Do you believe in food addiction?

Yanicka1

i do not think food is addictive but i believe that people that have addictive personalities often use food since it is very easy to access.

MelRC117

I think people believe they can blame addiction because then that means they don't take personal responsiblity for it, drugs or food.

But stop with the sugar addiction is as bad as a crack addicition. When you start committing crimes, neglecting your children, or not showing up to work because you're at the bakery, that's when I can take people more seriously when they say "I'm as bad as a crack addict when it comes to pizza!!" Seriously, stop with the dramatics.

DamePiglet

No. I believe that you can get addicted to the substances in food (sugar, HFCS, MSG, etc) but not the food itself. It's like people who bake marijuana brownies - they're addicted to the marijuana, not the brownies. Same thing with food.

I could be wrong, but I can't imagine that the small percentage of marijuana addicts would waste it by baking brownies.
.
Now, using food as a crutch... Stuffing down your feelings or sorrow with food? Kinda how people will binge drink to try to "forget their sorrows"? Yep. I believe that happens.

krennie8

Yes.

knra_grl

I used to think I craved fast food - I haven't really eaten any for a couple months and the thought of it is not as appetizing as it used to be - in fact I drive past fast food places every day and never feel the urge to pull in and order a burger

coffee on the other hand ... well it's a basic necessity of life :drinker:

Timshel_

Do you believe in food addiction?

Yes. But more so that you develop STRONG habits that are hard to break.

Never impossible.

fificrazy

Humans are meant to eat. We were given taste buds so we actually feel a sense of motivation to do it... so I think food "addiction" is completely natural and human and healthy- or, at least, WOULD have been if we were still struggling scavengers. It's just a survival mechanism!

Mythril

I definitely believe that you can have a food addiction.

I have been abused by people who say that it's will power. I used to be one of them (and I kind of still am.) But sometimes it's a matter of while I am saying no, while I am fighting it I'm getting into whatever it is that I'm resisting and before I know it I've eaten it. And often so fast like I'm trying to sneak it by myself. And then all that's left is to cry.

MikesGirl14

Yes, I do believe food can be as addictive as alcohol and/or drugs.

Madame_Goldbricker

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prader-willi-syndrome/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Prader -Willi syndrome - A genetic condition that causes the person to feel constant hunger. People with the condition will eat constantly if they are not monitored. Yes, food addiction does exist.

98777

I'm not sure.

I think that many times, it is labeled or classified as "food addiction," but many times it is just a maladaptive coping mechanism for dealing with life that turns into a downward spiral. Many "food addicts" likely have anxiety or depression (or other life and brain issues) and they use food to cope. What they need is not gastric bypass, but therapy and coping skill and strategies to change their habits and their lives and get out of the hole that makes them need something (in this case, food) so much.

I have personally dealt with such issues. I thought I could not get off of food, but with internal/mental work and strategies, I have done it. (Though of course, not everyone is the same.)

I also think that fast food and junk food could very well have addictive chemicals in them. But more research is needed there.

BigVeggieDream

Definitely a emotional addiction. When I hear an alcoholic or someone addicted to drugs describe their feelings when they get the urge to use, it sounds exactly what I feel before I binge on something. Also, this isn't true of all foods, but cheese has casein in it and when casein is broken down it becomes a variety of casomorphins, which have an effect, though lower, like morphine. That's why some people say to give cheese to kids to calm them down. Like any drug, the more often you have it, the less effect it has on you and then you want a larger amount to satisfy the desire for that calm, relaxed feeling. This snowballs and you need more and more. I can attest to that. At my worst I could sit down and eat a 1 lb block of cheese and sometimes still not feel satisfied, even though I was feeling sick to my stomach. It took me a while, but I had to wean myself off of cheese, and still sometimes I get this overwhelming urge to have cheese.

ndj1979

No…and in for the dumpster fire that is to come, or is already burning...

ndj1979

There was a long thread arguing sugar as addictive the other day. Because peer reviewed studies show Sugar triggers the same dopamine and other receptors in our brains the same way as heroin nicotine cocaine etc i would tend to agree it can be classed as addictive. Since you cannot eliminate sugars from your diet (there are loads of naturally occurring ones. it really means i guess you can become addicted to the instant hit of processed sugars like say a huge bottle of pop or 12 a day
I've known some people who were definitely addicted to processed sugars for the hit (one was a 400 pound junkie now dead who I've seen go through 16 liters of pepsi and 4 cakes in a sitting when coming down
but overall no I don't think food per se can be classed addictive unless you lose a very loose definition of addictions

I believe the studies that you are referring to were done on rats, so I would take those with a grain of salt….unless you have some human studies to refer us to ..?

Did you friend die from too much drug usage, too much sugar intake, or a combination of being an out of shape drug addict? Probably hard to say at the end of the day...

BigVeggieDream

I believe the studies that you are referring to were done on rats, so I would take those with a grain of salt….unless you have some human studies to refer us to ..?

Did you friend die from too much drug usage, too much sugar intake, or a combination of being an out of shape drug addict? Probably hard to say at the end of the day...

I can understand why you would take the study with a grain of salt, but think about why rats are used. They have a remarkably similar brain chemistry as homo sapiens. So I think that gives the study more weight.

GertrudeHorse

Prader -Willi syndrome - A genetic condition that causes the person to feel constant hunger. People with the condition will eat constantly if they are not monitored. Yes, food addiction does exist.

I'm confused. Are you using Prader Willi to support your claim that food is addictive? PW is a chromosomal abnormality not an addiction. Its existence merely indicates that genes play a role in determining appetite. In people with PW essentially their body thinks it is starving; eating in response to that starvation is a totally adaptive and helpful survival strategy. It's just that they can't turn theirs off when it's no longer useful. Quite different from addiction.

ndj1979

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prader-willi-syndrome/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Prader -Willi syndrome - A genetic condition that causes the person to feel constant hunger. People with the condition will eat constantly if they are not monitored. Yes, food addiction does exist.

I don't see how a genetic condition that makes you feel hungry all the time and food addiction are the same thing….

Mr_Bad_Example

I know some people think that you cannot be addicted to food because it is essential for survival and not something you can quit , but I 100% believe that sugary, fatty, and salty junk foods are addictive.
What do you think?

No.

Mr_Bad_Example

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prader-willi-syndrome/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Prader -Willi syndrome - A genetic condition that causes the person to feel constant hunger. People with the condition will eat constantly if they are not monitored. Yes, food addiction does exist.

A genetic condition like Prader-Willi does not constitute an "addiciton" to food. People with the condition eat contantly because their brains don't recognize satiation signals in a proper way.

But hey, thanks for playing.

lauriebeakley1

People always look for something to blame when they don't want to admit they can't/won't control themselves. No, I don't believe food addiction exists. I believe weak will exists & I believe that exists in other aspects of life outside of food.