Question for self professed "sugar addicts"

I do not know if I am a "sugar addict", but I do believe that it can be habit forming. I got into the bad habit of having dessert every night after dinner. It took me a little while to get to the point where I didn't crave ice cream or something similar after eating. I did not crave fruit. I have found that eating a piece of fruit will kill my craving for a dessert-like item however. This said, I also believe that there are levels of alcoholism. Some people need to drink until they fall asleep or get completely drunk. Some people just HAVE to have a drink or two every night--I identify with those in terms of my sugar "addiction".
Any addiction has two components, physical and mental. So physically, if I alternate fruit for candy, I am satisfying the craving. But mentally I might still really want that donut....so I think that it is different from alcoholism in that I do not know what a substitute would be for alcohol, although it seems that alcoholics sometimes substitute smoking for drinking.
Not sure if this answers your question. It seems from the quotation marks that you do not believe in sugar addiction, but I think that it can be very real. I do not have a truly addictive personality, yet it was difficult for me to "quit" the sugar. Some substances are probably more addictive than others, but that is subjective...
Sorry for the wordy answer and if I was completely off base...

Serious question:

Why is it a bad habit to have desert every night after dinner? I just don't get it.

Personally I sometimes have 3 deserts after dinner. It's all accounted for and pre planned.

It's a bad habit for me b/c I have trouble controlling portion sizes when it comes to sweets...I cannot just have a little ice cream--I have to have a huge bowl. And I like to have a good sized dinner, so my dessert would definitely put me over goal. I do not mean that it is bad for everyone--if it fits your calories, great...I just have a hard time with sugar--if I have it, I want it all the time. I am working on this, and sometimes have a piece of chocolate, but I really have issues with self control.

I have to agree. I also think people use the word addiction when they really mean lack of self control. I have a lot of friends who are recovering addicts and recovering alcoholics. It's no *walk in the park*.

Uh, isn't the very definition of addiction a behavior that you cannot control?

I consider myself addicted to food in general. Tasty food, anyway, and sweets in particular.

Now I don't think you can eat fruit to somehow "cancel out sugar".

But you can eat fruit, which contains sugar, in moderation simply because you can't go ape-**** eating apples or bananas like you can, say, a box of Oreo cookies.

I could, and have, sit down and eat half a box of Oreo cookies. Easily. And when presented with the box of Oreo cookies, especially once my willpower has broken to where I've allowed myself to eat "one", I will probably break down and eat as many as I can eat.

There are about 53 calories in an Oreo. I'm guessing I'd eat about 20 of them in a sitting. That's over 1000 calories - nearly 60% of my daily caloric allotment.

Now apples also contain sugar. But they aren't nearly as appealing as the refined goodness of Oreos! An apple contains about 95 calories. In order to get the equivalent of 20 Oreos, I'd have to eat 11 apples.

I don't think I've ever felt compelled to eat that many apples at a sitting.

This is why eating natural foods is good for weight loss. Even if a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, there just aren't that many compelling natural foods that are as calorie dense and easy to over-consume as processed foods. There are some - shrimp, lobster, steak, etc. - but you'll have to lay out some serious coin to eat your fill of those things.

This ^^^^!

What do you do if you're fat? Blame sugar


It's that simple, it makes sense.

The issue lays with over consumption of calories, these people are addicted to food, not sugar.

I was fat, I ate sugary things, I lost weight whilst EATING sugary things.

I'm not addicted, I can go weeks without eating it, I don't want to stop eating it, why? It tastes good and I live once, why not?

That's you. I am not an alcoholic, so can I say that alcoholism doesn't exist?

Read the OP, i'm done here, peace out.

It's a bad habit for me b/c I have trouble controlling portion sizes when it comes to sweets...I cannot just have a little ice cream--I have to have a huge bowl. And I like to have a good sized dinner, so my dessert would definitely put me over goal. I do not mean that it is bad for everyone--if it fits your calories, great...I just have a hard time with sugar--if I have it, I want it all the time. I am working on this, and sometimes have a piece of chocolate, but I really have issues with self control.

I had a horrible ice cream habit. Could eat half a gallon a day or more, no problem. Thought I'd never be able to fit it in my eating plan if I was going to lose this weight. But greek yogurt has made all the difference for me. Mix a little portion of ice cream with a heaping amount of greek yogurt. I don't miss straight up ice cream anymore and found a delicious way to get my protein and calcium in. Maybe this will be of some use to you?
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If a person drinks coffee every day and then stops they are going to get a "caffiene" headache..why because their brain is chemically addicted to caffeine while they also may have the physical habit of reaching for coffee.

While caffeine is not has hard to quit as heroin and the withdrawal symptoms are not as strong It is still an additiction. Just because it is a socially acceptable addiction does not mean it is not one.

