Food addiction -- real or excuse?

thedreamhazer

http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/13/7077006-whether-its-food-or-drugs-addiction-is-the-same-new-study-finds

I just read this article on a study conducted that looked at food addiction, and found it to be psycholgically and physicologically similar (identical, perhaps) to drug and alcohol addiction. The article points out that not all obese people are food addicts and, in fact, it seems to be a small portion of the people tested.

However, as interesting as the article was (and it is -- check it out!) the comments section was lit up with debate about whether or not food addiction is a real condition or just an excuse for people who are overweight/obese.

I posted my opinion in the comments section, but I'm interested in bringing this (FRIENDLY) debate (it wasn't so friendly over there) to the MFP forum, to get the opinions of people who are very involved with the food decisions and eating process.

So what do you think -- is food addiction real addiction, comparable to drug/alcohol addictions, or is it just a way for society to allow obese and overweight individuals to be victims of biology instead of victims of choice?

(I'm going to keep my opinion out of it, because I really do want to see what arguments people have for either side. PLEASE keep this friendly, I would hate to have caused unnecessary cattiness/rudeness/cruelty.)

fowlmeli1093

I have recently given up alcohol because I was starting to show addictive behaviors for it...I LOVE drinking (ALOT) just as much as I love food...Once I start drinking, I drink a lot...once I start eating--I eat a lot! In both cases, once I start, it is soooo hard to stop myself. The good thing about quitting drinking is you can stop cold-turkey, but you need food..can't cold turkey food!

veggiepug

I'm kind of on the fence on this one. For a long time I felt like it was used as an excuse. The last 6 months or so I have been feeling very out of control with my eating, and wondered if I might have an addiction to food. I even went to an OA meeting. I do think there are some people who have a much harder time controlling their eating than others, but I don't know if it's a "true" addiction like drugs or alcohol.

veggiepug

I have recently given up alcohol because I was starting to show addictive behaviors for it...I LOVE drinking (ALOT) just as much as I love food...Once I start drinking, I drink a lot...once I start eating--I eat a lot! In both cases, once I start, it is soooo hard to stop myself. The good thing about quitting drinking is you can stop cold-turkey, but you need food..can't cold turkey food!

So true! It's a different kind of struggle because we have to eat to survive.

I have the same problem with alcohol. I don't drink too often, but when I do I almost always drink too much. I think I have an addictive personality, and it manifests in my eating habits as well.

calicat40

i come from a long line of obsessive compulsive people. my parents and sister all have the cigarette addiction, we also have alcoholics in our family. My addiction is definately food. I realized when I woke up in the morning and thought about what can i eat now I had a problem. just like an alcoholic that gets up and first thing in their mind is what can they drink or how soon? It is definately something I have to learn to control, unlike the other addictions I can't completely give up foods but I can make better choices, smaller choices and more educated choices. That's my goal and what I am working toward and yes, I became banded two years ago. It is a tool that has helped me immensly in not gaining back the weight I've gained. It also an annoying tool when I become stressed and try to binge eat it won't allow me to. Addiction? you bet.

MinnieInMaine

If you boil it down to the simple fact that a person has an unhealthy/unbalanced "relationship" with whatever thing (drugs, food, alcohol, sex) then sure, they're about the same and I think there can definitely be food addiction.

ColoradoRobin

It can be real, just as you can be addicted to alcohol, gambling, or smoking. It's likely more psychological than physical for most, but that doesn't make it easier to deal with. I don't tend to have addictions generally, but I have seen people who really obsess over food. I guess I'm obsessing over diet and exercise right now, always reading MFP and nutrition labels.

thedreamhazer

The study used a survey, typically used to identify drug addiction, to identify food addicts. This includes more measurable parameters and behaviors -- such as retreating socially in order to indulge in the behavior, considering treatment/stopping but being unable to do so, prioritizing the behavior or substance above everything else, etc.

The study also references another study conducted that found that food and alcohol addiction are similar, in that the abused substance "work on our brain reward pathways in the same way.” Furthermore, certain fatty foods, often identified with addictive eating behaviors, "trigger the body to produce chemicals much like those found in marijuana [...] These chemicals, called "endocannabinoids," are part of a cycle that keeps you coming back for just one more bite."


If this is true, what should treatment for food addiction be?

(NOTE: Food addiction is related to, but different from, binge eating.)

vdavis_89

I have recently given up alcohol because I was starting to show addictive behaviors for it...I LOVE drinking (ALOT) just as much as I love food...Once I start drinking, I drink a lot...once I start eating--I eat a lot! In both cases, once I start, it is soooo hard to stop myself. The good thing about quitting drinking is you can stop cold-turkey, but you need food..can't cold turkey food!

