Is food addiction a real thing?
AsparagusFinch
Posts: 167 Member
Hi all 
It's something that I know is pretty controversial, the idea that someone can exhibit an addiction to food. I was just wondering what you guys have to say on the topic!
It's something that I know is pretty controversial, the idea that someone can exhibit an addiction to food. I was just wondering what you guys have to say on the topic!
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My opinion is that all addictions are psychological as opposed to physical. But I really don't know, I have never had any addictions.0 -
Here's an interesting medical paper discussing addiction of sugar
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23719144/
Sugar addiction: pushing the drug-sugar analogy to the limit.
AuthorsAhmed SH, et al. Show all Journal
Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2013 Jul;16(4):434-9. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e328361c8b8.
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review research that tests the validity of the analogy between addictive drugs, like cocaine, and hyperpalatable foods, notably those high in added sugar (i.e., sucrose).
RECENT FINDINGS: Available evidence in humans shows that sugar and sweetness can induce reward and craving that are comparable in magnitude to those induced by addictive drugs. Although this evidence is limited by the inherent difficulty of comparing different types of rewards and psychological experiences in humans, it is nevertheless supported by recent experimental research on sugar and sweet reward in laboratory rats. Overall, this research has revealed that sugar and sweet reward can not only substitute to addictive drugs, like cocaine, but can even be more rewarding and attractive. At the neurobiological level, the neural substrates of sugar and sweet reward appear to be more robust than those of cocaine (i.e., more resistant to functional failures), possibly reflecting past selective evolutionary pressures for seeking and taking foods high in sugar and calories.
SUMMARY: The biological robustness in the neural substrates of sugar and sweet reward may be sufficient to explain why many people can have difficultly to control the consumption of foods high in sugar when continuously exposed to them.0 -
I have been watching a show called freaky eaters on netflix. Some of them seem to really have addictions. But I can't say because I don't have one.0
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I think yes, but only based on the way certain foods are designed to release hormones to make you feel happier!0
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I think as humans we are all 'addicted' to food. We need it to survive. I don't believe in sugar addictions or other food addictions but I haven't researched it. I know there are tons of bad food habits, but I wouldn't call those addictions. I'm sure people are physically sensitive to some food substances and it can be like a physical addiction. But mostly I think blaming 'addiction' is a copout and an excuse, usually.0
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I'd honestly say so. I think it's more of a dependency on food to fulfill a need such as emotional comfort. For me food was something I was using to push away negative feelings and ironically was creating more negative feelings as my self esteem plummeted. ust as some drink their sorrows away, some eat them away.0
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As much as alcohol, drugs or anything else. You get used to that stimulus being sent to your brain and the rest of your body. If you don't get it, you really start to freak out at first. I think food addiction is definitely real.0
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I'd honestly say so. I think it's more of a dependency on food to fulfill a need such as emotional comfort. For me food was something I was using to push away negative feelings and ironically was creating more negative feelings as my self esteem plummeted. ust as some drink their sorrows away, some eat them away.
I agree completely0 -
No, neither is smoking:smokin:0
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My opinion is that all addictions are psychological as opposed to physical. But I really don't know, I have never had any addictions.
Go visit a methadone clinic sometime. It's the experience with drug and alcohol addicts that make me skeptical of the cravings for to food that are paraded around as "addiction," albeit a psychological one. I guess it makes people feel better if they "know" they can't help themselves. At the end of the day though, my question here is really "so what?" Is it going to change anyone's behavior? I don't think so. Even AA still focuses on behavior change.0 -
I think as humans we are all 'addicted' to food. We need it to survive. I don't believe in sugar addictions or other food addictions but I haven't researched it. I know there are tons of bad food habits, but I wouldn't call those addictions. I'm sure people are physically sensitive to some food substances and it can be like a physical addiction. But mostly I think blaming 'addiction' is a copout and an excuse, usually.
