Anyone else feel they are addicted to sugar?

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  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
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    Blah blablablah, blah blabla bla blah. Sugar blah, blah, blah, crack addiction , blah, blah, blah, same blablabla blablah.

    That's all I see, is blah, blah, blah.

    Stop it already.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    I certainly did not mean to start a headed argument on whether sugar is addictive or not, and I am NO means meant to make this sound insulting to people with addictions, as one poster said.

    But, I wrote this hoping to have encouragement, or just to hear how others with this have handled it.

    And YES, there is such a thing as sugar addiction.

    I have attached just a couple of the many articles on whether sugar can be an addictive substance, just as caffeine is. There was also a study at Princeton on this subject.

    So I am very sorry if I offended anyone. I was just hoping to hear from others, to know that maybe I am not alone in my battle with sugar.



    http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/01/08/260781785/is-sugar-addiction-why-so-many-january-diets-fail


    http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/prescriptions-life/201403/how-break-your-sugar-addiction

    http://drhyman.com/blog/2013/06/27/5-clues-you-are-addicted-to-sugar/

    With all due respect, those are blogs, not evidence. They are peoples' opinions. There is absolutely zero evidence that sugar is addictive any more than protein is. Food in general stimulates our pleasure center because we need it to survive. Our bodies reward us for eating.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Sugar is a drug. You build tolerance to it and have withdrawal from it. Wtf are you talking about not addicting.

    Let me clarify why I responded to this and why it makes me mad. Your basically saying that because you don't have a crack problem crack is not addictive.

    If sugar was a drug, people would be raiding beet and sugar cane fields in order to gnaw out some sugar to beat their withdrawals. Until someone holds up a grocery store and says "Give me all your sugar" I will go with evidence based conclusions.
  • strassenkoenigin
    strassenkoenigin Posts: 259
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    I personally think it is more the combination of sugar and flour. I have to stay away from all baked good. Like you I cannot control how much I eat once it is in my house. And I eat very healthy food as a rule. .
    Everything you find on the supermarket shelves today is highly processed and made with genetically altered wheat, corn and soy. It is addictive.
    read this article
    http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/food-addiction-most-addictive-foods

    we are basically all like drug addicts with the food which is sold to us by the big corporations. The only way out is not to buy it anymore and force new regulations.
    I am old enough to know that this is true. When I grew up food was not genetically altered and everybody could eat bread, cookies etc. without getting addicted.
  • mytime6630
    mytime6630 Posts: 4,205 Member
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    With all due respect, those are blogs, not evidence. They are peoples' opinions. There is absolutely zero evidence that sugar is addictive any more than protein is. Food in general stimulates our pleasure center because we need it to survive. Our bodies reward us for eating.

    THIS is not a blog. This is from Princeton University.

    http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S22/88/56G31/index.xml?section=topstories
  • psibaby
    psibaby Posts: 88 Member
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    I have a sugar addiction. The only way I curtail it is to not buy too many sugary sweets. When I go over my parents house I raid their candy dish and sweets cabinet which lets me know it is a good thing that I don't have them in the house.
    I know what you mean about the grocery store. I have to do "self talk" the entire time I am in there. Bakery items, candy, ice cream, snack cakes, they all call my name. I just stay focused, I don't put any in my cart, instead I get fresh fruit, apple sauce, smart ones frozen desserts and fiber one bars.

    Yes, those things have sugar. I am not depriving myself of sugar totally! I would go insane. Instead I am controlling the portions and not placing myself in a situation where I can eat an entire box of Lil Debbies. I have been able to lose 30 pounds and still eat sweets, I just have to keep it under control.

    My advice to you is to watch what you bring into the house.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
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    With all due respect, those are blogs, not evidence. They are peoples' opinions. There is absolutely zero evidence that sugar is addictive any more than protein is. Food in general stimulates our pleasure center because we need it to survive. Our bodies reward us for eating.

    THIS is not a blog. This is from Princeton University.

    http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S22/88/56G31/index.xml?section=topstories
    "The sugar addiction work was controversial among scientists, and thus unfundable in the peer review system."

    http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2009/november-09/addicted-to-food-an-interview-with-bart-hoebel.html
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
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    I don't think it is such an addiction, as a viscous cycle of spiking and dropping blood sugar. That and it tastes great.

    When you eat something sugary, your blood sugar spikes and your body rushes to lower it, which causes it to dip and you crave sugary things...

    I can eat a 300 calorie breakfast that is high in protein and fat and almost forget to eat lunch.

    I can eat a 300 calorie breakfast that has more sugar/carbs (like cereal or oatmeal, remember carbs are pretty much glucose..) and I HAVE to have my morning snack.
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
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    The 'sugar' addiction thing seems setup as a built in excuse to overeat and then take the blame off the individual and place the blame on "evil food companies/big food conspiracy theories" and sugar. Is it sugar or "dang, this tasted really good and I just had to keep eating it"?
  • paulandrachelk
    paulandrachelk Posts: 280 Member
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    Read "The Sugar Diet" publish by Rodale. It is on the Prevention Magazine web site-prevention.com. Even if you don't do the whole diet it is tremendously informative and will help you control sugar.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    With all due respect, those are blogs, not evidence. They are peoples' opinions. There is absolutely zero evidence that sugar is addictive any more than protein is. Food in general stimulates our pleasure center because we need it to survive. Our bodies reward us for eating.

    THIS is not a blog. This is from Princeton University.

    http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S22/88/56G31/index.xml?section=topstories

    That is a news article written by a journalist who happens to be at Princeton. That is all.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Blah blablablah, blah blabla bla blah. Sugar blah, blah, blah, crack addiction , blah, blah, blah, same blablabla blablah.

