Help Me Understand Why..

mareeee1234

Overeating is an unfortunate unhealthy relationship with food that takes a LONG time to move on from. Its a disorder, and it sucks for anyone that suffers with it

mareeee1234

It's called laziness. I hear it affects a large percentage of the population.

That's offensive.

leellu

There's a ton of scholarly articles about food addiction and brain chemicals. Here's one you should be able to read (full pdf on right). http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/v8/n5/abs/nn1452.html

theCarlton

For me, the psychology behind eating habits, particularly American eating habits are like this: We come from the generations of people who valued fullness (not feeling hungry) over nutrition. Some of our parents were depression era kids or the children of depression era kids. Many of us know or have known poverty. You don't feel like you're struggling so desperately when there's food on the table. That mentality is pervasive in our culture. Food is something we deserve, something not just for nourishment, but for enjoyment. It's associated with every major event and holiday, every party we throw.

Why do people go for diet pills and quick fixes?
Most people don't realize that their lifestyles of overeating and not enough movement throughout the day is what has made them fat. They feel it crept up on them, and that if they can just get rid of it, it will stay away.

Why do people overeat? Why can't people stop?
Because it releases "feel good" feelings while they're eating. They don't know of anything else yet that does that for them.

CrazyTrackLady

I don't think anyone understands it, which is why it's such a problem in the first place....

Thank you for not being so judgmental, as this was NOT a troll or judgmental post.

I truly do not understand.

And for those who call me a troll, I am VERY much alive and real. And I have no intention of going away. You have the option of not responding or friending me -- right?

I simply refuse to befriend someone who makes grammatical and punctuation mistakes.
I truly do not understand how you failed to understand the basic grammar rule behind pairing a double negative.
You are absolutely insulting the English Language by pairing a negative with a positive.


For education and correction purpose only: This was neither a troll nor a judgemental post.

Ah semantics. Damn.

I not be friending you never. It don't make no never mind to me no ways. Aight?

CrazyTrackLady

You know what I don’t understand? Why heroin addicts, or alcoholics, or anorexics, are all accepted as an addiction or an illness, but people that eat their emotions are just classed as ‘fat’ or ‘lazy’ or ‘greedy’, and it’s seen as being entirely their own fault that they are the way they are.

There are many reasons why someone would find it difficult to just stop eating junk food. The same number of reasons that people would turn to drugs or alcohol or eating as little as possible. You are obviously either lucky enough to have never suffered something that you would seek a release from, incredibly thick-skinned, or you get through your problems in life using other, healthier means.

I am very lucky to have gotten through life without developing an addiction. But, that doesn't mean I don't have other areas of my life that are in need of some fine tuning. Nobody's perfect, we all have faults. I just wanted answers to why food addiction is as strong an addiction as others like gambling, drugs, etc. etc. It's hard for me to understand why McDonald's has such a strong hold on ANYBODY.

CrazyTrackLady

I would suggest reading a book called, "Why Do We Get Fat" to you and pretty much everyone else (I'm sure it's available at the library). The calories in/calories out idea is much more complex than we are willing to admit. There are no studies out there that prove that simply increasing exercise and decreasing calories is a long-term successful way to lose weight and keep it off. If you want a short, VERY simplified answer without having to read and learn on your own: carbs/sugars increase the insulin response in our bodies, thereby increasing fat storage and hunger signals. Exercise greatly increases hunger. For someone who is already overweight, the excess fat signals cravings that are nearly uncontrollable. The more fat you have stored, the more out of whack your insulin response is. Starvation mode diets (consistently eating under the calories you need - 400-1700 for example) work for a while, but as soon as the person stops keeping their calories below that threshold, they gain the weight back. If you want sustainable weight loss, you need to increase the protein in your diet, and add in lots of veggies. Several cups of greens and a lot of protein, then stop eating when you feel full. It isn't necessary to count calories. Keep in mind that fruit has a lot of sugar, so it is best to stay away from it until your body's insulin responses have normalized. Limit exercise until you have gotten the cravings somewhat under control, and then keep it light for a while (maybe walk 30 minutes 5 days). If you are hungry, have more protein. Learn what is a sugar craving and what is true hunger. Eventually, the crazy addictive pull of sugars and starches will die down. The more fat you lose and the less sugar you consume on a regular basis, the more easy it will become to keep weight off.

