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Why Is Food "Addiction" So Controversial?
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Marilynsretired wrote: »Just joined this website and saw this thread. Have any of you heard of or read the book Bright Line Eating by Susan Pierce Thompson, who has a PhD in respect to how sugar and flour affect the brain. It opened my eyes the science behind how sugar and flour affect the brain and for those that just can't stop having either of those in the food they eat. Finally there is scientific research on how food affects the brain - and sugar and flour really do a number - I now understand why I have had such a difficult time with only having 'one slice of bread' or one cookie or a small portion of spaghetti to name a few things - I know for me that I can't consume either sugar or flour without a reaction in my body - therefore I see the issue for me as it is an addition that I need to control - and if you look at the book she explains how heroin, cocaine and flour all do the same thing with the brain - but read it for yourself to see what you think. Thanks to that book I am recovering from this addiction and it is an ongoing thing as to many people just think 'one bite wont hurt you' but if I was allergic to peanuts or was a recovering drug addict would they offer me those - no - so anyway just have a look at the book and see if it helps you make a decision around whether a person an be recovering from a food addiction.
As has already been discussed up-thread, all of her claims in that silly book are based on the dopamine response in the brain, which is total nonsense. The reason that it is total nonsense is that ANY THING that everything that gives you pleasure also causes a dopamine response in the brain - petting a puppy, holding a baby, watching a beautiful sunset, etc... I don't see a whole lot of 12-step programs out there for people who want to give up petting puppies, do you? The point being, there is a WHOLE lot more involved in an addiction than a simple evolutionary response to pleasure.9 -
Marilynsretired wrote: »Just joined this website and saw this thread. Have any of you heard of or read the book Bright Line Eating by Susan Pierce Thompson, who has a PhD in respect to how sugar and flour affect the brain. It opened my eyes the science behind how sugar and flour affect the brain and for those that just can't stop having either of those in the food they eat. Finally there is scientific research on how food affects the brain - and sugar and flour really do a number - I now understand why I have had such a difficult time with only having 'one slice of bread' or one cookie or a small portion of spaghetti to name a few things - I know for me that I can't consume either sugar or flour without a reaction in my body - therefore I see the issue for me as it is an addition that I need to control - and if you look at the book she explains how heroin, cocaine and flour all do the same thing with the brain - but read it for yourself to see what you think. Thanks to that book I am recovering from this addiction and it is an ongoing thing as to many people just think 'one bite wont hurt you' but if I was allergic to peanuts or was a recovering drug addict would they offer me those - no - so anyway just have a look at the book and see if it helps you make a decision around whether a person an be recovering from a food addiction.
I think just about everyone here is familiar with Thompson's theories and claims (they've been discussed before). She has very strong opinions on the subject, but I don't think she has definitively established all her claims about how the brain responds to foods like sugar and flour. I do know her ideas have helped some people control their eating, but they also fail to describe the experiences of some others.
For example, I tend to have a hard time controlling my consumption of SOME foods with flour (for example, crackers), but things like pasta aren't an issue at all. And sugar traditionally hasn't been much of a big deal for me at all . . . I enjoy sweet things when I'm eating them, but I don't have a problem limiting myself to a serving or turning them down when I'd rather use my calories for other things.
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Yeah, I tend to mostly agree with janejellyroll - and "Bright Line Eating" is an effective program for some people but it is super restrictive and has a lot of arbitrary "RULES."
I tend to rebel against rules. I did grow up in the sixties, so I'm claiming demographics. I'm not a fan of the Abstinence Model when it comes to food. Alcohol, yes. Cereal? No.
That said, I have a definite problem with some sweets - and if they have flour in them, all's more the peril for me.
I can control them mostly. I'm not willing to never eat flour or sweets again so I had to come up with alternate tools and personal boundaries. That for me means I don't buy ice cream unless I accept that the whole container (no matter the size) will be eaten entirely by me before I go to bed. Same with French Bread. However, I can have a package of regular whole wheat bread or English muffins and dole them out one-a-day. If I buy trail mix a 12 ounce bag will be gone in one day, but if I buy packs of raisins and packs of mixed nuts I can dole them out in reasonable portions. So it's not the wheat, sugar, or even one ingredient, it's the yumminess combination of certain foods for me. It's may possibly be more psychological than physical but it's complicated and I'll likely never figure it out completely.
I just know what to avoid after many years of experimenting.6 -
cmriverside wrote: »Yeah, I tend to mostly agree with janejellyroll - and "Bright Line Eating" is an effective program for some people but it is super restrictive and has a lot of arbitrary "RULES."