    That's all I see, is blah, blah, blah.

    Stop it already.

    Calm down. Seriously, this is not helpful.
  • Fit_Chef_NE
    Fit_Chef_NE Posts: 110 Member
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    You can become mentally and emotionally addicted to sugar. I'd wager that most people here either were or are addicted to sugar or other foods. Otherwise they wouldn't be here. Fit people "love" food because they see it for what it is: fuel. Fat people eat compulsively or to fill an emotional void in their lives. Much like alcoholics, drug addicts, smokers etc.

    Just because you all want to think of yourselves as being "above" addictive behavior, doesn't mean you actually are.
  • Imadorkable
    Imadorkable Posts: 415 Member
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    I have a huge sweet tooth and know where you are coming from. I would have enough points for supper and then go over because I had to have that ice cream because my husband wanted some. The only way for me to stop the cravings was to completly cut out the extra sugar. I still eat fruits and add a little sugar to coffee but I don't have any candy, desserts or soda. Last week I had a slice of pie on vacation (my favorite dessert) and it didn't taste as good. It was too sweet and wasn't as satifiying as before. I also stole a sour gummy worm from my husband and that didn't taste right either. This is what worked for me.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
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    With all due respect, those are blogs, not evidence. They are peoples' opinions. There is absolutely zero evidence that sugar is addictive any more than protein is. Food in general stimulates our pleasure center because we need it to survive. Our bodies reward us for eating.

    THIS is not a blog. This is from Princeton University.

    http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S22/88/56G31/index.xml?section=topstories
    "The sugar addiction work was controversial among scientists, and thus unfundable in the peer review system."

    http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2009/november-09/addicted-to-food-an-interview-with-bart-hoebel.html

    Controversial does not mean untrue or without any evidence to back the claim. In fact, sugar is known to be addictive in rats.

    And the video link I posted in this thread proves researchers are looking into the genetics and brain chemistry of addiction in their studies of obesity linked behaviors and are finding parallels.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
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    With all due respect, those are blogs, not evidence. They are peoples' opinions. There is absolutely zero evidence that sugar is addictive any more than protein is. Food in general stimulates our pleasure center because we need it to survive. Our bodies reward us for eating.

    THIS is not a blog. This is from Princeton University.

    http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S22/88/56G31/index.xml?section=topstories
    "The sugar addiction work was controversial among scientists, and thus unfundable in the peer review system."

    http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2009/november-09/addicted-to-food-an-interview-with-bart-hoebel.html

    Controversial does not mean untrue or without any evidence to back the claim. In fact, sugar is known to be addictive in rats.

    And the video link I posted in this thread proves researchers are looking into the genetics and brain chemistry of addiction in their studies of obesity linked behaviors and are finding parallels.
    It doesn't mean true, either, does it?

    Parallels, even if they exist, aren't equivalences, right?
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
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    The 'sugar' addiction thing seems setup as a built in excuse to overeat and then take the blame off the individual and place the blame on "evil food companies/big food conspiracy theories" and sugar. Is it sugar or "dang, this tasted really good and I just had to keep eating it"?
    I choose the latter. I take responsibility for my irresponsibility.
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
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    Blah blablablah, blah blabla bla blah. Sugar blah, blah, blah, crack addiction , blah, blah, blah, same blablabla blablah.

    That's all I see, is blah, blah, blah.

    Stop it already.

    Calm down. Seriously, this is not helpful.

    It helps me. Because this "addiction," "sweet tooth" thing has gone beyond too far. It's just another way for people to make themselves unique in a boring un-unique world. Everyone likes sweet stuff. It's not anything new or powerful, it's not the discovery of penicillin, it's sugar. Stop OVEREATING it and the "cravings" will stop.

    It's not heroin, it's not crack, it's .....
    ridik.gif



    Blah
  • Bells294
    Bells294 Posts: 3
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    I don't know if I'd call it an addiction, but since I've been dieting this past week I've been constantly craving sugar packed foods like fudge, candy floss and cake, even though I next to never eat those foods. I think the key to stopping the cravings is just to not eat them and battle through it, even though I did actually cave in today and have a chocolate bar...it's so hard! But I know it's worth it, and you just have to keep reminding yourself that.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
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    With all due respect, those are blogs, not evidence. They are peoples' opinions. There is absolutely zero evidence that sugar is addictive any more than protein is. Food in general stimulates our pleasure center because we need it to survive. Our bodies reward us for eating.

    THIS is not a blog. This is from Princeton University.

    http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S22/88/56G31/index.xml?section=topstories
    "The sugar addiction work was controversial among scientists, and thus unfundable in the peer review system."

    http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2009/november-09/addicted-to-food-an-interview-with-bart-hoebel.html

    Controversial does not mean untrue or without any evidence to back the claim. In fact, sugar is known to be addictive in rats.

    And the video link I posted in this thread proves researchers are looking into the genetics and brain chemistry of addiction in their studies of obesity linked behaviors and are finding parallels.
    It doesn't mean true, either, does it?

    Parallels, even if they exist, aren't equivalences, right?

    From what I've been reading, there is now more evidence for it than against it. However, it's not as cut and dried as addiction to something like nicotine because there is no known survival instinct leading one to seek out nicotine while researchers say there is survival value in seeking out calorie dense foods and sweet foods both.

    In any case, if someone has any issue with any food making them hungrier instead of less hungry in a way that contributes to unhealthy weight gain or makes the person crave more of that food in a way that will exceed a healthy day's calories, it's best to avoid that food. Labeling it addictive isn't unreasonable, and if the label is one that helps the person avoid that particular food, I fail to see an issue with it.

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