. Growing up, I was always taught to finish my plates and we didn't always have food. Therefore, when we did have food I would eat as much as I could because I didn't know where my next meal would come from. Also, I just love the taste of different foods. I am a cook and I love the many different textures and things you can do on a plate. Food also covered up my many insecurities and depression caused by my overweight problems. Not all my weight problems are from my eating/exercise. I was a fit soldier and been broken down from my time in the military. Getting back in shape after my son is hard when you got different ailments in the way.

This all being said, I don't want to kill myself early. My family has diabetes, heart disease and other obesity related illnesses running like blood through our family tree. My grandfather, who I heard was a great man, I never met because he died at 50 for his love of food.

I cannot say what is or is not an addiction to some people. But for me its not just loving food or not being able to stop. It is about breaking old habits, retraining the mind, and doing this even if no one supports you. But, for me, I cannot comment on why people do what they do or their own motivations for it. All I can do is my best to be healthy for me, my family, and friends.

ellantz8

I think you bring up a valid argument, but I feel like we(as in everyone to a point) may build up some chemical dependency to certain types of foods or beverages. As someone stated earlier things like chocolate or highly caffeinated beverages actually have an affect on our brain and could quite possibly trigger addictive behavior. And as for it being a mental health issue, of course it is, as is any other addiction. People become addicted to things because of their brain make up, not everyone has an addictive personality, but a lot of people do, and people with outstanding mental health generally don't develop addictions. Btw congratulations on your fantastic weight loss, keep living healthy!!!

HardyGirl4Ever

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'm exactly the same way!!

snazzyjazzy21

Food can be addictive, end of story.

jimmmer

I'm guessing the people who have always been relatively fit or have only been "a few pounds" overweight don't believe in food addiction.

Also, is it possible some people are addicted to exercise?

It also possible to medicalise any aspect of human behaviour. If something falls outside a spectrum of behaviour we deem rational, we immediately jump all over it and feel that it needs to be "cured". Colour me suspicious. To quote Foucault:

"...modern man no longer communicates with the madman [...] There is no common language: or rather, it no longer exists; the constitution of madness as mental illness, at the end of the eighteenth century, bears witness to a rupture in a dialogue, gives the separation as already enacted, and expels from the memory all those imperfect words, of no fixed syntax, spoken falteringly, in which the exchange between madness and reason was carried out. The language of psychiatry, which is a monologue by reason about madness, could only have come into existence in such a silence."

It's the ultimate end of bringing scientific discourse to all aspects of our lives. Some aspects about human behaviour are not (nor should they be) reducible. Kierkegaard had the notion between mediation and higher immediacy in human action. It seems that acting as a rational, mature being (as enlightenment thinkers would have you believe we first-and-foremost are) can only expose you to a single side of the human experience. See, we are not really fundamentally rational beings, we are beings who are capable of rationality. There is a massive difference. Especially if you are trying to build a science of human behaviour.

tl;dr: Psychiatry as a effort to scientifically understand human behaviour is an error.

hilaryhill

Yes, I believe food addiction is real. Im not as addicted to it as others but there have been times in my life that I JUST. CANNOT. DO. ANYTHING. ELSE until I eat a....whatever, fill in the blank.... Cant think about anything else, cant go to sleep, unless eat or drink this ONE THING.. which usually would lead to overindulgence. Then I can go about my day. Its so weird, I know, but it does happen!

Not to mention that there are many food additives that are addicting, like MSG and high fructose corn syrup.

Though I do believe that cigarettes and drugs have a bit of a different way of being addicting. Nicotine is a drug that is highly addictive so your body literally craves the chemical, not the cigarettes, per se. Same with drugs, heroin is highly addictive physiologically and someone could literally die without getting a fix unless going through a serious detox rehab program. So in that way, food addiction is NOT the same.

fatfudgery

You know, there's a reason that medical and mental health professionals refer to "addiction" in the case of heroin and not in the case of food.

This is incorrect. There most certainly are medical and mental health professionals that refer to food addiction.

Binge eating is now a disorder listed in the DSM-V.

This. Thank you. This is my field.

And it's also "appeal to authority."

Fallacy mining isn't an argument.

