Anyone else feel they are addicted to sugar?

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Replies

  • strassenkoenigin
    strassenkoenigin Posts: 259
    I personally think it is more the combination of sugar and flour. I have to stay away from all baked good. Like you I cannot control how much I eat once it is in my house. And I eat very healthy food as a rule. .
    Everything you find on the supermarket shelves today is highly processed and made with genetically altered wheat, corn and soy. It is addictive.
    read this article
    http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/food-addiction-most-addictive-foods

    we are basically all like drug addicts with the food which is sold to us by the big corporations. The only way out is not to buy it anymore and force new regulations.
    I am old enough to know that this is true. When I grew up food was not genetically altered and everybody could eat bread, cookies etc. without getting addicted.
  • mytime6630
    mytime6630 Posts: 4,241 Member

    With all due respect, those are blogs, not evidence. They are peoples' opinions. There is absolutely zero evidence that sugar is addictive any more than protein is. Food in general stimulates our pleasure center because we need it to survive. Our bodies reward us for eating.

    THIS is not a blog. This is from Princeton University.

    http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S22/88/56G31/index.xml?section=topstories
  • psibaby
    psibaby Posts: 88 Member
    I have a sugar addiction. The only way I curtail it is to not buy too many sugary sweets. When I go over my parents house I raid their candy dish and sweets cabinet which lets me know it is a good thing that I don't have them in the house.
    I know what you mean about the grocery store. I have to do "self talk" the entire time I am in there. Bakery items, candy, ice cream, snack cakes, they all call my name. I just stay focused, I don't put any in my cart, instead I get fresh fruit, apple sauce, smart ones frozen desserts and fiber one bars.

    Yes, those things have sugar. I am not depriving myself of sugar totally! I would go insane. Instead I am controlling the portions and not placing myself in a situation where I can eat an entire box of Lil Debbies. I have been able to lose 30 pounds and still eat sweets, I just have to keep it under control.

    My advice to you is to watch what you bring into the house.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member

    With all due respect, those are blogs, not evidence. They are peoples' opinions. There is absolutely zero evidence that sugar is addictive any more than protein is. Food in general stimulates our pleasure center because we need it to survive. Our bodies reward us for eating.

    THIS is not a blog. This is from Princeton University.

    http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S22/88/56G31/index.xml?section=topstories
    "The sugar addiction work was controversial among scientists, and thus unfundable in the peer review system."

    http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2009/november-09/addicted-to-food-an-interview-with-bart-hoebel.html
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    I don't think it is such an addiction, as a viscous cycle of spiking and dropping blood sugar. That and it tastes great.

    When you eat something sugary, your blood sugar spikes and your body rushes to lower it, which causes it to dip and you crave sugary things...

    I can eat a 300 calorie breakfast that is high in protein and fat and almost forget to eat lunch.

    I can eat a 300 calorie breakfast that has more sugar/carbs (like cereal or oatmeal, remember carbs are pretty much glucose..) and I HAVE to have my morning snack.
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
    The 'sugar' addiction thing seems setup as a built in excuse to overeat and then take the blame off the individual and place the blame on "evil food companies/big food conspiracy theories" and sugar. Is it sugar or "dang, this tasted really good and I just had to keep eating it"?
  • paulandrachelk
    paulandrachelk Posts: 280 Member
    Read "The Sugar Diet" publish by Rodale. It is on the Prevention Magazine web site-prevention.com. Even if you don't do the whole diet it is tremendously informative and will help you control sugar.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member

    With all due respect, those are blogs, not evidence. They are peoples' opinions. There is absolutely zero evidence that sugar is addictive any more than protein is. Food in general stimulates our pleasure center because we need it to survive. Our bodies reward us for eating.

    THIS is not a blog. This is from Princeton University.

    http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S22/88/56G31/index.xml?section=topstories

    That is a news article written by a journalist who happens to be at Princeton. That is all.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Blah blablablah, blah blabla bla blah. Sugar blah, blah, blah, crack addiction , blah, blah, blah, same blablabla blablah.