I agree with your last comment.... you cant wuit food cold turkey... no pun intended lol I am the same way though. I love to drink, used to drink every weekend to the point of pass out and I knew it was contributing to my wieght gain.... once joining MFP i pretty much stopped drinking. But again you cant do that with food. I think what you can do is replace all the crappy food (chips, sode, candy, fatty foods, etc.) with good healthy foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains etc then you can overcome the "addiction". I have a friend that is severely obese, and Ive seen him eat and when he eats he doesnt stop. A tone sitting he ate 4 hotdogs and 2 burgers plus half a bag of potato chips and soda. I asked him if he was eating because he was still hungry or because it tastes good and he didnt give me an answer.... but i can promise that if I had made salad and healthy food he wouldnt have eaten that much!!!

Schwiggity

How can it be fake? Addiction is simply using something unhealthy to not deal with emotional problems, and eventually having to rely on it to function. While some people may use it as a cop-out, it's honestly a real thing, and to just say "they don't have any will power" is the same moralist crap that was done back in the days to drug addicts and alcoholics.

changeisgood55

Some of the over eating is just out of habit too. If you're sitting watching TV at night you have to have snacks. If you're sitting at your desk at work you need something to munch on. If you drive pass the same McDonalds everyday why not stop. You have to break the habits and replace them with positive habits. It's not easy and sometimes you may need professional help to break the habit. So much depends on our minds and what we think. If we change the thought pattern our actions will follow.

koosdel

How can it be fake? Addiction is simply using something unhealthy to not deal with emotional problems, and eventually having to rely on it to function. While some people may use it as a cop-out, it's honestly a real thing, and to just say "they don't have any will power" is the same moralist crap that was done back in the days to drug addicts and alcoholics.

Tell 'em Swiggy!

findingfit23

I believe it is very much the same thing, if not worse. You can chose to quit smoking, drugs, drinking, but you will always have to eat food of some sort.
You can stay out of bars, crack head hoods, etc, but you will always have to grocery shop, drive by 1000 mc donalds everyday. No one forces you to make bad choices or shove crap in your mouth, but its really hard when its in your face 24/7

Can it be an excuse? Yes. Life is hard, food is easy.
Losing weight is hard, being fat is hard. Time to pick your hard and get it together.

Namaste1983

I remember feeling so embarrassed that i thought about food all the time. Now i think about healthy food but i still have my meals bouncing around in my head often. I think the main difference between a drug/food addiction is we need to eat to survive.

Froggy1976

How can it be fake? Addiction is simply using something unhealthy to not deal with emotional problems, and eventually having to rely on it to function. While some people may use it as a cop-out, it's honestly a real thing, and to just say "they don't have any will power" is the same moralist crap that was done back in the days to drug addicts and alcoholics.

Tell 'em Swiggy!

What he said!

dipsl19

well its not a debate because i suffer from it and yes , it is VERY real.

lloydrt

I think there is food addiction and I think there is emotional eating.......When youre 600 lbs and you eat to live and youre at 600 lbs, somethings wrong upstairs..........when you can t move, you cant walk, youre housebound or bedboundand need people to take care of your needs, then its some type of mental disorder

I can understand the emotional eating, I used to be that way, kinda sorta am now, but I cant do that anymore, so I dont.........99.9 percent of the time, lol

I rarely drink, it leads to bad food choices, and I dont miss it...........for real, I dont. Being thinner means more to me than drinking

Good posts though ,all this information helps me suceed this time and like I have said more than once, Im never going back to that black hole I used to live in at 359 lbs.......................great post, thanks OP.................Lloyd

saltorian

I believe that every individual has his or her own struggles to face in life, and only that person knows his or her true and whole story. What I'm saying is, you can choose to label something as "an addiction" or you can call it something else -- but I don't believe in labeling things that way. Life isn't that black and white. No matter how small or large our problems are, we all need to take responsibility and have the courage to face the challenges in front of us.

For some people, this may mean doing some serious self-reflection, re-ordering their priorities, and just plain getting real with themselves. Other people may need to reach out for more help -- whether that be something as simple as the support of a friend or loved one, or as complex as therapy, medication, and professional intervention. I guess what I mean to say is: Everyone is different. Our circumstances, challenges, and abilities are different. Some things that are easy for one person are huge, nearly insurmountable obstacles for another person.

"Addiction" can be used as an excuse, but it can also be a way to productively describe a problem that needs to be solved. The difference is in whether a person wants to change and is fighting to better themselves (no matter how hard that is or how long it takes), or they just haven't reached that point in their lives yet.