Wildflower0106

I don't have time to read 12 pages of pop-faux-internet psychology. Saying that it's a "mental problem" is absolutely correct. Addictions are mental problems. DUH! Saying that it's "just an excuse for overeating" is bull****. There's a difference between an excuse and a reason. If this were an excuse, those people wouldn't be taking responsibility for their recovery and coming to MFP to talk to you people about their problems—if they were using it as an excuse. It's a reason. A perspective. A position original and unique to them whether you can relate to it or not.

I can drink beer once a year without ever craving it. Does that mean alcoholism is bull****? NO. I put down cigarettes without a second look after 20 years of smoking. Does that mean you cannot be addicted to them? NO.

Just because something doesn't happen to YOU doesn't mean it doesn't exist. You can sit in judgement of people all you want but the fact of the matter is that we ALL have something we struggle with, some to greater or lesser extents than others. Sometimes you don't understand someone's behavior, but it's not your place to understand it unless it has some bearing on you personally. Maybe your problem isn't obvious. Maybe it's just a tiny little **** or something else you can hide. But we all have our 'thing,' don't we? Tossing around these psychological theories as form of recreation to make yourself feel superior to those struggling beside you is ... well, bent.

An addiction is defined not be the regularity of indulgence alone, but by the effect it has on you, your life, your loved ones. Once something goes from being purely pleasurable and harmless to having negative consequences and the person responsible cannot manage it alone, it's an addiction. You have no right to judge the validity of something you claim to have never experienced and that you know absolutely nothing about. We are ALL special snowflakes, believe it or not. We ALL deserve the benefit of the doubt and owe a hand up of support to ANYONE who has the courage to come to this site and especially throw their personal thoughts and a out in front of a crowd they know are going to tear them to shreds like a pack of coyotes.

And it's NOT just your mind. Junk food is pumped full of all kinds of chemicals DESIGNED to make you eat more, like MSG. It comes under dozens of different names and is in probably everything you eat that's packaged if not organic. Check out MSGTruth.org for well-cited documentation (click on "Disease states" and then "obesity" and "Diabetes"). Just like cigarettes, which are soaked in 100+ chemicals to ensure your addiction and make them burn faster, junk food is engineered to keep you eating. Can some people fight becoming addicted to MSG? OF course they can, just like some can never be bothered by alcohol, nicotine or other drugs. But that doesn't mean it's not happening, or that some of our compadres are not suffering.

Yet another MFP over reaction .

I never judged anyone. I posed a question and asked for thoughts on the subject. If I was judging, I would of just said that all "Obese people use food addiction as an excuse to over eat or something like that..."

As far as your last statement of course "blame the evil corporations" because they had the common sense to make food taste good...would you buy food if it tasted like crap?

oh but you ARE judging. you basically said that anyone that says that they have a food addiction is full of schit.

don't try to act all innocent now. it was very clear from the get-go what your position on this is. you didn't simply "pose a question and ask for thoughts".

i understand that you might come back and say something like "well that's my personal belief, how is that judging?"

well, it is a very judgemental, very ignorant point of view. i am typically forgiving toward the naive, but you haven't at all demonstrated an appreciation for the information given by those who do not share your "point of view", and so that is why you are being called judgemental. you knowingly stirred the pot on this, and you're acting like a bigoted *kitten*.

I didn't find the original post judgemental... I think some are a little sensitive here. He gave his experience and what he thought because of his experience and then asked for opinions. Good googly... there was no attack and no judgement.

k1229

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

How is having an addiction not a lack of willpower? An alcoholic picks up a drink due to lack of willpower, does s/he not? There is a compulsion to drink. That compulsion is only overcome by will or force.

no

Then how?

you said it your self... compulsion.

Sorry, I thought you were saying "no" to willpower being the method to break the compulsion. The one word answer was pretty nondescriptive, especially since you agree it's compulsion.

It's pretty hard to deny that there are those that feel compulsion to overeat.

to be fair you only asked one question. and it was "An alcoholic picks up a drink due to lack of willpower, does s/he not?" this is what i answered. being compelled to do something isnt entirely down to a lack of will power, does a junkie not have the will power to steal from friends and family to buy gear? no they are compelled to do it, as part of the viciousness of their addiction. its not about not having any will power, its an addiction, and the definition of addiction alludes to a feeling of compulsion to do things without consideration for consequence, because there is no barrier between logic and addiction. its all about the feeling you get after consumption.