    That's all I see, is blah, blah, blah.

    Stop it already.

    Calm down. Seriously, this is not helpful.
  • Fit_Chef_NE
    Fit_Chef_NE Posts: 110 Member
    You can become mentally and emotionally addicted to sugar. I'd wager that most people here either were or are addicted to sugar or other foods. Otherwise they wouldn't be here. Fit people "love" food because they see it for what it is: fuel. Fat people eat compulsively or to fill an emotional void in their lives. Much like alcoholics, drug addicts, smokers etc.

    Just because you all want to think of yourselves as being "above" addictive behavior, doesn't mean you actually are.
  • Imadorkable
    Imadorkable Posts: 438 Member
    I have a huge sweet tooth and know where you are coming from. I would have enough points for supper and then go over because I had to have that ice cream because my husband wanted some. The only way for me to stop the cravings was to completly cut out the extra sugar. I still eat fruits and add a little sugar to coffee but I don't have any candy, desserts or soda. Last week I had a slice of pie on vacation (my favorite dessert) and it didn't taste as good. It was too sweet and wasn't as satifiying as before. I also stole a sour gummy worm from my husband and that didn't taste right either. This is what worked for me.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member

    With all due respect, those are blogs, not evidence. They are peoples' opinions. There is absolutely zero evidence that sugar is addictive any more than protein is. Food in general stimulates our pleasure center because we need it to survive. Our bodies reward us for eating.

    THIS is not a blog. This is from Princeton University.

    http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S22/88/56G31/index.xml?section=topstories
    "The sugar addiction work was controversial among scientists, and thus unfundable in the peer review system."

    http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2009/november-09/addicted-to-food-an-interview-with-bart-hoebel.html

    Controversial does not mean untrue or without any evidence to back the claim. In fact, sugar is known to be addictive in rats.

    And the video link I posted in this thread proves researchers are looking into the genetics and brain chemistry of addiction in their studies of obesity linked behaviors and are finding parallels.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member

    With all due respect, those are blogs, not evidence. They are peoples' opinions. There is absolutely zero evidence that sugar is addictive any more than protein is. Food in general stimulates our pleasure center because we need it to survive. Our bodies reward us for eating.

    THIS is not a blog. This is from Princeton University.

    http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S22/88/56G31/index.xml?section=topstories
    "The sugar addiction work was controversial among scientists, and thus unfundable in the peer review system."

    http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2009/november-09/addicted-to-food-an-interview-with-bart-hoebel.html

    Controversial does not mean untrue or without any evidence to back the claim. In fact, sugar is known to be addictive in rats.

    And the video link I posted in this thread proves researchers are looking into the genetics and brain chemistry of addiction in their studies of obesity linked behaviors and are finding parallels.
    It doesn't mean true, either, does it?

    Parallels, even if they exist, aren't equivalences, right?
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
    The 'sugar' addiction thing seems setup as a built in excuse to overeat and then take the blame off the individual and place the blame on "evil food companies/big food conspiracy theories" and sugar. Is it sugar or "dang, this tasted really good and I just had to keep eating it"?
    I choose the latter. I take responsibility for my irresponsibility.
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
    Blah blablablah, blah blabla bla blah. Sugar blah, blah, blah, crack addiction , blah, blah, blah, same blablabla blablah.

    That's all I see, is blah, blah, blah.

    Stop it already.

    Calm down. Seriously, this is not helpful.

    It helps me. Because this "addiction," "sweet tooth" thing has gone beyond too far. It's just another way for people to make themselves unique in a boring un-unique world. Everyone likes sweet stuff. It's not anything new or powerful, it's not the discovery of penicillin, it's sugar. Stop OVEREATING it and the "cravings" will stop.

