Do you believe in food addiction?

What does "addicted" mean? There are a variety of alternative definitions that seem to be in play.

IMO, clearly addiction is not limited to physical dependence, as people can be addicted to stuff like gambling or, say, alcohol, which can become physically addictive, but for most alcoholics does not result in physical withdrawal when one stops drinking--when it does, of course, it can be life-threatening.

Instead, addiction commonly gets used also for some kind of emotional dependence or misplaced use of something that creates difficulties in quitting and tends to result in the substance/activity being used when it causes harm, and may not even be pleasurable anymore, but more compulsive, plus a strong belief by the person that the substance/activity is needed, that he or she can't imagine life without it. Could food--or certain types of food or ways of relating to food--be considered similar? I'm leaning toward yes, even though I haven't personally experienced anything I'd call that with food.

Of course, it's also common to assume that people who get addicted in non-physically-addictive ways still have some physical component to it. For example, alcoholics who aren't strictly physically addicted in that they can stop without withdrawal symptoms are still often experienced problematic physical reactions to alcohol from the beginning and often never really drank normally, even before they started drinking much at all. But there are others who develop addiction from misuse over time and even the predisposed (if one believes in that, and I do) aren't addicted in advance. They must experience the substance and often how the substance is culturally used and encouraged plays a role.

Anyway, I don't see how claiming that any particular substance is addictive absolves anyone of personal responsibility. It just may make a difference in how to address the issue, how much one approaches it as a logical problem--this is what's healthy to eat and fits into my calorie allowance vs. an emotional or triggering issue or a mental, habitual one.

For people with drug and alcohol addictions, these can easily be transferred to food when trying to quit.

NO
If a drug addict stops using drugs, are they cured of the addiction? What if they just do less of the drug or just do the drugs occasionally, are they still considered an addict?

Can someone addicted to food quit eating, will they be cured of their addiction? What if they eat less or just eat occasionally, are they still considered an addict? How can a food addiction be broken?

Some smokers and drinkers who are addicted can learn to use these substances in moderation. Yet, no one questions that those substances are addictive.

I have a fair amount of experience with drug and alcohol addiction. I have never seen a true alcoholic or a smoker learn to use those substances with responsible moderation. Smokers either quit, or they don't quit. They do not become social smokers who can pick up, say, one or two cigarettes a week and be fine with it. NEVER!
Same with the drinkers. I think there are some people who go through an abusive period, in their teens, mostly, and then come out the other side. But, they are not really addicted. A true alcoholic doesn't come out the other side, to my knowledge. Their pattern might change. They might be a daily drinker at first, and then they become a binge drinker. But they do not become a social drinker who can have one or two glasses of wine a day and not miss inebriation. It just doesn't happen. Look closely, that alcoholic who still kinda drinks, probably does not drink much at all, and, sometimes when they do, they overdo it.
Sorry to digress from the true topic or the thread. I just thought that statement was so wrong, I had to say something.

NO
If a drug addict stops using drugs, are they cured of the addiction? What if they just do less of the drug or just do the drugs occasionally, are they still considered an addict?

Can someone addicted to food quit eating, will they be cured of their addiction? What if they eat less or just eat occasionally, are they still considered an addict? How can a food addiction be broken?

Some smokers and drinkers who are addicted can learn to use these substances in moderation. Yet, no one questions that those substances are addictive.

I have a fair amount of experience with drug and alcohol addiction. I have never seen a true alcoholic or a smoker learn to use those substances with responsible moderation. Smokers either quit, or they don't quit. They do not become social smokers who can pick up, say, one or two cigarettes a week and be fine with it. NEVER!
Same with the drinkers. I think there are some people who go through an abusive period, in their teens, mostly, and then come out the other side. But, they are not really addicted. A true alcoholic doesn't come out the other side, to my knowledge. Their pattern might change. They might be a daily drinker at first, and then they become a binge drinker. But they do not become a social drinker who can have one or two glasses of wine a day and not miss inebriation. It just doesn't happen. Look closely, that alcoholic who still kinda drinks, probably does not drink much at all, and, sometimes when they do, they overdo it.
Sorry to digress from the true topic or the thread. I just thought that statement was so wrong, I had to say something.

Well, sure you can say "I don't think they were addicted". But they were.

There's an important difference in my view between addiction and compulsive behaviour. Addiction is is characterised by dependence, increased tolerance, habituation, inability to stop when one wants to and general lack of control. Some of that applies to some foods for some people, but I think most who struggle with food are compulsive eaters but not addicted in a clinical sense. It doesn't make the solution any easier though...and obviously total abstinence isn't a possible solution for food problems. Overall I feel it's not possible to give a definitive answer here.

ETA: the language we use is important and some people benefit from a medicalised understanding of their behaviour (which means it can be externalised and then managed/treated) rather than feeling they are greedy or whatever. In any event both addictions, compulsions and overeating involve complex emotional issues!

Terrific response!

i do not think food is addictive but i believe that people that have addictive personalities often use food since it is very easy to access.

No. I believe that you can get addicted to the substances in food (sugar, HFCS, MSG, etc) but not the food itself. It's like people who bake marijuana brownies - they're addicted to the marijuana, not the brownies. Same thing with food.

I could be wrong, but I can't imagine that the small percentage of marijuana addicts would waste it by baking brownies.
.
Now, using food as a crutch... Stuffing down your feelings or sorrow with food? Kinda how people will binge drink to try to "forget their sorrows"? Yep. I believe that happens.

I used to think I craved fast food - I haven't really eaten any for a couple months and the thought of it is not as appetizing as it used to be - in fact I drive past fast food places every day and never feel the urge to pull in and order a burger

coffee on the other hand ... well it's a basic necessity of life :drinker:

Humans are meant to eat. We were given taste buds so we actually feel a sense of motivation to do it... so I think food "addiction" is completely natural and human and healthy- or, at least, WOULD have been if we were still struggling scavengers. It's just a survival mechanism!

Yes, I do believe food can be as addictive as alcohol and/or drugs.

I'm not sure.

I think that many times, it is labeled or classified as "food addiction," but many times it is just a maladaptive coping mechanism for dealing with life that turns into a downward spiral. Many "food addicts" likely have anxiety or depression (or other life and brain issues) and they use food to cope. What they need is not gastric bypass, but therapy and coping skill and strategies to change their habits and their lives and get out of the hole that makes them need something (in this case, food) so much.

I have personally dealt with such issues. I thought I could not get off of food, but with internal/mental work and strategies, I have done it. (Though of course, not everyone is the same.)

I also think that fast food and junk food could very well have addictive chemicals in them. But more research is needed there.

I believe the studies that you are referring to were done on rats, so I would take those with a grain of salt….unless you have some human studies to refer us to ..?

Did you friend die from too much drug usage, too much sugar intake, or a combination of being an out of shape drug addict? Probably hard to say at the end of the day...

I can understand why you would take the study with a grain of salt, but think about why rats are used. They have a remarkably similar brain chemistry as homo sapiens. So I think that gives the study more weight.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prader-willi-syndrome/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Prader -Willi syndrome - A genetic condition that causes the person to feel constant hunger. People with the condition will eat constantly if they are not monitored. Yes, food addiction does exist.

A genetic condition like Prader-Willi does not constitute an "addiciton" to food. People with the condition eat contantly because their brains don't recognize satiation signals in a proper way.

But hey, thanks for playing.