Do you believe in food addiction?

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dbmata

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?

Food addiction is a legitimate addiction. Some people who lack an understanding of addiction and psychological disorders will say it isn't, but that's simply due to a lack of knowledge on their part, and choosing to not be educated on it. Essentially, they're the creationists of this forum.

It's often treated either directly as food addiction, or as a behavioral issue.

You can read more about it in the DSM 5, and here is a little tidbit.
http://www.dsm5.org/documents/eating disorders fact sheet.pdf

Well I don't actually care about the food addiction - is it or is it not - seems like a a classic MFP forum battle of semantics, that said...

What in that "tidbit" even refers to food addiction? I don't think anyone is saying eating disorders don't exist and that is all your "tidbit" seems to talk about.

That just means you willfully chose to not understand. Like the saying goes, you can lead a goat to water, but you can't make it into a mermaid.

dbmata

Food hits your pleasure centers just like drugs, acohol and sex so yes food addiction is very real. That is why most people have problems with emtional eating

It's not an addiction though. It is behavioral. It is not classified as an addiction, and despite what people here are saying there are no studies or evidence that proves it is an addiction, otherwise the medical communities would accept it as such. For now, they say it is not an addiction.

and the earth was made in 7 days.

:laugh:

bcattoes

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.

I've never understood the "it's just a lack of willpower" reasoning for saying food can't be addictive. What addiction is overcome by anything other than willpower or force?

Well, for something like a food addiction, will power IS all it takes. Simple, but not easy. It's not like you can completely cut it out of your life like alcohol or hard drugs. Sure, will power is required to quit something like alcohol or drugs, but in some cases, a detox process in a rehab unit is required.

In some cases surgery is required to break a food addiction.

I assume you mean gastric bypass?

That's true in some respect. I admit I don't know a lot about how that works psychologically, but I have seen stories where people get surgery, end up losing weight, and then turn to another substance because they didn't address the issues that caused the addiction in the first place.

Yes, bypass, band, sleeve. Wouldn't this (turning to another addictive substance when food is denied) suggest that the same drive or want that leads to substance abuse leads to food abuse.

It's all about the high.

brenn24179

yes, I ate some chocolate cake (at my gym, can you believe that? they always have food around). Oh I got such a high, it was wonderful. I had a hard time leaving not eating another piece. Why would we just keep on doing destructive stuff to ourself when we know it is bad for us? It is just like cocaine or alcohol to an alcoholic Feels so good and then the consequences. It would have been hard not to have eaten at least half that cake if it had been at home. My daughter drinks and drinks and drinks and it does it for her like she cant stop and I do the same with food, such a high for me and it nauseates her to eat too much, not me, the more the better.

LITtlerMeCO

I dont think its physically addictive when compared to street or pharmacutical drugs, but I believe if you have one it will cause cravings for more and some of us are more succeptable to those cravings than others. In the medically term No I dont think they are physically addicting. But emotionally and mentally, absolutely. I know from personal experience I cannot have just one cookie or one chip.

I agree. I see it as the difference between a disease and a dis-ease. You can have the cravings but I don't think you can be addicted. When you have a dis-ease and you are looking to fill some sort of hole in your life it's easy to turn food for comfort.

Holly_Roman_Empire

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.

I've never understood the "it's just a lack of willpower" reasoning for saying food can't be addictive. What addiction is overcome by anything other than willpower or force?

Well, for something like a food addiction, will power IS all it takes. Simple, but not easy. It's not like you can completely cut it out of your life like alcohol or hard drugs. Sure, will power is required to quit something like alcohol or drugs, but in some cases, a detox process in a rehab unit is required.

In some cases surgery is required to break a food addiction.

I assume you mean gastric bypass?

That's true in some respect. I admit I don't know a lot about how that works psychologically, but I have seen stories where people get surgery, end up losing weight, and then turn to another substance because they didn't address the issues that caused the addiction in the first place.

Yes, bypass, band, sleeve. Wouldn't this (turning to another addictive substance when food is denied) suggest that the same drive or want that leads to substance abuse leads to food abuse.

It's all about the high.

I concede that eating yourself to a morbidly obese state is just as self-destructive as withdrawing your life savings to buy drugs. I guess the only thing up for debate is what makes an addiction. Is it the addictive personality or the substance?

Slacker16

define addictive. depending on how you define it, anything can be addictive

psychological addiction - when someone feels they can't live without something, they can't cope when they don't have it, they get strong cravings for it.... this kind of addiction can happen with pretty much anything, including specific foods.

physiological addiction/dependence - where there are physiological withdrawal symptoms (i.e. they become physically ill, sometimes severely) such as you get from quitting alcohol or heroin cold turkey (in fact the term cold turkey originally was used to describe the withdrawal symptoms from heroin). Not all drugs produce an actually physiological dependence like this. these symptoms still occur even when there's no psychological addiction present, and it's why some medications you have to come off them slowly and under medical supervision. Food does not cause this.

Your second definition is the definition of dependance, not addiction. Incidentally, neither cocaine nor methamphetamine cause physical dependance.

Your first definition is the definition of obsession, not addiction. I don't consider myself to have been addicted to any of my exes but your definition would allow it.