I tend to rebel against rules. I did grow up in the sixties, so I'm claiming demographics. I'm not a fan of the Abstinence Model when it comes to food. Alcohol, yes. Cereal? No.
That said, I have a definite problem with some sweets - and if they have flour in them, all's more the peril for me.
I can control them mostly. I'm not willing to never eat flour or sweets again so I had to come up with alternate tools and personal boundaries. That for me means I don't buy ice cream unless I accept that the whole container (no matter the size) will be eaten entirely by me before I go to bed. Same with French Bread. However, I can have a package of regular whole wheat bread or English muffins and dole them out one-a-day. If I buy trail mix a 12 ounce bag will be gone in one day, but if I buy packs of raisins and packs of mixed nuts I can dole them out in reasonable portions. So it's not the wheat, sugar, or even one ingredient, it's the yumminess combination of certain foods for me. It's may possibly be more psychological than physical but it's complicated and I'll likely never figure it out completely.
I just know what to avoid after many years of experimenting.
I borrowed "Bright Line Eating" from the library after seeing it mentioned here. I'm not taking a stand on the science, but found the author's conclusions on how to apply the science dubious.
Her rules may be very helpful for some, but I found the tone way too One True Way for me.4 -
cmriverside wrote: »Yeah, I tend to mostly agree with janejellyroll - and "Bright Line Eating" is an effective program for some people but it is super restrictive and has a lot of arbitrary "RULES."
I tend to rebel against rules. I did grow up in the sixties, so I'm claiming demographics. I'm not a fan of the Abstinence Model when it comes to food. Alcohol, yes. Cereal? No.
That said, I have a definite problem with some sweets - and if they have flour in them, all's more the peril for me.
I can control them mostly. I'm not willing to never eat flour or sweets again so I had to come up with alternate tools and personal boundaries. That for me means I don't buy ice cream unless I accept that the whole container (no matter the size) will be eaten entirely by me before I go to bed. Same with French Bread. However, I can have a package of regular whole wheat bread or English muffins and dole them out one-a-day. If I buy trail mix a 12 ounce bag will be gone in one day, but if I buy packs of raisins and packs of mixed nuts I can dole them out in reasonable portions. So it's not the wheat, sugar, or even one ingredient, it's the yumminess combination of certain foods for me. It's may possibly be more psychological than physical but it's complicated and I'll likely never figure it out completely.
I just know what to avoid after many years of experimenting.
Yes, for me personally, "Bright Line Eating" would trigger my disordered eating. Any form of "you can't have [x]" isn't feasible for me (which is funny, as I have no problems with veganism . . . but that's a whole other thought process). That doesn't mean it won't work for others.
There is stuff I rarely bring in my house because I know it will be a struggle for me, but it's a whole different mental path. I know I can have crackers whenever I want, I just choose not to most of the time. This is virtually stress free for me. If I determined I wouldn't ever have crackers again, I don't know if I could make it six hours before I was in a store parking lot shoving full sleeves of Ritz crackers into my face. By telling myself "Maybe tomorrow," I have crackers maybe twice a year and in normal quantities.
(Note: This is me joking about my personal experiences with disordered eating, absolutely not poking fun at anyone else).
Trail mix! If it's just salty or just sweet, it will probably go bad before I eat it. If it's salty and sweet, watch out.
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janejellyroll wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »Yeah, I tend to mostly agree with janejellyroll - and "Bright Line Eating" is an effective program for some people but it is super restrictive and has a lot of arbitrary "RULES."
I tend to rebel against rules. I did grow up in the sixties, so I'm claiming demographics. I'm not a fan of the Abstinence Model when it comes to food. Alcohol, yes. Cereal? No.
That said, I have a definite problem with some sweets - and if they have flour in them, all's more the peril for me.
I can control them mostly. I'm not willing to never eat flour or sweets again so I had to come up with alternate tools and personal boundaries. That for me means I don't buy ice cream unless I accept that the whole container (no matter the size) will be eaten entirely by me before I go to bed. Same with French Bread. However, I can have a package of regular whole wheat bread or English muffins and dole them out one-a-day. If I buy trail mix a 12 ounce bag will be gone in one day, but if I buy packs of raisins and packs of mixed nuts I can dole them out in reasonable portions. So it's not the wheat, sugar, or even one ingredient, it's the yumminess combination of certain foods for me. It's may possibly be more psychological than physical but it's complicated and I'll likely never figure it out completely.