    It's not heroin, it's not crack, it's .....
    ridik.gif



    Blah
  • Bells294
    Bells294 Posts: 3
    I don't know if I'd call it an addiction, but since I've been dieting this past week I've been constantly craving sugar packed foods like fudge, candy floss and cake, even though I next to never eat those foods. I think the key to stopping the cravings is just to not eat them and battle through it, even though I did actually cave in today and have a chocolate bar...it's so hard! But I know it's worth it, and you just have to keep reminding yourself that.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member

    With all due respect, those are blogs, not evidence. They are peoples' opinions. There is absolutely zero evidence that sugar is addictive any more than protein is. Food in general stimulates our pleasure center because we need it to survive. Our bodies reward us for eating.

    THIS is not a blog. This is from Princeton University.

    http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S22/88/56G31/index.xml?section=topstories
    "The sugar addiction work was controversial among scientists, and thus unfundable in the peer review system."

    http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2009/november-09/addicted-to-food-an-interview-with-bart-hoebel.html

    Controversial does not mean untrue or without any evidence to back the claim. In fact, sugar is known to be addictive in rats.

    And the video link I posted in this thread proves researchers are looking into the genetics and brain chemistry of addiction in their studies of obesity linked behaviors and are finding parallels.
    It doesn't mean true, either, does it?

    Parallels, even if they exist, aren't equivalences, right?

    From what I've been reading, there is now more evidence for it than against it. However, it's not as cut and dried as addiction to something like nicotine because there is no known survival instinct leading one to seek out nicotine while researchers say there is survival value in seeking out calorie dense foods and sweet foods both.

    In any case, if someone has any issue with any food making them hungrier instead of less hungry in a way that contributes to unhealthy weight gain or makes the person crave more of that food in a way that will exceed a healthy day's calories, it's best to avoid that food. Labeling it addictive isn't unreasonable, and if the label is one that helps the person avoid that particular food, I fail to see an issue with it.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    In any case, if someone has any issue with any food making them hungrier instead of less hungry in a way that contributes to unhealthy weight gain or makes the person crave more of that food in a way that will exceed a healthy day's calories, it's best to avoid that food.
    That's substantially different from being addictive.

    "Hey, don't eat the sugar if it causes you problems" makes sense. Telling an alcoholic or meth addict, "Hey, just stop drinking" or "Hey, just lay off the meth" probably isn't the most effective treatment path. The difference is illustrative, IMO.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
    In any case, if someone has any issue with any food making them hungrier instead of less hungry in a way that contributes to unhealthy weight gain or makes the person crave more of that food in a way that will exceed a healthy day's calories, it's best to avoid that food.
    That's substantially different from being addictive.

    "Hey, don't eat the sugar if it causes you problems" makes sense. Telling an alcoholic or meth addict, "Hey, just stop drinking" or "Hey, just lay off the meth" probably isn't the most effective treatment path. The difference is illustrative, IMO.

    Craving is the same whether it's nicotine, alcohol, or sugar.

    It's true excessive hunger for other foods after excessive sugar consumption might just be an insulin spike, though.

    I really don't get why people are so afraid to apply the word 'addiction' to years or decades of repeated consumption (often of specific types of foods) that ruins health, lives, and often relationships. Would the phrase 'sugary food consumption compulsion' make you all feel more comfortable?
  • baschr1
    baschr1 Posts: 1 Member
    I suffer from migraines and in 2012 I cut refined sugar, white flour and processed foods from my diet in an attempt to see if it would affect the number of migraines I get. It did and I went 4 months without a migraine. Unfortunately I caved around the holidays and thought I could "just have a few." The next day I found myself having “just a few more.” Within 2 days I had a migraine that lasted 3 days. You would think I would have dumped those foods quickly but nope. I'm finally back to the clean eating and haven't had a migraine in the past 2 months. I'm still in the honeymoon stage where I know if I eat something with sugar I'll get a migraine so I'm not tempted too much. Hopefully I won't cave again when my memory isn't quite so clear.

    Am I an addict? I don't know about that but I do find that when I avoid these foods for a length of time it's easier to walk away. It's still challenging...but easier. I'm not saying this is the way it is with everyone. I'm saying this is MY experience. Note: I have not noticed a connection with all sugars and my migraines. I eat fruits and complex-carbs and they have not proven to be a trigger.

    To the OP - you were looking for encouragement and I hope you have found some. Good luck!

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