Thanks everyone for commenting so far - interesting view points
@WalkingAlone - this is more me being curious than arguing against your view point (my own view points are mixed on this), but where would you draw the line in terms of using the term 'addiction' as an excuse? Would you consider a alcoholic binge to be due to a legitimate psychological problem, but a food binge a lack of willpower - or are all claims of addiction a copout in your opinion?0 -
My husband is a physician, and, as such, defines addiction as something that is purely chemical/physical. After a period of use (and abuse), the brain comes to physically depend on a chemical in order to function normally. This would be the case with alcohol, nicotine, opiates, etc. Addicts have physical symptoms of withdrawal when the chemical is stopped abruptly. Not the case with food, exercise, sex, etc.
I tend to disagree with my husband. Even though I'm not a scientist, I've read a fair amount about addiction and I think that the brain may release certain hormones/chemicals on its own (endorphins?) when people engage in certain activities (i.e. overeating to tamp down extreme negative emotions), and the brain can become just as dependent on those as it does on external chemicals. Then there are the actual chemical properties of sugar, which is present in so many foods. You don't see people craving broccoli the way they do donuts.
I also think psychological addiction can be just as strong as physical addiction, though I doubt actual death can occur from it. (Heroin addicts can actually die from withdrawals without methadone.) In fact, I think the two often go hand in hand. When I was addicted to nicotine the action of smoking and associated activities were just as hard to quit as the chemical part. I know that's just an anecdote, but there's plenty of medical literature on the subject. The mental or emotional dependence on a substance or an activity is quite real.
So...that's my 2 cents. 0 -
I believe some people are very sensitive to "things" that effect dopamine and their endorphins and find will power quite restricted lending them a feeling of helplessness.0
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It can be, as can many, many things in life. Part of an addiction is defined as having a negative impact on social, occupational, and familial relationships. If this is true, then it is quite possibly an addiction.0
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oh im definitely addicted to food. they say that alcoholism is not how much you drink but what it does to you when you drink it. we can say the same for food0
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If something - a substance is ruining your life, who cares whether its an addiction, physical or psychological - its ruining your life - if you think it is - what YOU choose to do about it is YOUR path.
I am a RN and I have seen thousands of people die rather than change.
I am not such a heartless *kitten* that I can't see that that a substance alcohol, tobacco, drugs, food, starving or exercising when you are damaging your body has some extreme hold over your mind/emotions.
I have been drug and alcohol free for over 23 years - that's my choice because it was ruining my life.
I wasn't willing to stop over-eating until recently because its starting to ruin my health.0 -
When people are giving BJs in the alley for twinkie money, then we can talk about food addiction.0
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Based on purely anecdotal evidence, I'd say yes, but it depends on your definition of addiction.
In my younger years I drank a great deal, daily, to the point that I should have become an alcoholic. I certainly drank far more than others I knew. But when I made the decision to stop drinking I simply did, no struggle. And yet I've watched others struggle, and lose, time and time again.
All my life, there have been food items that I know I should give up because they are 'triggers' for me, once I start eating them I will continue to eat them, in large quantities, daily, hidden it from others, lied to myself about it. And stopping myself from having them is a huge struggle, and I have lost that struggle, time and time again.
Behaviourially, I appear as addicted to these items as my friends are addicted to alcohol. I don't really care if other people acknowledge it to be a 'true' addiction. I know how it's impacted my life.0 -
In
This should be good
My opinion is that all addictions are psychological as opposed to physical. But I really don't know, I have never had any addictions.
Go visit a methadone clinic sometime. It's the experience with drug and alcohol addicts that make me skeptical of the cravings for to food that are paraded around as "addiction," albeit a psychological one. I guess it makes people feel better if they "know" they can't help themselves. At the end of the day though, my question here is really "so what?" Is it going to change anyone's behavior? I don't think so. Even AA still focuses on behavior change.
This.
Some addictions are absolutely physical. And withdrawal is not pretty.
And yeah, I agree with the rest too.0 -
When people are giving BJs in the alley for twinkie money, then we can talk about food addiction.