I just know what to avoid after many years of experimenting.
Yes, for me personally, "Bright Line Eating" would trigger my disordered eating. Any form of "you can't have [x]" isn't feasible for me (which is funny, as I have no problems with veganism . . . but that's a whole other thought process). That doesn't mean it won't work for others.
There is stuff I rarely bring in my house because I know it will be a struggle for me, but it's a whole different mental path. I know I can have crackers whenever I want, I just choose not to most of the time. This is virtually stress free for me. If I determined I wouldn't ever have crackers again, I don't know if I could make it six hours before I was in a store parking lot shoving full sleeves of Ritz crackers into my face. By telling myself "Maybe tomorrow," I have crackers maybe twice a year and in normal quantities.
(Note: This is me joking about my personal experiences with disordered eating, absolutely not poking fun at anyone else).
Trail mix! If it's just salty or just sweet, it will probably go bad before I eat it. If it's salty and sweet, watch out.
I really did lol at the parking lot visual.
Been there.
I'm not sure exactly why certain wheat crunchiness is okay with me but other wheat crunchiness isn't. For instance, I have never, will never, have never wanted to purchase Ritz crackers. But give me a box of Triscuits and, "Holy crap, I could have sworn I bought a full box, dunno why it's empty when I got home from the grocery." And not to be all elitist/whole wheat only-est - I would eat a full sleeve of regular unsalted Saltines without taking a breath, too. It's not the actual ingredient of flour nor the crunchiness.
I don't particularly like chocolate, and chocolate candies aren't my thing at all - BUT. There is one candy made by a big manufacturer that I would eat the whole bag of bite-sized ones if they were refrigerated first. Warm? I'll have a couple and be good because they taste too salty to me warm. Full size bars? I'll eat one and not care about any more.
Weird.
That's why I suspect it's some deep childhood psychology at work that I haven't uncovered.
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kshama2001 wrote: »Do the people who believe physical dependence / withdrawal is a necessary component to addiction believe that people can be addicted to gambling or sex?
Unpopular opinion for sure, but no, not really...maybe possibly in some very hardcore instances but generally speaking I don't think gabling or sex is an addiction. I think they can very much be compulsive use disorders that likely require therapy, but not an addiction.
Since my booze struggles, I've become much more interested in addiction and addiction research and started doing a lot of reading, etc. It seems to me that about 20-30 years ago there was a big push to bring awareness to addiction as a disease and break the stigma. This seems to have been well intended, however, the consequences seem to be that everything started being diagnosed as "addiction" and there was a big pendulum swing one way. That pendulum seems to be making a swing back with the realization among professionals that all of these things aren't addiction and it's not a black and white "you're either addicted or your not" and that treating someone properly requires some distinction between a true addiction and destructive, compulsive use behavior.
Through my recovery process I have realized I wasn't addicted to alcohol and I will never refer to myself as an alcoholic ever again. I spent a good 2-3 years telling myself I was and in and out of AA meetings and feeling like the booze was too strong and I was too weak and all of this was out of my control. It turns out that I was never too weak and everything was in my control...but that's were CBT came in and changed my life, I couldn't have really done it on my own I don't think. Once I gave up the notion that I wasn't in control and I was too weak, it was actually pretty easy to put down the vodka. Is it a problem for me and could I easily slip back into old habits? Absolutely...but that doesn't mean I'm an addict.
Ultimately, I will go with what I've said a couple of times in this thread...the term addiction is overused and misused. I think a true addiction to anything is at the pretty far extreme end of the spectrum of having a problem. In the vast majority of instances where I hear food addiction or sugar addiction or whatever I don't think it is...now maybe someone on my 600 Lb life...but again, that would be at the far extreme of having a problem, not just a matter of being overly tempted by Oreos.
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janejellyroll wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »Yeah, I tend to mostly agree with janejellyroll - and "Bright Line Eating" is an effective program for some people but it is super restrictive and has a lot of arbitrary "RULES."
I tend to rebel against rules. I did grow up in the sixties, so I'm claiming demographics. I'm not a fan of the Abstinence Model when it comes to food. Alcohol, yes. Cereal? No.
That said, I have a definite problem with some sweets - and if they have flour in them, all's more the peril for me.