There were obese people long before McDonalds and televisions ever came to town.

I am a child of the 70s, and whenever I look at film or video clips from back then (or family photos), I am amazed at how much thinner we, as a society, were back then. I've read articles about how the portion sizes have increased. For example, a can of pop used to be 12 oz, and that was plenty of pop for one person. Now, the pop comes in 20 oz bottles, and that seems to be the "go to" size these days. Plates have gone from 6" to 9" circumferences. Portions in restaurants have gotten out of control. And we all feel that, since we've been served it, we should eat it. So, can we blame the fast food places, the restaurants, the pop manufacturers, etc, too, for giving us access to larger portions?

baileybiddles

It's called laziness. I hear it affects a large percentage of the population. Also ignorance. It's not contagious, but can be cured with education and physical exercise three times a week, and a good diet.

Or not, and you're the ignorant one.

OP: I have been battling food addiction for my whole life. I had a pretty crappy childhood for many reasons that nobody really wants or needs me to get into, and my parents have always been fat. I grew up drinking 4-5 cans of soda per day, eating a whole bag of chips in one sitting, eating 3 bowls of cereal in one sitting, a whole box of toaster strudels in one sitting, etc. I would watch my mom sit down and tackle a cheesecake when her and my dad fought. I'd watch my dad come home and take down a bag of cheese poofs after a long day at work. I grew up watching my parents use food for comfort, so I used food for comfort as well. It's what made me overweight.

When you're raised around this behavior and you grow up learning this behavior, it's incredibly hard to break free of. I can see how a person who doesn't have this problem wouldn't understand. I don't think you're a troll at all; this is something that's hard for many people to get. I have always used food to handle emotions. Sadness, guilt, grief, even happiness. When I feel extra happy, I eat something extra sweet, like ice cream. When I feel sad, I tend to bake to help me take my mind off things.. And then eat the entire plateful of cookies with a huge glass of milk because I just spent so much time baking them I couldn't POSSIBLY let them go to waste. It DOESN'T make sense. I realized this a few months ago and changed my ways, but I do still find myself feeling the urge to eat in correspondence with my emotions. It's now up to me to have the willpower to recognize that I'm not hungry, I'm sad, or mad, or happy. I've also given up the mentality that if I am doing good one week, I deserve a "treat". I do still treat myself now and then, but not nearly as much as I used to.

I did see a psychologist for a while about my eating disorder and my terrible relationship with food, but it didn't really help me. It's sort of that whole "if you aren't willing to accept help, nobody can help you" sort of thing. I was that way for a very long time until my low self esteem started to kill me and I realized I was in control of that, nobody else.

I hope I've helped a bit with your understanding of the situation. It's not the PHYSICAL explanation you were seeking, but it's my take on the problem.

Thank you so much for your open and honest answer. I do understand a little better now. I was raised by parents who never allowed that kind of food in my house, or at least only allowed it for a treat. At the time, I was a bit angry that I wasn't allowed to have pop, because it looked and tasted good. My mom would make me tomato sandwiches instead of fattening ones, and dessert was ONLY served after dinner, never in the middle of the day. And, everything was portioned out.

Now, as a mom myself, I realize that what my parents were doing wasn't deprivation, but teaching me to eat healthy. Oh, I slipped up a LOT in my adult years, which is why I'm on here, but now I am following more closely in my parents' footsteps (especially since I am now middle aged), and I am finding that what they did was to benefit me, not deprive me.

I still have no idea how my brothers ended up addicted to drugs and alcohol. Again, we were raised by the same set of parents, so there had to be another reason. But, that's a story for another day.

Again, thanks for your honest answer.

:flowerforyou:

You're very welcome. People might slam you for not getting it, but I can understand YOUR point of view as well. It's hard for people to understand when it doesn't effect them.