That's my two cents, anyway.

nibblerbigcat

I want to point out that "food addiction" isn't just from emotional problems. Many people claim they are "addicted" to food and aren't suffering psychologically. Many people who are overweight aren't depressed. Some people do eat because they can't handle their own emotions, but that's not the case for everybody.

I don't believe that food addiction is legitimate as drug or alcohol addiction. Drugs and alcohol are carcinogenic. Food isn't. People suffer from withdrawal symptoms when they stop abusing drugs and alcohol. People don't suffer from withdrawal symptoms after eating less, except losing weight.

Amo_Angelus

It's real. I'm addicted to food, I always have been, even when I was fit and skinny I was still addicted, I just did enough excercise to keep it in check.

oBirdieo

I'm addicted to food. That's all the proof I need to determine whether or not it's a real addiction.

marquesajen

I think there is food addiction, but maybe there is also food conditioning. Not necessarily addiction, but just eating alot out of habit or carelessness, to the point of not even being aware how many calories one is ingesting.

So I guess I believe there is food addiction, but that there is also extreme careless, uneducated eating going on that behaves like addiction...does that make sense? Maybe not.

nibblerbigcat

I think there is food addiction, but maybe there is also food conditioning. Not necessarily addiction, but just eating alot out of habit or carelessness, to the point of not even being aware how many calories one is ingesting.

So I guess I believe there is food addiction, but that there is also extreme careless, uneducated eating going on that behaves like addiction...does that make sense? Maybe not.

It makes perfect sense to me. There are so many people I've talked to that have NO CLUE how many calories are in what they are eating. Some people don't take the time to educate themselves on nutrition and how to balance calories to maintain a healthy weight.

Angela_MA

I studied different types of addictions in school and I think food is and can be a formulated into an addiction or in some cases a disease (e.g., bulimia, anorexia, binging...etc). It is in essence replacing something (i.e., emotions, nervousness, stress, fears, guilt...etc). To make ones self feel better they turn to something, alcohol, illegal drugs, exercise, food, cutting, sex...etc. Truly the list could go on it is a personal preference for the person. There are psychological factors when it comes to eating for many. Many people do not look at food as just fuel, they look at it more. For example, eating certain foods like apple or cherry pies reminds me of my grandmother and staying over at her house. There are emotional connections to food for a lot of people.
Just my opinion! :bigsmile:

thedreamhazer

Thank you everyone so far for your input! I have to say, i was so happy to come back from lunch and see/read all the posts.

I think that questions like these can seem hurtful/contentious, but that they're important matters for people (especially, in this case, people who may have a history of a warped relationship with food) to discuss.

I wasn't surprised by the responses.

For those of you who didn't check out the article and the comments, I want to post the first few (I'm just going to take the first few comments on the article, I'm not picking and choosing) so people can see WHY I thought it was a good idea to bring up this topic. It seems to me that MFP-ers opnions are generally out of line with the population (or at least the population reading and posting comments on weight-related articles on MSNBC.com).



Reader #1 -- Until people admit that they have a problem with food it will not go away...heavy people are deluding themselves into thinking that they do not have a problem...I used to be FAT and made all the excuses I could but deep down I knew the truth about WHY.....I simply ate too much and did not exercise....until I admitted that I had a problem and I took control and responsibility and no longer allowed food to control me I would always be fat...was it easy..NO of course not but a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

Denial is a deep and dark river and a lot of us are swimming in it!!!

Reader #2 -- I hate people who wan't the world to change so that they don't have to lose weight. I'm sorry, but I hate fat chicks, and when they tell me I and the rest of our nation needs to redefine our standard of beauty so she can continue her bad eating habits, I get a little angered.

Reader #3 -- We are all victims. We are not responsible for our own destructive behavior.

Doenst that make you feel better?

Reader #4 -- The point of this article is that Food Addiction is an addiction and illness that needs to be treated like any other addiction: with medical and professional help, caring, and support. People have no idea where to go for help with food addiction, and they need positive support, not ridicule. If you think an addict can control their addiction, you are sadly mistaken. No one is saying an addict is a victim, but they are not in control of their addiction, and as we all know, addictions are VERY tricky. Many people relapse. Loving support from others is essential.

Reader #1 -- (In response to Reader #4) until people recognize and admit that they have an addiction in the 1st place they will never attempt to get the help that they need.......when you say that people have no idea where to go for help...what are you talking about....they need to start with themselves..there is no pill you can take or spell you can cast....YOU have the power NOT the food!!!