I can control them mostly. I'm not willing to never eat flour or sweets again so I had to come up with alternate tools and personal boundaries. That for me means I don't buy ice cream unless I accept that the whole container (no matter the size) will be eaten entirely by me before I go to bed. Same with French Bread. However, I can have a package of regular whole wheat bread or English muffins and dole them out one-a-day. If I buy trail mix a 12 ounce bag will be gone in one day, but if I buy packs of raisins and packs of mixed nuts I can dole them out in reasonable portions. So it's not the wheat, sugar, or even one ingredient, it's the yumminess combination of certain foods for me. It's may possibly be more psychological than physical but it's complicated and I'll likely never figure it out completely.
I just know what to avoid after many years of experimenting.
Yes, for me personally, "Bright Line Eating" would trigger my disordered eating. Any form of "you can't have [x]" isn't feasible for me (which is funny, as I have no problems with veganism . . . but that's a whole other thought process). That doesn't mean it won't work for others.
There is stuff I rarely bring in my house because I know it will be a struggle for me, but it's a whole different mental path. I know I can have crackers whenever I want, I just choose not to most of the time. This is virtually stress free for me. If I determined I wouldn't ever have crackers again, I don't know if I could make it six hours before I was in a store parking lot shoving full sleeves of Ritz crackers into my face. By telling myself "Maybe tomorrow," I have crackers maybe twice a year and in normal quantities.
(Note: This is me joking about my personal experiences with disordered eating, absolutely not poking fun at anyone else).
Trail mix! If it's just salty or just sweet, it will probably go bad before I eat it. If it's salty and sweet, watch out.
Yep this is pretty much how I've handled foods that I tend to overeat. My mindset is I can have it anytime I want, but do I really want to? Like you said, there are still foods that can be difficult for me to just stop or I'll want to keep going back to, but it's not like how it used to be.
I've been on an elimination diet since beginning of April (currently in the 4th phase). It IS a different mindset of not being able to eat --one, because I knew it was temporary and two--it was for my health, and not for weight loss. In the process, I've discovered I am sensitive to corn and as much as I thought this was just a "trend," sensitive to gluten. Any amount of alcohol (only allowed vodka, and have only had a few cocktails) triggers joint and muscle issues. Now that I know this, I'm really bummed, but am not tempted to eat things that contain those ingredients. I still can and probably will at times, but now there will be consequences. If I had to do it for weight loss only, though, nope...no way!
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cwolfman13 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »Do the people who believe physical dependence / withdrawal is a necessary component to addiction believe that people can be addicted to gambling or sex?
Unpopular opinion for sure, but no, not really...maybe possibly in some very hardcore instances but generally speaking I don't think gabling or sex is an addiction. I think they can very much be compulsive use disorders that likely require therapy, but not an addiction.
Since my booze struggles, I've become much more interested in addiction and addiction research and started doing a lot of reading, etc. It seems to me that about 20-30 years ago there was a big push to bring awareness to addiction as a disease and break the stigma. This seems to have been well intended, however, the consequences seem to be that everything started being diagnosed as "addiction" and there was a big pendulum swing one way. That pendulum seems to be making a swing back with the realization among professionals that all of these things aren't addiction and it's not a black and white "you're either addicted or your not" and that treating someone properly requires some distinction between a true addiction and destructive, compulsive use behavior.
Through my recovery process I have realized I wasn't addicted to alcohol and I will never refer to myself as an alcoholic ever again. I spent a good 2-3 years telling myself I was and in and out of AA meetings and feeling like the booze was too strong and I was too weak and all of this was out of my control. It turns out that I was never too weak and everything was in my control...but that's were CBT came in and changed my life, I couldn't have really done it on my own I don't think. Once I gave up the notion that I wasn't in control and I was too weak, it was actually pretty easy to put down the vodka. Is it a problem for me and could I easily slip back into old habits? Absolutely...but that doesn't mean I'm an addict.
Ultimately, I will go with what I've said a couple of times in this thread...the term addiction is overused and misused. I think a true addiction to anything is at the pretty far extreme end of the spectrum of having a problem. In the vast majority of instances where I hear food addiction or sugar addiction or whatever I don't think it is...now maybe someone on my 600 Lb life...but again, that would be at the far extreme of having a problem, not just a matter of being overly tempted by Oreos.
I think this is why now most professionals do not use the word addict, but instead say someone suffers from a Substance Abuse Disorder. Just like someone can suffer from an Eating Disorder or disordered eating since the former usually signifies bulimia, anorexia, BED, etc., while disordered eating is a much more generic term that fits a much larger population.
I watched Gabor Mate's newest documentary on trauma recently and he seems to lump everything together, just as different ways that people find to cope with feelings they don't know how to handle. Some turn to drugs, some to gambling, some to sex, some to food...1
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