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Food Addiction - A Different Perspective

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  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    Yes, I completely agree that the key to changing this 'addiction' is to realize that it's not an addiction, but rather a preference or a habit. Delicious food is delicious! Making this simple shift in terminology also gives you the power to make sustainable choices for change since it also allows you to no longer be a helpless victim, but rather an active participant in forming healthier habits surrounding food consumption.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    I'd like to reiterate a point I made in the first post regarding restriction.

    We're coming up on the New Year. A lot of people are going to want to resolve to give up sugar.

    The symposium on food addiction and the research on eating addiction point to the underpinnings of behavioral addiction in the subset of people who have true addiction being based in binge/restrict cycles.

    If someone is resolving to give up sugar or carbs or pizza or whatever because they think they're addicted, it might not be the best approach since it could be feeding the whole cycle it seeks to eliminate.

    The underlying cause of the behavior will still be there. It was for me. In my earlier post, I told how I started overeating different foods when I restricted one group of foods.

    There were also times in my past where I resolved to never eat brownies, chips, cookies... again. They all led to eating pans of brownies, bags of chips, boxes of cookies. I am not unfamiliar with binge (colloquial use of the term)/restrict.

    It wasn't until getting at using food as a soother, a comforter, a companion, a crutch -- that I was able to deal with it properly.

    I am not saying that there are not people out there who don't have very real and serious issues beyond the self-help I experienced. Some people genuinely have eating addiction. They, I believe, are a small subset of all the people who struggle with food, though.

    That's not to say that each person's struggle isn't daunting to them. I know how hard it can be. It's taken me 40 years to get this right!

    I'm just hoping to provide food for thought to those resolving to "give up xyz" because they're "addicted". Maybe think about digging a little deeper while you're giving up the food. Because it's really not about the food. And restriction could be perpetuating an addiction cycle if you're in that small subset of people with a true eating addiction.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    Thanks for post this! @PeachyCarol
  • Aisle4
    Aisle4 Posts: 24 Member
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    So it's not an addiction but a habit but people with drug addictions have to "break the habit" smoking is not an addiction to nicotine, it's habit; according to many on this post? I read some saying BED/FA is a lack of willpower? What if too much control led someone to an ED? Don't most EDs start with diets or weight loss? What about the people who get "high" from consumption of certain foods? It's a habit, but smoking crock is a habit that's not really physically addictive. Can people be addicted to marijuana because there isn't really a physical component? I'm trying to understand what is going on here
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
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    Aisle4 wrote: »
    So it's not an addiction but a habit but people with drug addictions have to "break the habit" smoking is not an addiction to nicotine, it's habit; according to many on this post? I read some saying BED/FA is a lack of willpower? What if too much control led someone to an ED? Don't most EDs start with diets or weight loss? What about the people who get "high" from consumption of certain foods? It's a habit, but smoking crock is a habit that's not really physically addictive. Can people be addicted to marijuana because there isn't really a physical component? I'm trying to understand what is going on here

    I believe you've done a grave injustice to the OP's post, to take what she has said, and basically throw it in a blender with various replies, and present that as if that is what she is saying. Perhaps going back to read the OP would add some clarity.

    Also, are you seriously trying to say people get 'high' off foods like they would off of crack??
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    Aisle4 wrote: »
    So it's not an addiction but a habit but people with drug addictions have to "break the habit" smoking is not an addiction to nicotine, it's habit; according to many on this post? I read some saying BED/FA is a lack of willpower? What if too much control led someone to an ED? Don't most EDs start with diets or weight loss? What about the people who get "high" from consumption of certain foods? It's a habit, but smoking crock is a habit that's not really physically addictive. Can people be addicted to marijuana because there isn't really a physical component? I'm trying to understand what is going on here

    Some addictions have both a behavioral and a substance component. My personal experience with smoking bears this out. Nicotine is an addictive substance, but breaking the habits of lighting up at certain times and having something to do with your hands is just as hard. Others are just about behaviors like gambling or sex.

    Some things aren't addictions at all, but using similar strategies (behavioral modification techniques, for example) can be helpful in overcoming them.

    People don't get "high" in a traditional sense from food.

    It should be noted that in the research, only a small subset of people truly meet the criteria for true eating addiction. There are others who definitely have problematic relationships with food, but that does not mean they are "addicts". A parallel can be seen with alcohol users. There are some people who have highly problematic relationships with alcohol who are able to stop themselves without becoming full blown alcoholics. Then there are... full blown alcoholics.

    Both alcoholics and the problem users might use similar strategies in dealing with their problems, but only one group of individuals is truly comprised of addicts.

    When it comes to food, right now, there is no science showing any food substance as being addictive. Instead, as I noted in my initial post, for a small subset of people, the entrenched process of binge/restrict can lead to a pattern of behavior with food that just about as close to addiction that some are comfortable enough calling it eating addiction.