How about Joining a gym..they all have personal trainers and the 1st two sessions are usually free...they will tell you what to eat and when and when and how to work out....a Dr can tell you the same thing....or how about start walking and stop buying JUNK....I found that if the food wasn't in the house I couldn't eat it.....the responsibility lies with the individual and no one else.

Reader #3 (again)-- This article is nothing but comfort food (pun intended) for the millions of people who do not take responsibility for their food intake. It is the restaurant's fault because of portion size, fast food industry's fault due to composition of the menu, grocery's fault because they dont carry fresh vegetables. I eat a pound of chocolate because I am addicted. We have an epidemic of obesity. In some states over 30 percent of people are obese. Do we really have addiction at that level. No, we have poor choices around eating and excercise.

We are a people of rationaliations. It is never our fault. My did doesnt do well in school, it is the teacher's fault. Im unhappy, it is my parents fault. I smoke cigarettes...it is big tobacco's fault. My teenage son drinks beer, it is due to advertising. My kid eats McDonalds 4 days a week, it is because they put toys in the packaging.......................Does anyone own their own behavior?

debbiequack

http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/13/7077006-whether-its-food-or-drugs-addiction-is-the-same-new-study-finds

I just read this article on a study conducted that looked at food addiction, and found it to be psycholgically and physicologically similar (identical, perhaps) to drug and alcohol addiction. The article points out that not all obese people are food addicts and, in fact, it seems to be a small portion of the people tested.

However, as interesting as the article was (and it is -- check it out!) the comments section was lit up with debate about whether or not food addiction is a real condition or just an excuse for people who are overweight/obese.

I posted my opinion in the comments section, but I'm interested in bringing this (FRIENDLY) debate (it wasn't so friendly over there) to the MFP forum, to get the opinions of people who are very involved with the food decisions and eating process.

So what do you think -- is food addiction real addiction, comparable to drug/alcohol addictions, or is it just a way for society to allow obese and overweight individuals to be victims of biology instead of victims of choice?

(I'm going to keep my opinion out of it, because I really do want to see what arguments people have for either side. PLEASE keep this friendly, I would hate to have caused unnecessary cattiness/rudeness/cruelty.)

I don't get the "excuse" part. How is calling something an addiction an "excuse". People can manage addictions, with a lot of hard work.

Debbie

PalmettoparkGuy

I absolutely agree that it is the same as any other addiction. On the other hand, I also agree that people eat and are overweight for completely different reasons.


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IferLioy

I totaly agree with the post! If i could quit eating I would! It would be much easier!

Amysgetnfit

In a way I think it is, or maybe its a little like an obsessive compulsive behavior, especially for me with the dieting/then not dieting. When Im not dieting I want to plow through the pantry, especially if Im stressed or upset. Im thinking about food even when I know Im not hungry, & sometimes cant stop eating until Im so full that I make myself ill. Then when I am dieting its the opposite, Im obssessed with exersise, calories, nutritious foods etc. Addiction or control issue... fine line. definitely a problem, not make believe.
Thought of creating a necklace like a shock collar in disguise, you program it to (example) 2000 calories & as you eat it keeps track , after 2000 calories you put food in your mouth it zaps you!

homeport51

I want to point out that "food addiction" isn't just from emotional problems. Many people claim they are "addicted" to food and aren't suffering psychologically. Many people who are overweight aren't depressed. Some people do eat because they can't handle their own emotions, but that's not the case for everybody.

I don't believe that food addiction is legitimate as drug or alcohol addiction. Drugs and alcohol are carcinogenic. Food isn't. People suffer from withdrawal symptoms when they stop abusing drugs and alcohol. People don't suffer from withdrawal symptoms after eating less, except losing weight.

Food addiction may not produce the same immediate physical withdrawal symptoms as drugs or alcohol, but once the addict has detoxed from the drugs/alcohol, the compulsion is still there. It is the same with food. I agree with what is being said about you still have to eat, but I also think if you feel that you are addicted there are things you can quit (i.e. fried foods, sweets, fatty foods, etc.). You still have to go in the grocery store... an alcoholic still has to shop too and they sell beer in the grocery stores (at least in CT), ex-smokers... same thing.... So should they avoid shopping? No.. just exercise some self control. Be aware that there are things you cannot put in your body, even in small quantities. Some folks can have (and stop at) one ... the addict cannot.

One thing most addictions have in common is self loathing of some kind or another. Addicts punish themselves by doing bad things to their bodies. In that respect, all addiction is the same. Addicts need to not only learn to conquer their addiction, but also work on healing psychologically and emotionally or eventually it will happen again.

xraychick77

they already have excuses for being fat...they blame mcdonalds for ease of access to bad foods. they blame 'fat' genes that dont exist. they blame their parents etc etc.