Addicted to food, really?

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.

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.

jonnythan

Four words: external locus of control.

italiangirlinva

Food addiction is real, just like alcoholism or a drug addiction. I am a recovering food addict/compulsive overeater in a 12 step program, but I will never be "cured". I have an effed up mind when it comes to food, an obession, an illness. Food addiction is an eating disorder. Some people have bulimia, some anorexia, some compulsive overeating or other obsessive or compulsive food behaviors. Food addicts use and abuse food and they can't do anything to stop it when they are being overpowered by their addiction. Eating disorders are in the DSM-IV.

RLPearce92

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...

i agree with this! i mean in literal sense we are all "addicted" to food because we need to eat it everyday to survive, but the issue lies with how much food you eat. people have problems with eating too much food whether the reason being is emotional/mental/medical etc so i think there is a problem with eating too much but i wouldnt use the term addiction.

jamielynas

Food addiction is real, just like alcoholism or a drug addiction.

That'll go down well

CyberEd312

I mindlessly ate, I was dealing with severe depression, suicidal tendencies, Lost my Sister to Diabetes and then lost my mom and dad 6 months apart... I turned to food to drown my feelings. I didn't care what I was eating as long as I was completely stuffed. I would then beat myself up for doing it to myself but that only lasted til I had room and then I would eat again... I was eating over 10,000 calories a day back then... I was homebound, unable to walk from room to room with out the assistance of a chair on wheel's. I ordered 21in. Pizza's 3 or 4 times a week and would put the pizza in tupperware, cut the boxes into little pieces and hide them in the garage trash can and then hide the pizza in the closets in our house so that when my wife went to bed I could have some comfort food. I bought boxes of little debbie's swiss cakes, nutty bars, etc. and hide them in different places I new my family would never look and I would eat my usual 2 or 3 plates of food with them at breakfast lunch and dinner and then have my snacks for later... We would go through taco bell and I placed my order by quantity of items, I had to have 18 items off the menu (that did not include my pop or cinnamon twist) and I ate every bit of what I ordered in one setting... this is just a general summary of the mindless eating I did back then... I sat in my recliner with a loaded handgun for 3 days trying to figure out how to blow my brains out and not leave a mess for my family to come home too... On that 3rd day I had hit rock bottom, my wife came home, I was sitting in the chair with the gun in hand and told her I could not live another day like this... The next day i was in therapy, also making the rounds to the medical doctors to find out the damage I had done eating myself to 560 lbs. but I had to come to terms with my addiction to food and I worked through the 12 step program and I came to terms with my eating and those things that was causing me to drown my feelings with food.... It took alot of hardwork to get past using food to drown my emotions and understand that food was only necessary to sustain my life and that I needed to use other outlet to deal with stress in my life that caused me to turn to food... I too have ice cream in the freezer, pop tarts in the cupboard, will be going out for pizza and beer tomorrow night and Cold Stone Creamery for dessert. Do I still fight those cravings to mindlessly eat? Sure everyday.... Could I easily slip back into old habits?? Yes... I can still eat the way I use to if I ever gave into those urges... You never get rid of any addiction you just learn to replace it with something else... I choose therapy to talk through my emotions and feeling and I use exercise to release my stress.... So.... and I do not mean any disrespect when I say this even though it may sound blunt but I know what I went through to get to where I am today and whether you agree with it or not makes no difference to me whatsoever. I made a choice in this recliner 4 years ago to put the gun down and I took charge of my life and did what I thought was necessary to make the changes needed to fight my way back... Your definition and mine of food addiction may never be the same, I only know what i have been through and what I believe in...... Best of Luck

odusgolp

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

ndj1979

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.*

so its kind of like getting high from eating? interesting notion...

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?

Some addictions, like nicotine, can replace the production of a neurotransmitter on certain receptors in the brain and cause the withdrawals when the nicotine isn't present. I don't know if food addiction has similar effects, like I said before maybe its the addiction to the activated pleasure centers of the brain, similar to say sex addiction, not that there is a replacement of a neurotransmitter but rather the need to stimulate the pleasurable sensations in the brain. You just don't feel good without it.

< sex addict...LOL

i2rsantos

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."

I have lived, worked and been born overseas, where food has a 'natural' place in life. Food is consumed socially, and you are 'closer' to where food is produced . In North America, food is just another product. I think it's precisely because we in North America are so out of touch with what food is that we can talk about being 'addicted'. Unfortunately, the way we in North America think about food is being exported to places like China and India and the consequences are higher rates of obesity and heart disease there.