Lmfao.....I dont like twinkies thankg god.....I have a new addiction to eating more nutrient enriched foods0 -
When people are giving BJs in the alley for twinkie money, then we can talk about food addiction.
People die of their food problems - so grossly obese they are pulled out of their houses by cranes, its not so simple.0 -
Yeah, weird thing I'm also addicted to air. Can't stop breathing the stuff0
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Currently my stomach is telling me that it needs food....logically thinking ive consumed 3200 calories today and worked off about 1300... I AM NOT HUNGRY, i do not need energy...
i am however very very bored and i could nail a truck load of carbs...
since food is in abundance our the house i feel the urge to go and get said carbs, but my brain has kicked in saying drink a massive glass of water...
i find that when i am bored or when i am stressed i eat, analyzing it one step further i think back cavemen - they had to work to eat and they got stressed when they didn`t eat.... so the stress makes me crave food... not an addiction...
again thinking back to cavemen, when food was in abundance they would feast because they would never know when the next meal would come - they were never bored they would just eat....
so one way to kill the "addiction to food" is not to get stressed and not to get bored - or if this cannot be avoided do not have an abundance of bad foods around...
Logical??0 -
I'm finding this topic very interesting. Whether or not there is such a thing, I'm trying to figure out if I personally fit the bill. I lost 80 lbs by June of last year, then all of a sudden fell off the wagon and I don't know why. I do know that I love food, plain and simple. Not sure if that's an addiction, but something happened to my 'brain' and rewired it to eat nothing but forbidden foods. I really wish I knew why......0
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I'm finding this topic very interesting. Whether or not there is such a thing, I'm trying to figure out if I personally fit the bill. I lost 80 lbs by June of last year, then all of a sudden fell off the wagon and I don't know why. I do know that I love food, plain and simple. Not sure if that's an addiction, but something happened to my 'brain' and rewired it to eat nothing but forbidden foods. I really wish I knew why......
Were you trying to do it with just "will power" and depriving yourself of the things your crave?
Were you seeking to follow a "perfect" diet?
Were you telling yourself that there were certain "bad" foods that you could never enjoy?
Did you beat yourself up for being "bad" when you at something you actually liked?0 -
interesting questions. I did 'cheat' every once in awhile, but I did find that I stayed away from my trigger foods, like pizza, because I still hadn't learned the meaning of moderation and didn't trust myself yet. I was also laid off and was able to work out every morning. Now I'm back to work, and it's a physical job and I come home totally drained. That also has alot to do with it.0
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interesting questions. I did 'cheat' every once in awhile, but I did find that I stayed away from my trigger foods, like pizza, because I still hadn't learned the meaning of moderation and didn't trust myself yet. I was also laid off and was able to work out every morning. Now I'm back to work, and it's a physical job and I come home totally drained. That also has alot to do with it.
It sounds like life got in the way. It happens but it's best if you don't let it.
Have you tried to reintroduce your trigger foods a little bit at a time? Say order a small pizza with a friend and share it? Target having 1 or 2 slices and that's it. Enjoy them. Savor them. And then have a plate of veggies if you're still hungry.
As for coming home completely drained, have you tried pre-planning or even pre-preparing your weekly menus? I'm 41 years old, have to eat out with clients a couple of times a week, and I still bring my lunch box to work every day that I'm not eating out with a client. It goes a long way towards keeping me on track.0 -
Whether there is *actual* food addiction or not (i.e., scientifically proven biological reactions to particular foods) is largely irrelevant, IMHO.
I believe this because some people still find that addiction-like desire and behavior clearly manifests itself in their life. *Something* is happening to them that looks an *awful* lot like substance addiction - so whether it can be measured by science or not doesn't matter a freakin' hill of beans to me.
Further, thousands if not millions of people have found help and freedom from compulsive overeating by applying tried and true methods for treating substance abuse to their lives (by modifying them to fit the food problem). It works. So if it ain't broke, I say don't fix it.