    I hope this clears things up.



  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    I believe that some use the " food addict" card as an excuse. Its easier for those people to claim they are addicted to candy then to admit they just aren't ready to change . that's not saying every person is just making up excuses, but many are. I know this because I used to be the person with 455443 excuses on why I couldn't lose weight.
    When I was ready, I put in the work needed for change. Until someone is truly ready, they won't change. When I was ready, I learned that I had the power to change my behavior. I learned portion control and moderation and learned how to deal with my emotions properly rather then use food as comfort.
    It is indeed a smack in the face to addicts when they hear someone comparing wanting to eat a candy bar to a person who is opioid dependent and going through opiate withdraw. Those two are not comparable. So I see exactly why so many addiction threads here turn into chaos.
    There are also a lot of people here who just don't know any better, they are new and hear someone talk about being a food addict so they repeat it without really understanding what they are talking about. Those people are usually the ones who make the " halp I'm an addict ,I love candy " threads and within minutes, its clear they have no idea what's going on and are clueless. I don't think they mean any harm, they are just ignorant.
    So there is several reasons some will say they are a food addict and either way, they can change and they can lose weight. They just have to work for it. It might not be easy, but it can be done.
  • Aisle4
    Aisle4 Posts: 24 Member
    edited December 2015
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    Well I have been addicted to opiates, crack and food. I'm still addicted to food be quite frank with you. I wrote my first response as a mixture of anger sarcasm and real curiosity to what general posters are thinking. The OP did mention it being open to discussion? I have myself began to think food is possibly more dangerous than any illegal drug I have been addicted to, if that shocks you I'm sorry but that's how I feel..there are nights I have spent way too much on food I've lost jobs and opportunities due to binge cycles...sounds absurd you many of you, I read...no I'm not having diet issues either I'll diet all the way down to a weight and safely binge myself back...kinda sounds like when I would try to lower my tolerance to other things to deal w less consequences but still get what I want..I would like to believe people understand that there isn't ONE idea of food abuse..minds..
  • Aisle4
    Aisle4 Posts: 24 Member
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    Also just for the record in rooms I have been to for other addictions bringing up food addiction is not insulting and many of us suffer from it...I think there's a difference between addict brain and behaviors and someone giving excuses...I think I have a mix of addiction and behavioral perfectionism with food...perfectionism is also a common symptom in people with "hardcore" addictions to opiates/cocaine/meth/alcohol etc
  • 100df
    100df Posts: 668 Member
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    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    I believe that some use the " food addict" card as an excuse. Its easier for those people to claim they are addicted to candy then to admit they just aren't ready to change . rather then use food as comfort.

    I see many posts like this on MFP regarding addiction to food and/or sugar. It puzzles me because I assume that if someone has bothered to make an account on MFP and post on a forum, they are looking for help to change. I don't think people are looking for "oh poor you, just eat thousands of calories of candy since you can't help it". Maybe some want to be told to have at it but not most. Not if they are on a calorie counting site.

    I think they are looking to talk about how others have overcome bad issues around food. Those discussions are difficult to have on this forum. For some their "help me" post might be the very first time they have ever talked about it. To have the thread go crazy is a disservice to all that have issues around food.

  • Aisle4
    Aisle4 Posts: 24 Member
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    shell1005 wrote: »
    Aisle4 wrote: »
    Well I have been addicted to opiates, crack and food. I'm still addicted to food be quite frank with you. I wrote my first response as a mixture of anger sarcasm and real curiosity to what general posters are thinking. The OP did mention it being open to discussion? I have myself began to think food is possibly more dangerous than any illegal drug I have been addicted to, if that shocks you I'm sorry but that's how I feel..there are nights I have spent way too much on food I've lost jobs and opportunities due to binge cycles...sounds absurd you many of you, I read...no I'm not having diet issues either I'll diet all the way down to a weight and safely binge myself back...kinda sounds like when I would try to lower my tolerance to other things to deal w less consequences but still get what I want..I would like to believe people understand that there isn't ONE idea of food abuse..minds..

    As someone who has been in treatment for the behavioral issues I have with food (which to be honest are not as severe as the ones you have described), I would highly encourage you to do the same. It still doesn't make food meet the diagnostic criteria for addiction, but it doesn't diminish that you are not functioning. My life was made significantly better when I met with a professional to deal with my destructive binge patterns.

    As for the anger and sarcasm, I have no interest in engaging in that....that is my boundary. Best of luck to you and I hope you find the peace and treatment you seem to be in need of.

    Thanks. 'Seem to be in need of' hope you still are workin on that passive aggressive behavior in therapy.
  • Aisle4
    Aisle4 Posts: 24 Member
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    susan100df wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    I believe that some use the " food addict" card as an excuse. Its easier for those people to claim they are addicted to candy then to admit they just aren't ready to change . rather then use food as comfort.