In contrast a person who has an addiction to sugar resulting in overeating and obesity does not have a socially acceptable addiction.

Some would argue that having one alcoholic beverage once a week with friends is not an addiction but if the only thing you ever do with friends is drink alcohol..it begins to take on new levels of acceptability.

I think I probably am addicted to sugar like others have said, I can not just eat a little bit and be fine. I also don't gamble or drink because when exposed to those I think I would also crave them more than others. Maybe I have an addictive personality...don't know but I can attest that when I crave sugar I feel physically ill, sweaty, heart racing, will spend money that I dont have...any of the above until I get it and then afterward guilty and I have lied about food intake..

Funny thing where I see it different than other additions is that I do not always feel this way daily but I would say at least once a week. I take metformin because my fasting sugars are high but not through out the day.. I would like to see more research done on the topic.

Interestingly enough, caffeine withdrawal syndrome will be in the DSM V, sugar/food addiction? Not so much

Not yet.

It's a bad habit for me b/c I have trouble controlling portion sizes when it comes to sweets...I cannot just have a little ice cream--I have to have a huge bowl.

No. You do not.

You CAN control the portion size because you are aware of what you're doing. You just choose not to.

Actually, I choose not to have it at all so it is no longer an issue. You are awfully presumptuous to believe that you understand me from a couple of comments on a thread.

It's a bad habit for me b/c I have trouble controlling portion sizes when it comes to sweets...I cannot just have a little ice cream--I have to have a huge bowl. And I like to have a good sized dinner, so my dessert would definitely put me over goal. I do not mean that it is bad for everyone--if it fits your calories, great...I just have a hard time with sugar--if I have it, I want it all the time. I am working on this, and sometimes have a piece of chocolate, but I really have issues with self control.

I had a horrible ice cream habit. Could eat half a gallon a day or more, no problem. Thought I'd never be able to fit it in my eating plan if I was going to lose this weight. But greek yogurt has made all the difference for me. Mix a little portion of ice cream with a heaping amount of greek yogurt. I don't miss straight up ice cream anymore and found a delicious way to get my protein and calcium in. Maybe this will be of some use to you?

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That's a good idea! Yeah, I could eat a pint of Haagen Daaz without blinking. I actually don't miss it too much--as I'm getting older I think my tastes are changing, and I really prefer to eat a little more of whatever dinner I'm having than to have dessert, but I might try the greek yogurt w/ ice cream when I want a treat!

So was the point of this whole thread to debunk the myth of sugar addiction and prove your superiority because you do not believe in such nonsense? Or that those who blame their weight gain on a sugar addiction simply need to accept that they have no will power and are responsible for their own weight gain not the phantom "addiction"? Exactly who did you help with this post? Or was that really never the point?


I don't know if sugar addiction -- and maybe this argument is really just one of semantics -- what should you call it when you cannot exercise self control and make bad choices. Is addiction the right term or should we call it something else to please you? You can make bad choices and consume to much of ANY junk food (cookies, cake, chips, etc....) because the immediate pleasure of its ingestion outweighs the potential future bad effect it will have on your health. It has to be something that makes some people lose control, but others are unaffected. Not everyone is a drug addict or alcoholic either -- some people are regular recreational users with no adverse long term consequences. It doesn't negate the fact that for some people alcohol and drugs are a problem.

Part of the definition of any addiction is that people make bad choices because all they can see is the pleasure or potential for pleasure that something can bring them in the immediate present -- they never even think of the consequences of their choices. Unfortunately, I have a great deal of experience with people suffering, recovering and/or dead from alcohol and drug addiction and the terrible choices they make as a consequence.

In addition to physiological addictions (like drugs, alcohol, and smoking) there are psychological additions -- things we feel compelled to do in our minds because of the pleasure they bring or may bring-- maybe gambling, sex addictions, thrill seekers and food would all fall in this category. They are the things some people are unable to exercise control and sound judgment over. The person who is compelled to act without regard to the future has a problem and whether you want to call it an addiction or a loss of self control -- it is a problem. One of the best ways to combat the problem (for most people -- but not everyone) is to avoid the trigger.

The physiological addiction of smoking, drugs, or alcohol ends after the detox/withdrawal process -- you know the headaches, mood swings, shakes, tremors, and even violent illness for some -- the physical control these addictions have is broken after a period of time -- the length of time varies depending on the substance and the length of time of abuse. Then what is left is the psychological aspect of the addiction. That is why people can be long periods of time in sobriety and fall back into the behavior. It wasn't the physical addiction anymore that made them slip up -- it was the psychological part. There are things which may become a trigger for the recovering addict which makes your body crave it again. For some people they don't have that problem and once they get free from the physiological addiction they don't have an issue again.