I myself am one of the people having found freedom from my horrible compulsive overeating, bingeing, and yo-yo dieting through applying the Twelve Steps of Overeaters Anonymous. I am a two-year recovering compulsive overeater and incredibly humbled and grateful to be on a constantly renewing road to health and mental/emotional freedom (which is priceless to me). I now find it my mission to share my story and knowledge with others, which keeps me on the path to recovery and maintenance.
If you are interested in learning more about the Twelve Steps of OA, please visit the links below.
The first link is a quiz you can take to see if you might be a compulsive overeater. If you score 75 or above you're a candidate.
The 2nd link is to find a local OA meeting where you'll find the kindest, most humble people who are in the exact same boat as you. They never preach, they never make you feel uncomfortable, they are simply there for support and to go over the literature and steps each week.
The 3rd link is to the AA "Big Book", which describes the program, details out the Twelve Steps, and shows you how to apply them. You simply change the words, "alcohol" and "alcoholic" to "food" and "compulsive overeater". It is uncanny the similarities to the experiences of the people detailed in that book, and my own, even though they used alcohol and I used food. You might be surprised.
You may or may not actually be an addict, but I promise you, OA will STILL change your life if you listen to and apply the principals it espouses. It did mine and it was the best thing I ever did.
And no naysayer can ever take that away from me. There's the beauty of it.
http://www.stopcompulsiveeating.com/foodquiz.php
http://www.oa.org/membersgroups/find-a-meeting/
http://www.aa.org/bigbookonline/en_tableofcnt.cfm0 -
Whether there is *actual* food addiction or not (i.e., scientifically proven biological reactions to particular foods) is largely irrelevant, IMHO.
I believe this because some people still find that addiction-like desire and behavior clearly manifests itself in their life. *Something* is happening to them that looks an *awful* lot like substance addiction - so whether it can be measured by science or not doesn't matter a freakin' hill of beans to me.
Further, thousands if not millions of people have found help and freedom from compulsive overeating by applying tried and true methods for treating substance abuse to their lives (by modifying them to fit the food problem). It works. So if it ain't broke, I say don't fix it.
I myself am one of the people having found freedom from my horrible compulsive overeating, bingeing, and yo-yo dieting through applying the Twelve Steps of Overeaters Anonymous. I am a two-year recovering compulsive overeater and incredibly humbled and grateful to be on a constantly renewing road to health and mental/emotional freedom (which is priceless to me). I now find it my mission to share my story and knowledge with others, which keeps me on the path to recovery and maintenance.
If you are interested in learning more about the Twelve Steps of OA, please visit the links below.
The first link is a quiz you can take to see if you might be a compulsive overeater. If you score 75 or above you're a candidate.
The 2nd link is to find a local OA meeting where you'll find the kindest, most humble people who are in the exact same boat as you. They never preach, they never make you feel uncomfortable, they are simply there for support and to go over the literature and steps each week.
The 3rd link is to the AA "Big Book", which describes the program, details out the Twelve Steps, and shows you how to apply them. You simply change the words, "alcohol" and "alcoholic" to "food" and "compulsive overeater". It is uncanny the similarities to the experiences of the people detailed in that book, and my own, even though they used alcohol and I used food. You might be surprised.
You may or may not actually be an addict, but I promise you, OA will STILL change your life if you listen to and apply the principals it espouses. It did mine and it was the best thing I ever did.
And no naysayer can ever take that away from me. There's the beauty of it.
http://www.stopcompulsiveeating.com/foodquiz.php
http://www.oa.org/membersgroups/find-a-meeting/
http://www.aa.org/bigbookonline/en_tableofcnt.cfm
Okay, but as I understand it, and my grandfather was a member for 46 years, you can never drink again in AA. The man literally never touched a drop of alcohol (even in medicine) for over 4 decades.
How does that work with food? That's a genuine question. I'm curious.0
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