    I see many posts like this on MFP regarding addiction to food and/or sugar. It puzzles me because I assume that if someone has bothered to make an account on MFP and post on a forum, they are looking for help to change. I don't think people are looking for "oh poor you, just eat thousands of calories of candy since you can't help it". Maybe some want to be told to have at it but not most. Not if they are on a calorie counting site.

    I think they are looking to talk about how others have overcome bad issues around food. Those discussions are difficult to have on this forum. For some their "help me" post might be the very first time they have ever talked about it. To have the thread go crazy is a disservice to all that have issues around food.

    I was floored and disgusted by many of the posts on this thread, what I disliked even more was some posters had this way of talking like all food abusers are morbidly obese lazy slobs..many sufferers wouldn't even qualify as obese..many not even reaching overweight..therefore these ideas keep people hidden in denial or ashamed of themselves...

    Some sound like a substance abuser has thrown in their face they have no idea? This upsets me that other addicts in recovery would be so cold to another human being and downplay a habit/addiction they have just all around a very disappointing read

  • snikkins
    snikkins Posts: 1,282 Member
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    I really hope this thread doesn't get closed now. It's so important to discuss, especially with the indication that no one food is physically addictive but rather a behavioral type of addiction. It just makes so much sense and it makes me sad that it makes people so angry.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    snikkins wrote: »
    I really hope this thread doesn't get closed now. It's so important to discuss, especially with the indication that no one food is physically addictive but rather a behavioral type of addiction. It just makes so much sense and it makes me sad that it makes people so angry.

    I agree. The discussion on this thread, albeit cleansed, was one of the most rational debates of counter opinions on such a sensitive topic that I've ever seen on these boards. It would be a shame, now that it is bumped and getting some new eyes on it, if it gets closed down because people are misinterpreting frank discussion of behavioral vs physical addiction as people being insulting toward or dismissive of anyone suffering from either a true physical addiction, or the compulsive behavioral habits which can feel very much like an addiction when you are in the throes of them.
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
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    Aisle4 wrote: »
    susan100df wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    I believe that some use the " food addict" card as an excuse. Its easier for those people to claim they are addicted to candy then to admit they just aren't ready to change . rather then use food as comfort.

    I see many posts like this on MFP regarding addiction to food and/or sugar. It puzzles me because I assume that if someone has bothered to make an account on MFP and post on a forum, they are looking for help to change. I don't think people are looking for "oh poor you, just eat thousands of calories of candy since you can't help it". Maybe some want to be told to have at it but not most. Not if they are on a calorie counting site.

    I think they are looking to talk about how others have overcome bad issues around food. Those discussions are difficult to have on this forum. For some their "help me" post might be the very first time they have ever talked about it. To have the thread go crazy is a disservice to all that have issues around food.

    I was floored and disgusted by many of the posts on this thread, what I disliked even more was some posters had this way of talking like all food abusers are morbidly obese lazy slobs..many sufferers wouldn't even qualify as obese..many not even reaching overweight..therefore these ideas keep people hidden in denial or ashamed of themselves...

    Some sound like a substance abuser has thrown in their face they have no idea? This upsets me that other addicts in recovery would be so cold to another human being and downplay a habit/addiction they have just all around a very disappointing read

    Actually, I'm quite floored and disgusted that you're disgusted by the possibility of people who have eating disorders being described as possibly or probably overweight like that's the worst thing in the world.

    Many of the points you missed about addiction is addiction is usually used to describe things that are not just a habit, but also create a physical dependency with painful, sometimes deadly, withdrawal symptoms. Food does not have that, the closest thing you have to food withdrawal is hunger and starvation - symptoms that exist because you are supposed to actually get food in your system to keep yourself alive. You're even inverting the idea of who is downplaying whom.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,389 MFP Moderator
    edited December 2015
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    Aisle4 wrote: »
    Well I have been addicted to opiates, crack and food. I'm still addicted to food be quite frank with you. I wrote my first response as a mixture of anger sarcasm and real curiosity to what general posters are thinking. The OP did mention it being open to discussion? I have myself began to think food is possibly more dangerous than any illegal drug I have been addicted to, if that shocks you I'm sorry but that's how I feel..there are nights I have spent way too much on food I've lost jobs and opportunities due to binge cycles...sounds absurd you many of you, I read...no I'm not having diet issues either I'll diet all the way down to a weight and safely binge myself back...kinda sounds like when I would try to lower my tolerance to other things to deal w less consequences but still get what I want..I would like to believe people understand that there isn't ONE idea of food abuse..minds..

    Based on the information i have seen, i would not suggest that food is physically addiction. At the moment, it hasnt been demonstrated in humans. That isnt to discredit that fact that there is a wide variety of binge/esting disorders that can have just as devastating effects. Its also not to say that treatment would be any different either as from what i have seen, parallels exist.

    Can i ask, is there a group of foods or specific foods that you find addictive or have addictive like similarities?

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