I will never blame my parents for my own health issues. I do believe to some extent that had I been raised in a better environment, I would not have continued to make the food choices I have through my young adulthood. Granted, I'm only 19, and I've chosen to stop this life style before it takes over completely and I ruin my future. The fact is, when I left my home almost a year ago to be on my own, I COULD have stopped right then and taken a good look at my choices. I COULD have started buying healthier foods when I had the chance. I continued to let myself make those bad choices. It wasn't my parents fault at that point.

I will honestly say that it's hard to battle food addiction, but everyone is responsible for their own destiny. If it's somebody's destiny to get fat and stay fat, then they are in control of that. I personally don't want to go down that road! My self confidence is so far in the toilet at this point, and at such a young age, I shouldn't feel this way.

lizag2012

They were talking about an obesity epidemic in the 70's too. There were obese Native American tribes hundreds of years ago. The only problem with the large portion sizes is that they are large portions of starchy carbs rather than large portions of veggies and protein. So those companies are making a huge profit off of feeding us exactly what our bodies are craving - more sugar, more carbs. Bigger sodas, bigger fries, etc. So yes, they are partly responsible for the problem - if we are addicted to something because of our body's insulin response, and we continuously see commercials for it every day, doesn't it make it that much more difficult to resist?

CrazyTrackLady

It's called laziness. I hear it affects a large percentage of the population. Also ignorance. It's not contagious, but can be cured with education and physical exercise three times a week, and a good diet.

Or not, and you're the ignorant one.

OP: I have been battling food addiction for my whole life. I had a pretty crappy childhood for many reasons that nobody really wants or needs me to get into, and my parents have always been fat. I grew up drinking 4-5 cans of soda per day, eating a whole bag of chips in one sitting, eating 3 bowls of cereal in one sitting, a whole box of toaster strudels in one sitting, etc. I would watch my mom sit down and tackle a cheesecake when her and my dad fought. I'd watch my dad come home and take down a bag of cheese poofs after a long day at work. I grew up watching my parents use food for comfort, so I used food for comfort as well. It's what made me overweight.

When you're raised around this behavior and you grow up learning this behavior, it's incredibly hard to break free of. I can see how a person who doesn't have this problem wouldn't understand. I don't think you're a troll at all; this is something that's hard for many people to get. I have always used food to handle emotions. Sadness, guilt, grief, even happiness. When I feel extra happy, I eat something extra sweet, like ice cream. When I feel sad, I tend to bake to help me take my mind off things.. And then eat the entire plateful of cookies with a huge glass of milk because I just spent so much time baking them I couldn't POSSIBLY let them go to waste. It DOESN'T make sense. I realized this a few months ago and changed my ways, but I do still find myself feeling the urge to eat in correspondence with my emotions. It's now up to me to have the willpower to recognize that I'm not hungry, I'm sad, or mad, or happy. I've also given up the mentality that if I am doing good one week, I deserve a "treat". I do still treat myself now and then, but not nearly as much as I used to.

I did see a psychologist for a while about my eating disorder and my terrible relationship with food, but it didn't really help me. It's sort of that whole "if you aren't willing to accept help, nobody can help you" sort of thing. I was that way for a very long time until my low self esteem started to kill me and I realized I was in control of that, nobody else.

I hope I've helped a bit with your understanding of the situation. It's not the PHYSICAL explanation you were seeking, but it's my take on the problem.

Thank you so much for your open and honest answer. I do understand a little better now. I was raised by parents who never allowed that kind of food in my house, or at least only allowed it for a treat. At the time, I was a bit angry that I wasn't allowed to have pop, because it looked and tasted good. My mom would make me tomato sandwiches instead of fattening ones, and dessert was ONLY served after dinner, never in the middle of the day. And, everything was portioned out.

Now, as a mom myself, I realize that what my parents were doing wasn't deprivation, but teaching me to eat healthy. Oh, I slipped up a LOT in my adult years, which is why I'm on here, but now I am following more closely in my parents' footsteps (especially since I am now middle aged), and I am finding that what they did was to benefit me, not deprive me.