None of the above excuses anyone for being personally responsible for what they eat. In fact, if more people 'put their money where their mount is', we would have healthier food alternatives in the stores.

I personally have an emotional attachment to food in that I enjoy the smell and taste of it but also the (most of the time) people with whom I share it. Food for me is linked to many adventures, triumphs, losses and disappointments. But, I can't say that I am 'addicted'.

odusgolp

I mindlessly ate, I was dealing with severe depression, suicidal tendencies, Lost my Sister to Diabetes and then lost my mom and dad 6 months apart... I turned to food to drown my feelings. I didn't care what I was eating as long as I was completely stuffed. I would then beat myself up for doing it to myself but that only lasted til I had room and then I would eat again... I was eating over 10,000 calories a day back then... I was homebound, unable to walk from room to room with out the assistance of a chair on wheel's. I ordered 21in. Pizza's 3 or 4 times a week and would put the pizza in tupperware, cut the boxes into little pieces and hide them in the garage trash can and then hide the pizza in the closets in our house so that when my wife went to bed I could have some comfort food. I bought boxes of little debbie's swiss cakes, nutty bars, etc. and hide them in different places I new my family would never look and I would eat my usual 2 or 3 plates of food with them at breakfast lunch and dinner and then have my snacks for later... We would go through taco bell and I placed my order by quantity of items, I had to have 18 items off the menu (that did not include my pop or cinnamon twist) and I ate every bit of what I ordered in one setting... this is just a general summary of the mindless eating I did back then... I sat in my recliner with a loaded handgun for 3 days trying to figure out how to blow my brains out and not leave a mess for my family to come home too... On that 3rd day I had hit rock bottom, my wife came home, I was sitting in the chair with the gun in hand and told her I could not live another day like this... The next day i was in therapy, also making the rounds to the medical doctors to find out the damage I had done eating myself to 560 lbs. but I had to come to terms with my addiction to food and I worked through the 12 step program and I came to terms with my eating and those things that was causing me to drown my feelings with food.... It took alot of hardwork to get past using food to drown my emotions and understand that food was only necessary to sustain my life and that I needed to use other outlet to deal with stress in my life that caused me to turn to food... I too have ice cream in the freezer, pop tarts in the cupboard, will be going out for pizza and beer tomorrow night and Cold Stone Creamery for dessert. Do I still fight those cravings to mindlessly eat? Sure everyday.... Could I easily slip back into old habits?? Yes... I can still eat the way I use to if I ever gave into those urges... You never get rid of any addiction you just learn to replace it with something else... I choose therapy to talk through my emotions and feeling and I use exercise to release my stress.... So.... and I do not mean any disrespect when I say this even though it may sound blunt but I know what I went through to get to where I am today and whether you agree with it or not makes no difference to me whatsoever. I made a choice in this recliner 4 years ago to put the gun down and I took charge of my life and did what I thought was necessary to make the changes needed to fight my way back... Your definition and mine of food addiction may never be the same, I only know what i have been through and what I believe in...... Best of Luck

I don't know you, but I love you and absolutely want to hug it out ((((((((xoxoxox))))))))

I'm glad you're here with us to share your story.

likearadiowave

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..?????

"Food Addiction" is kind of a misnomer. From my general understanding, people really aren't "addicted" to food like they're addicted to smoking or drugs. They're addicted to the FEELING it gives them. The pleasure center that is activated in the brain when you enjoy something ... pretty sure it has a more scientific explanation, but yea.

JenniferH81

I don't know if it's an addiction or not. But like the other people that posted, I also obsess about what's in the fridge or pantry until I eventually just give in and eat it.
I remember from a VERY young age (6-7) sneaking food, hiding from my mom or grandma to have chips. I don't know why I felt the need to do that, but I do wonder if it's an issue some of us are born with.

GimmieDatSalad

I was (I still relapse) so addicted to food, any food including healthy food that I would eat all day, frantically, like a shark on a feeding frenzy. I became addicted to the feeling of the stuff in my mouth, the hand to mouth motion, the comfort; like a smoker.

At one point I tried to throw the food away, but I got it out of the bin. The only way to stop was to pour bleach on it first, that's not just overeating, that's a compulsion.

People get fat without being addicted to food, consider yourself lucky. One can have low willpower without being addicted. It's the difference between giving in to an extra drink at the pub and chugging vodka alone until you pass out.