Here's the clinical definition of addiction (bolding mine):

Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in an individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors.

Addiction is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response. Like other chronic diseases, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission. Without treatment or engagement in recovery activities, addiction is progressive and can result in disability or premature death.

It is a neurological disease characterized by a long-term alteration in reward-related brain patterns. This alteration can be caused by specific substances or by some behaviours.

Compulsive gambling is medically considered an addiction because such long-term alterations have been observed and a direct causal link has been established.

Clinical trials have observed such long-term alterations in obese people and self-described food addicts, but no causal link has yet been established (AFAIK), which is why there are conjectures but no established consensus.

Animal trials have observed abnormal behaviour and brain pattern alterations with respect to specific foods (sugar), but no human trials have been made yet.

Holly_Roman_Empire

yes, I ate some chocolate cake (at my gym, can you believe that? they always have food around). Oh I got such a high, it was wonderful. I had a hard time leaving not eating another piece. Why would we just keep on doing destructive stuff to ourself when we know it is bad for us? It is just like cocaine or alcohol to an alcoholic Feels so good and then the consequences. It would have been hard not to have eaten at least half that cake if it had been at home. My daughter drinks and drinks and drinks and it does it for her like she cant stop and I do the same with food, such a high for me and it nauseates her to eat too much, not me, the more the better.

See, this is where I draw a line. There is a difference between "This food is really tasty, I'd like to have more," and "I must eat everything in sight and no food in my kitchen will escape untouched."

I'm just using the above post as an example, as I do not know her history with food or anything like that. But does anything think the severity of a problem either qualifies or disqualifies it as an addiction?

DamePiglet

Food hits your pleasure centers just like drugs, acohol and sex so yes food addiction is very real. That is why most people have problems with emtional eating

It's not an addiction though. It is behavioral. It is not classified as an addiction, and despite what people here are saying there are no studies or evidence that proves it is an addiction, otherwise the medical communities would accept it as such. For now, they say it is not an addiction.

and the earth was made in 7 days.

:laugh:

Just stop.

countrygirl7mels

So many things (drugs, alcohol, food, shopping, gambling, hording, gaming, sex etc) can be addictive. Pretty much any activity that is used to soothe a person in an unhealthy way or a habit that is abused can be an addiction. Yes, food can be an addiction. It depends on how the person is using the food. Food addiction is not a craving or enjoying or wanting comfort food. It is based on an underlying problem just like all addictions. I personally feel as if addictions to legal activities such as eating food, shopping, or hording (over collecting things) are almost worse in a way than illegial activities because, although the addict is engaging in unhealthy activities, the addiction may go unnoticed or ignored simply because the addict is not engaging in illegal activities.

bcattoes

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.

I've never understood the "it's just a lack of willpower" reasoning for saying food can't be addictive. What addiction is overcome by anything other than willpower or force?

Well, for something like a food addiction, will power IS all it takes. Simple, but not easy. It's not like you can completely cut it out of your life like alcohol or hard drugs. Sure, will power is required to quit something like alcohol or drugs, but in some cases, a detox process in a rehab unit is required.

In some cases surgery is required to break a food addiction.

I assume you mean gastric bypass?

That's true in some respect. I admit I don't know a lot about how that works psychologically, but I have seen stories where people get surgery, end up losing weight, and then turn to another substance because they didn't address the issues that caused the addiction in the first place.

Yes, bypass, band, sleeve. Wouldn't this (turning to another addictive substance when food is denied) suggest that the same drive or want that leads to substance abuse leads to food abuse.

It's all about the high.

I concede that eating yourself to a morbidly obese state is just as self-destructive as withdrawing your life savings to buy drugs. I guess the only thing up for debate is what makes an addiction. Is it the addictive personality or the substance?

Individuality, be it personality or genetics, absolutely plays a part. Otherwise everyone that smoked would become addicted. Everyone that drank to excess would become an alcoholic. Everyone that craves sugar would become a binge eater. Etc.

eldamiano

Is sitting on the sofa making no effort to burn off calories an addiction? No. Didnt think so.

Food 'addiction' is just a cosy excuse for lifestyles which are stuck in a rut, whether it be through emotion, laziness or complete denial. There are no addictive substances. It is not an addiction. People just need to accept they are overweight of their own accord.

dolcezza72

Here is a link to an article that explains how some of the additives in food, trigger the same site in the brain that causes euphoria, and the same response that is triggered by meth and heroin... Interesting.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/16/junk-food_n_4043980.html

That is a statement so misleading it should be a criminal offense. Practically everything activates those areas.

Will there be Hand cuffs involved?

This is what I can say that I know to be real. I don't need a doctor to tell me what is going on.

Whenever I abruptly stop eating junk food and start eating clean or detoxing. The first few days are hell... I am anxious, irritable, emotional, angry, aches, flu like symptoms, my body craves junk super bad..... This is detoxing. I have detoxed from substances before. My body knows what is happening.

People over and over say, "the first few days of the diet are the hardest" .... why do you think? Because we are detoxing from the chemicals in the food that are addictive.

Peace.