I still have no idea how my brothers ended up addicted to drugs and alcohol. Again, we were raised by the same set of parents, so there had to be another reason. But, that's a story for another day.

Again, thanks for your honest answer.

:flowerforyou:

You're very welcome. People might slam you for not getting it, but I can understand YOUR point of view as well. It's hard for people to understand when it doesn't effect them.

I will never blame my parents for my own health issues. I do believe to some extent that had I been raised in a better environment, I would not have continued to make the food choices I have through my young adulthood. Granted, I'm only 19, and I've chosen to stop this life style before it takes over completely and I ruin my future. The fact is, when I left my home almost a year ago to be on my own, I COULD have stopped right then and taken a good look at my choices. I COULD have started buying healthier foods when I had the chance. I continued to let myself make those bad choices. It wasn't my parents fault at that point.

I will honestly say that it's hard to battle food addiction, but everyone is responsible for their own destiny. If it's somebody's destiny to get fat and stay fat, then they are in control of that. I personally don't want to go down that road! My self confidence is so far in the toilet at this point, and at such a young age, I shouldn't feel this way.

You are very kind. When my brother almost died and was in the intensive care unit going through a 3 week long medically induced coma/detox, I became very angry at him. I carried this anger and resentment on my shoulders for months, until I decided that it was "not my burden to bear". That's why I seem a bit hardened by addictions. I've had a lot of addicts in my family, and my in law family, and none of them make any sense to me. I do understand how hard it is to give up addictions, but I will never understand how choices are made in the first place to begin the process of addiction. That's where I'm at: what made that person START on the path?

dad106

That's where I'm at: what made that person START on the path?

Lets say you had a bad day at work, or you had someone in your family develop an illness.

So you say, well I'll have just one drink or a hit of this drug to take the edge off, I can stop whenever I like. Soon that one drink/drug, turns into two because you need more to get that same feeling. Then 3, 4, and so on down the line.

That's how it starts.. because you keep needing more and more of said substance, to get that same feeling like you did the first time.

iLoveMyAR15

People want a quick fix and dont want to deal with the underlying issues of why they overeat.

jsd_135

You're very welcome. People might slam you for not getting it, but I can understand YOUR point of view as well. It's hard for people to understand when it doesn't effect them.

I will never blame my parents for my own health issues. I do believe to some extent that had I been raised in a better environment, I would not have continued to make the food choices I have through my young adulthood. Granted, I'm only 19, and I've chosen to stop this life style before it takes over completely and I ruin my future. The fact is, when I left my home almost a year ago to be on my own, I COULD have stopped right then and taken a good look at my choices. I COULD have started buying healthier foods when I had the chance. I continued to let myself make those bad choices. It wasn't my parents fault at that point.

I will honestly say that it's hard to battle food addiction, but everyone is responsible for their own destiny. If it's somebody's destiny to get fat and stay fat, then they are in control of that. I personally don't want to go down that road! My self confidence is so far in the toilet at this point, and at such a young age, I shouldn't feel this way.

Just want to say, you sound wise beyond your years. I can't believe you're only 19. I think you're well on your way to a balanced, fulfilling life.

CrazyTrackLady

You're very welcome. People might slam you for not getting it, but I can understand YOUR point of view as well. It's hard for people to understand when it doesn't effect them.

I will never blame my parents for my own health issues. I do believe to some extent that had I been raised in a better environment, I would not have continued to make the food choices I have through my young adulthood. Granted, I'm only 19, and I've chosen to stop this life style before it takes over completely and I ruin my future. The fact is, when I left my home almost a year ago to be on my own, I COULD have stopped right then and taken a good look at my choices. I COULD have started buying healthier foods when I had the chance. I continued to let myself make those bad choices. It wasn't my parents fault at that point.

I will honestly say that it's hard to battle food addiction, but everyone is responsible for their own destiny. If it's somebody's destiny to get fat and stay fat, then they are in control of that. I personally don't want to go down that road! My self confidence is so far in the toilet at this point, and at such a young age, I shouldn't feel this way.

Just want to say, you sound wise beyond your years. I can't believe you're only 19. I think you're well on your way to a balanced, fulfilling life.