Perhaps what you were (OP) trying to do is make people accountable for the choices that they make -- because it is always a choice. Just like the recovering alcoholic who is no longer suffering from the physical aspects of addiction makes a choice to start drinking again. Or the drug addict out of rehab decides to use drugs one more time -- it is always a choice and there needs to be personal responsibility for those choices. BUT recognizing your triggers (drugs, alcohol, or certain foods) and avoiding them in the future so you don't fall of the wagon of your personal recovery -- there is no shame in that -- EVER.

So was the point of this whole thread to debunk the myth of sugar addiction and prove your superiority because you do not believe in such nonsense? Or that those who blame their weight gain on a sugar addiction simply need to accept that they have no will power and are responsible for their own weight gain not the phantom "addiction"? Exactly who did you help with this post? Or was that really never the point?


I Just like the recovering alcoholic who is no longer suffering from the physical aspects of addiction makes a choice to start drinking again. Or the drug addict out of rehab decides to use drugs one more time -- it is always a choice and there needs to be personal responsibility for those choices. BUT recognizing your triggers (drugs, alcohol, or certain foods) and avoiding them in the future so you don't fall of the wagon of your personal recovery -- there is no shame in that -- EVER.

Bingo bango---that's your whole question answered right there.

Diagnostic criteria for 312.31 Pathological Gambling

A. Persistent and recurrent maladaptive gambling behavior as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

1. is preoccupied with gambling (e.g. preoccupied with reliving past gambling experiences, handicapping or planning the next venture, or thinking of ways to get money with which to gamble)

Food addiction: Check! It's a common theme among my family members to remenisce about great past restaurant meals and plan the next time we get to indulge.

2. needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money in order to achieve the desired excitement

A common saying among my family members regarding good food is "If some is good, more is better!"

3. has repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop gambling

Look at how many people are on this board because of past failed attempts to lose weight.

4. is restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop gambling

LOL yup, check!

5. gambles as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a dysphoric mood (e.g. feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, depression)

Yup, check! Food is always there to comfort you, and the fatter you get the more consistent a pleasure it is.

6. after losing money gambling, often returns another day to get even ("chasing" one's losses)

This one doesn't really apply to food, as once you've eaten it the damage is done. There is no recovery from your loss (except to stop eating, of course).

7. lies to family members, therapist, or others to conceal the extent of involvement with gambling

I never got this bad, but my wife hides candy to avoid getting **** about it and I have heard of others doing this also.

8. has committed illegal acts such as forgery, fraud, theft, or embezzlement to finance gambling

Most people don't have to commit crimes to eat, so this one doesn't really apply.

9. has jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity because of gambling

Oh yeah. Many fat people are lonely and unable to find a partner because of their weight, and they are quite aware of that fact. It is also well known that attractive people have better careers than unattractive people.

10. relies on others to provide money to relieve a desperate financial situation caused by gambling

Again, most people don't have problems coming up with money to eat, so this doesn't really apply.

B. The gambling behavior is not better accounted for by a Manic Episode

I suppose this applies to food also.

The reason for me posting information from the APA was to provide what is recognized as addiction, specifically to substances and gambling. (because there was discussion about it) Currently, the APA does not recognize "sugar addiction", nor do they recognize "food addiction." However, some issues with food could fall under other diagnosis, such as eating disorders. There are numerous line items that are being reviewed for the proposed changes to the DSM, but sugar addiction is not one them.

I do not throw the word addiction around but many people do to describe their reaction to any substance. I am not a doctor but I have been told by several doctors that there are chemical components of sugar that are the same as alcohol. Like I said I am not a professional. I do have a serious problem with sugar and it has created too many health problems for me. I have tried so many diets and programs only to return to my old eating habits. My health had gone down the toilet over carbs and sugar. I developed diabetes, had shortness of breathe anytime I tried walking a few feet. My knees and ankles always sore and achey and I developed sleep apnea. I have been working with a nutritionist and she can see that my life was slowly slipping away from me. Just getting out of bed in the morning took everything out of me. It has now been 5 months since I took a stand regarding my health. My nutritionist has me off of white flour, processed foods, everything high in sugar including many of the yogurts on the market ( just check the sugar content on most yogurts including greek and you will find they are loaded with sugar some times as much as 19 grams of sugar). I now only eat low fat dairy products, lean meat, chicken and fish and have not had any diet soda in 5 months and I am now down 80 pounds. I am slowly getting my life back and exercising 3 times a week. It has been a long road for more and I am not done yet. Sugar is bad for the body so be careful, I am not saying NEVER have sugar but make sure you read labels and proceed with caution. I cannot go back to the old me with a carb and sugar intake of my past. I just have been taking it one day at a time and look to the future as a healthy person.

