Food Addiction!

maillemaker

Just calling a spade a spade.

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Slacker16

I wish I could see the OP's proposal to the community.

Why should there be one? The general scientific consensus is "There seems to be something there, but we're not sure what exactly and more research is necessary."

In fact, this would be my biggest nitpick with the posted article : there is no evidence against food addiction; in fact, if you want to be pedant, there is no evidence for it either. There is evidence of a similarity between addiction and overeating and a controversy as to how the evidence should be interpreted.

I'm sympathetic to the notion of food addiction. I know someone in real life who became a shut-in at 20 and I don't think being unable to stand on your feet >20 minutes and continuing to eat 2 days worth of food every day is any more rational than waking up with the shakes and having a drink first thing in the morning.

My biggest problem would be that I'm not sure how useful this notion is.

timberowl

I just wish the English language had a word for addiction with milder connotations.

How about "hooked on"

"I'm hooked on these new chewy chocolate chip cookies"

"I'm hooked on caffeine"

Unknown

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beachgod

I'm addicted to food. In fact, I'm so addicted that I'm positive my withdrawal symptoms would be so severe as to cause my death if I tried to quit cold turkey.

I'm so tired of this bullsh|t, snark-*kitten* response.

Let me know when a gambling or pornography addict has withdrawal symptoms that cause death, eh?

As far as I've heard, the only withdrawal that can cause death is severe alcohol withdrawal cuz you can go into seizures. The other ones are just annoying, painful but not lethal. Oh and I heard xanax withrawal is hellacious.

In...for more people who don't know quitting eating food = death.

or is it just

tennisdude2004

All this would depend upon your interpretation or definition of the word addiction and or addicted

Wikkipedia
Addiction is the continued repetition of a behavior despite adverse consequences,[1] or a neurological impairment leading to such behaviors

Merriam
: a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble)

: an unusually great interest in something or a need to do or have something

Oxford
1Physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects

1.1Enthusiastically devoted to a particular thing or activity:
‘he’s addicted to computers’

Come to your own conclustions but I know for my self I can be come enthusiastically devoted to eating a whole package of cookies and according to Oxford that is an addiction. At the same time I would not care about the adverse effects and I would have a great interest to eat another package.

ASAM definition of addiction:

Short Definition of Addiction:

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.

lemurcat12

I don't think being unable to stand on your feet >20 minutes and continuing to eat 2 days worth of food every day is any more rational than waking up with the shakes and having a drink first thing in the morning.

My biggest problem would be that I'm not sure how useful this notion is.

That's the interesting notion to me. For the record, I don't think I am a food addict--certain I'm not, in fact, although I obviously have overeaten enough to get fat for various reasons--but my guess is that the notion is somewhat useful in that it might affect how to approach the difficulties that some people have in losing weight.