AGREED. And she didn't even have to be rude or become defensive about an honest question. Wise beyond her years AND her ears.

Abhishek1984

I feel everybody is looking for Instant Gratification ,
they want to have all the fun while eating and whatever they are eating...and when comes to painful gruelling sessions they want instant gratification there too , through pills n fad diets ...

A life long commitment to exercise , eating healthy , occasional comfort food is my approach ..
Sometimes I feel this new Information age ,is the key problem , it provides information so quickly , people have lost patience , I rarely see anybody sitting on a park bench ,just enjoying , there's always a swanky gadget in hand or food or both

KLC2784

I struggled with this for most of my life... for me, I think it had a lot to do with just not knowing about proper nutrition. I was always active my whole life, but my view of "healthy eating" was way off. I would eat "healthy" and get frustrated that I was not losing weight. I would end up giving up and going back to the greasy cheeseburgers and fries. Now, years later, I have educated myself about proper nutrition and learned how to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

baileybiddles

It's called laziness. I hear it affects a large percentage of the population. Also ignorance. It's not contagious, but can be cured with education and physical exercise three times a week, and a good diet.

Or not, and you're the ignorant one.

OP: I have been battling food addiction for my whole life. I had a pretty crappy childhood for many reasons that nobody really wants or needs me to get into, and my parents have always been fat. I grew up drinking 4-5 cans of soda per day, eating a whole bag of chips in one sitting, eating 3 bowls of cereal in one sitting, a whole box of toaster strudels in one sitting, etc. I would watch my mom sit down and tackle a cheesecake when her and my dad fought. I'd watch my dad come home and take down a bag of cheese poofs after a long day at work. I grew up watching my parents use food for comfort, so I used food for comfort as well. It's what made me overweight.

When you're raised around this behavior and you grow up learning this behavior, it's incredibly hard to break free of. I can see how a person who doesn't have this problem wouldn't understand. I don't think you're a troll at all; this is something that's hard for many people to get. I have always used food to handle emotions. Sadness, guilt, grief, even happiness. When I feel extra happy, I eat something extra sweet, like ice cream. When I feel sad, I tend to bake to help me take my mind off things.. And then eat the entire plateful of cookies with a huge glass of milk because I just spent so much time baking them I couldn't POSSIBLY let them go to waste. It DOESN'T make sense. I realized this a few months ago and changed my ways, but I do still find myself feeling the urge to eat in correspondence with my emotions. It's now up to me to have the willpower to recognize that I'm not hungry, I'm sad, or mad, or happy. I've also given up the mentality that if I am doing good one week, I deserve a "treat". I do still treat myself now and then, but not nearly as much as I used to.

I did see a psychologist for a while about my eating disorder and my terrible relationship with food, but it didn't really help me. It's sort of that whole "if you aren't willing to accept help, nobody can help you" sort of thing. I was that way for a very long time until my low self esteem started to kill me and I realized I was in control of that, nobody else.

I hope I've helped a bit with your understanding of the situation. It's not the PHYSICAL explanation you were seeking, but it's my take on the problem.

Thank you so much for your open and honest answer. I do understand a little better now. I was raised by parents who never allowed that kind of food in my house, or at least only allowed it for a treat. At the time, I was a bit angry that I wasn't allowed to have pop, because it looked and tasted good. My mom would make me tomato sandwiches instead of fattening ones, and dessert was ONLY served after dinner, never in the middle of the day. And, everything was portioned out.

Now, as a mom myself, I realize that what my parents were doing wasn't deprivation, but teaching me to eat healthy. Oh, I slipped up a LOT in my adult years, which is why I'm on here, but now I am following more closely in my parents' footsteps (especially since I am now middle aged), and I am finding that what they did was to benefit me, not deprive me.

I still have no idea how my brothers ended up addicted to drugs and alcohol. Again, we were raised by the same set of parents, so there had to be another reason. But, that's a story for another day.

Again, thanks for your honest answer.

:flowerforyou:

You're very welcome. People might slam you for not getting it, but I can understand YOUR point of view as well. It's hard for people to understand when it doesn't effect them.