QuietBloom

I'm addicted to cheese. I'd die without it. The Mayo Clinic proved it with Science.

This is a joke. Right? Just checking...

lovejulez03

Overeating/Food CAN be an addiction. Not for everyone, but for some. I look at it from a common sense AND psychological standpoint. Some use it as an excuse..for others it's something real that needs to be worked through. Either way, MANY people (from what I've seen personally) have SOME sort of mental health battle..whether it be clinical depression, bipolar, ptsd, childhood sexual abuse/physical abuse, etc... morbidly obese people like myself did not get fat by chance. Unfortunately when you start out young and your body and brain gets used to having something, couple that with depression or something else, plus traumatic experiences, and food WILL become a trigger for dopamine in the brain. Sugar triggers the same parts of the brain that crack cocaine does. So saying that food is an addiction isn't true for all, but it's real. If food isn't an addiction, then alcohol isn't an addiction for alcoholics. Is the persons choice to start eating/drinking and continue, but after a while it's not just about stopping, it's about healing. If you can get headaches from not getting your regular caffeine intake then why is it so hard to believe that other foods can trigger your brain and cause an "addiction" of some sorts? It shouldn't be used as an excuse, but it's just the truth.

Come on now. lol

lovejulez03

Oh and just to back up what I said (aside from the fact that I've been morbidly obese for years, am a psychology major, have common sense, and also work with those addicted to various substances, AND have a mother who was overweight and has lost and maintained through OA) .... here is just one article. I could produce more, but I have homework to do..

"The Obesity Epidemic and Food Addiction: Clinical Similarities to Drug Dependence" by Jeffrey L. Fortuna Dr.Ph from the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs

lejla2002

just another excuse, no one is really addicted to food, we just love the taste i love food, but I'm learing to eat in moderation now, i never really been a lazy person, i'm actually on the move always when working i have to get out of my chair atleast 30 times a day, when i get home i cook and clean and tend to my family, I guess i just eat more then my body was burning, now i eat smarter, i have sweets but just not as many as i love to thoug lol...moderation people that's all and keep moving

loserbaby84

I think we are hung up on the term "addicted". Personally, I'm an emotional eater and would eat until I wanted to explode. Not because I was addicted to the food but because of the "satisfying" feeling of being "full". I was filling a void with something that comforted me and made me "feel better".

This is a disorder for sure! But I agree that it was no "addiction".

Just my opinion

barbie3000

I generally stay away from minefields like this, but when it comes to addiction, I have to throw in my two cents.

Years ago, after some very bad stuff happened in my life, I jumped down the rabbit hole and became addicted to cocaine, and then crack. I lost everything, had to declare bankruptcy...everything.

I got clean by...stopping. It was the hardest thing I ever did. In my case I didn't go to 12-step programs (but I recognize their value for some people). I stopped because I bottomed out and the people who love me didn't deserve any more pain.

I was an addict. But I was able to stop, by choice and will. I've been clean for five years.

I now have a cancerous tumor. Unfortunately I can't make that go away by willpower.

There are some of us who have a pleasure-seeking gene in our brain, something that tells us that when something feels good, we must continue to do it, over and over. When I got rid of drugs, I turned to food.

But I can change this, as I changed my addiction to my drug.

lovejulez03

I generally stay away from minefields like this, but when it comes to addiction, I have to throw in my two cents.

Years ago, after some very bad stuff happened in my life, I jumped down the rabbit hole and became addicted to cocaine, and then crack. I lost everything, had to declare bankruptcy...everything.

I got clean by...stopping. It was the hardest thing I ever did. In my case I didn't go to 12-step programs (but I recognize their value for some people). I stopped because I bottomed out and the people who love me didn't deserve any more pain.

I was an addict. But I was able to stop, by choice and will. I've been clean for five years.

I now have a cancerous tumor. Unfortunately I can't make that go away by willpower.

There are some of us who have a pleasure-seeking gene in our brain, something that tells us that when something feels good, we must continue to do it, over and over. When I got rid of drugs, I turned to food.

But I can change this, as I changed my addiction to my drug.

Well said. And well done.