I don't like to use the word "addict" in relation to food even though I hear it used frequently. Addiction, to me, is a whole different ballgame than craving certain foods. I have never been a sugar addict (could care less about pie, cake or any sweets). But I attending a several month lecture series on help for dieters and the speaker did his best to convince me I was a "carboholic". Yeah, right. New spin on same thing. What I acknowledge is I have very strong cravings. When I blew it and totally messed up, it's was always with the same items: potato chips, salted nuts or pretzels. Hence, his determination of "carboholic". It took a MD who is into Integrative Medicine, to identify that it was the salt I craved. Lo and behold - lab work revealed I was borderline hypothyroid and my adrenal glands were in a horrible state. Salt craving is a common (but just one little symptom) of hypothyroidism and/or adrenal insufficiency.

With a change in diet, and the right supplements, my salt craving has nearly disappeared. So, in my opinion, and that's all it is worth - one person's opinion, sugar "addiction" should not be used. As to dismissing the strong cravings someone might have for sugar as just a lack of will power, that might be going too far to the left. Maybe there is a metabolic basis to their cravings.

I know that when I was pregnant, I craved tomatoes, which have a lot of folic acid. I also craved other foods (don't remember everything) that I would find out had something that was important during pregnancy. I really do think that there is more to it than a lack of willpower.

I disagree PERSONALLY, about it being harder to do, and more will power? I eat plenty of fiber, and protein - I'm never hungry after 10-15 minutes of eating, I have a huge appetite and I feel hunger and can eat literally 10,000 calories in one go, but once the 10 minutes after eating has passed, any hunger I had goes away and that is with any foods I eat, even if its non sugary foods.

Wait, just because it doesn't affect you it doesn't exist? So menstrual cramps don't exist, too? So angina doesn't exist? Type 2 diabetes doesn't exist?

It's great you don't have sugar addiction or sensitivity. Other people do. I don't really crave sugar now but when I was depressed, I would eat a bag of chocolates and couldn't get enough. If you knew me you would know that I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so this was a little out of character for me.

My psychiatrist said that it wasn't unusual because depressed people usually eat more sugar because it changes brain chemistry (so do anti-depressants.) Once I was medicated, my sweet cravings went away and now the idea of eating bags of chocolates kind of makes me feel sick.

This has science behind it, so you can just shout, "WRONG!" to everyone and pretend it doesn't exist or just realize that some people have a problem that you don't.

You can't really use the comparisons you have against me, that's ridiculous. I hate comparisons, this is about ONE sole thing.

So you've established when you were depressed, you craved sugar because it changes brain chemistry.

Ok, so if that is the case, that sugar is scientifically proven to change brain chemistry, depressed or not - it would affect everyone, surely? If it is science, everyone would become addicted to it? This isn't an illness, or a thing like aspartame causing headaches..

this is SUGAR you are saying is addictive, if something is ADDICTIVE surely it's addictive to everyone?

WHAT???!! I enjoy wine, beer, and mixed drinks but I am not addicted to alcohol. I smoked weed as a teen but have no drug problems now. Those things must not be addictive?

Do I think I am addicted to sugar? probably! If there is a cake in the house, I will not stop eating it until it is gone. Maybe not in one sitting but I ain't throwing it away! Will I rob someone or have sex for oreos? not so far but ii ahve pulled said cake out of the garbage when hubby threw it away!! Do I hide to eat it? He doesn't know it didn't get thrown away! If there is an OPEN package of cookies, it's all I think about. If they aren't open, I am fine.

I weaned myself off cigarettes by going to lighter and lighter nicotine brands. I am currently doing thr same with sugar. I am down to 1 spoon in my coffee. Also down to 1 coffee! Not because of the caffeine, because of the sugar!

As I have begun weaning myself, I taste sugar more. It doesn't take as much to sweeten something. i can use less in my coffee and tea. i can cut it back in cake recipes. The more I eat, the LESS I taste it so the MORE I add. Kind of Like and alcoholic adds more liquor to the drink or a drug addict needs more pills to get high.

Yes, I liken it to an addiction from my personal experience. The same withdrawals as drugs? I doubt it but have no personal experience to compare. I do get shaky. I thought about it constantly at first. My moods changed quickly as with nicotine withdrawal. I craved cakes and muffins and donuts as almost a physical pain.

If ya ain't nekkid and starvin, ya ain't addicted!

And... et voila!

Shopaholics rejoice. They may be bankrupt but they probably aren't naked... so they're cured!

When You are truly addicted to something, it supersedes Your basic human needs... FOOD, shelter, clothing and physical well being.

I guess people aren't really addicted to cigarettes then? You don't need to be willing to suck a **** for some x,y or z in order to be considered addicted. I'm not sure whether sugar addiction is real or not, but I"m not willing to say with certainty that is doesn't.