I will never blame my parents for my own health issues. I do believe to some extent that had I been raised in a better environment, I would not have continued to make the food choices I have through my young adulthood. Granted, I'm only 19, and I've chosen to stop this life style before it takes over completely and I ruin my future. The fact is, when I left my home almost a year ago to be on my own, I COULD have stopped right then and taken a good look at my choices. I COULD have started buying healthier foods when I had the chance. I continued to let myself make those bad choices. It wasn't my parents fault at that point.

I will honestly say that it's hard to battle food addiction, but everyone is responsible for their own destiny. If it's somebody's destiny to get fat and stay fat, then they are in control of that. I personally don't want to go down that road! My self confidence is so far in the toilet at this point, and at such a young age, I shouldn't feel this way.

You are very kind. When my brother almost died and was in the intensive care unit going through a 3 week long medically induced coma/detox, I became very angry at him. I carried this anger and resentment on my shoulders for months, until I decided that it was "not my burden to bear". That's why I seem a bit hardened by addictions. I've had a lot of addicts in my family, and my in law family, and none of them make any sense to me. I do understand how hard it is to give up addictions, but I will never understand how choices are made in the first place to begin the process of addiction. That's where I'm at: what made that person START on the path?

Well, a big part of the reason I can't completely blame my parents is because my oldest sister, 8 years older than me, started doing drugs and having sex when she was 13. She was a wicked skank and she was stealing money from my parents to buy drugs. By the time she was 16 she was pregnant. Her first born, my niece, lives with my parents now. They were dealing so much with her crap that I don't blame them for not noticing my bad eating habits.

Why did my sister start doing drugs at such a young age? I don't know. She was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder at a young age. She always felt that she never got enough attention even though she always did. There was a point, I think, when she decided that negative attention was better than the NO attention that she felt she received. I wish I had a more scientifc answer, but I'm sure it's different for everyone.

baileybiddles

You're very welcome. People might slam you for not getting it, but I can understand YOUR point of view as well. It's hard for people to understand when it doesn't effect them.

I will never blame my parents for my own health issues. I do believe to some extent that had I been raised in a better environment, I would not have continued to make the food choices I have through my young adulthood. Granted, I'm only 19, and I've chosen to stop this life style before it takes over completely and I ruin my future. The fact is, when I left my home almost a year ago to be on my own, I COULD have stopped right then and taken a good look at my choices. I COULD have started buying healthier foods when I had the chance. I continued to let myself make those bad choices. It wasn't my parents fault at that point.

I will honestly say that it's hard to battle food addiction, but everyone is responsible for their own destiny. If it's somebody's destiny to get fat and stay fat, then they are in control of that. I personally don't want to go down that road! My self confidence is so far in the toilet at this point, and at such a young age, I shouldn't feel this way.

Just want to say, you sound wise beyond your years. I can't believe you're only 19. I think you're well on your way to a balanced, fulfilling life.

AGREED. And she didn't even have to be rude or become defensive about an honest question. Wise beyond her years AND her ears.

Thank you both! I appreciate the kind words. It's easy to be a bratty teenager. Harder to be an adult. I'd rather reap the benefits of an adult and of being SEEN as an adult than have everyone think of me as a snot nosed brat.

Bbwnomore2

Judge much?? It must be nice to not have to worry about food addiction. Food addiction is an eating disorder. It must be nice to have all of the answers and not know what it's like to be overweight. I am happy for you that you cannot understand or relate to these problems. It's not necessary to be so rude about it though.

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

lizziebeth1028

It is so difficult for many people to make a conscientious decision to stop eating garbage food? Why some people would run to diet pills or supplements in a desperate attempt to lose weight quickly, when that weight was gained over a long period of time? Why people just can't stop stuffing their faces?

I don't understand the psychology of overeating, or the psychology of not being able to stop overeating.

What's really going on here?

There are many reasons people over eat, develop bad eating habits or even worse, eating disorders. It's not a one size fits all psychology. Congrats on your weight loss so far. And BTW - what was your reason?