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Sugar Addiction Debate
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This discussion was created from comments split from: Sugar Addict.
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Glycogen is needed to energize muscles to work. Glycogen comes from glucose with comes mainly from the breaking down of sugars (carbs). It's natural to want sugar in the body because of how it fuels not only the body BUT THE BRAIN.
It's NOT AN ADDICTION. You don't moderate addiction and you need glucose to function properly. You don't moderate alcohol as an alcoholic, nor cocaine if you're a drug addict. The reason why people are so drawn to sugar is it's hyper palatable. Even animals are attracted to things that have sugar in them.
So just eat things that have sugar in them naturally like fruit. And don't be afraid to moderate eating things like candy or ice cream either but learn habitually how to limit how much you eat.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I agree with Ninerbuff - it isn't an addiction. It is a habit, it may be due to having the temptation around, and subpar diet overall. I don't have any sweets in the house, ever. I don't miss it if it isn't there. Others have also given good advice about substituting with fruit and not being too restrictive during the week.2
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Glycogen is needed to energize muscles to work. Glycogen comes from glucose with comes mainly from the breaking down of sugars (carbs). It's natural to want sugar in the body because of how it fuels not only the body BUT THE BRAIN.
It's NOT AN ADDICTION. You don't moderate addiction and you need glucose to function properly. You don't moderate alcohol as an alcoholic, nor cocaine if you're a drug addict. The reason why people are so drawn to sugar is it's hyper palatable. Even animals are attracted to things that have sugar in them.
So just eat things that have sugar in them naturally like fruit. And don't be afraid to moderate eating things like candy or ice cream either but learn habitually how to limit how much you eat.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Yeah, not addictive in the true sense of the definition. Hyperpalatable is probably a good definition. Sweet taste and not necessarily granular sugar has an effect on quite a few people and that sweet taste release opioids and dopamine which are neurotransmitters connected to our reward center of the brain and we feel good/excited. Part of the problem is the more sugary foods consumed in this population the less opioids and dopamine is released which then requires more sugary foods for the same hit and our psychological state has a big influence on that landscape as well. It's difficult for these people and I don't think saying it's not an addiction is very helpful and some recognition would be more helpful, imo of course. Cheers6 -
neanderthin wrote: »Glycogen is needed to energize muscles to work. Glycogen comes from glucose with comes mainly from the breaking down of sugars (carbs). It's natural to want sugar in the body because of how it fuels not only the body BUT THE BRAIN.
It's NOT AN ADDICTION. You don't moderate addiction and you need glucose to function properly. You don't moderate alcohol as an alcoholic, nor cocaine if you're a drug addict. The reason why people are so drawn to sugar is it's hyper palatable. Even animals are attracted to things that have sugar in them.
So just eat things that have sugar in them naturally like fruit. And don't be afraid to moderate eating things like candy or ice cream either but learn habitually how to limit how much you eat.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Yeah, not addictive in the true sense of the definition. Hyperpalatable is probably a good definition. Sweet taste and not necessarily granular sugar has an effect on quite a few people and that sweet taste release opioids and dopamine which are neurotransmitters connected to our reward center of the brain and we feel good/excited. Part of the problem is the more sugary foods consumed in this population the less opioids and dopamine is released which then requires more sugary foods for the same hit and our psychological state has a big influence on that landscape as well. It's difficult for these people and I don't think saying it's not an addiction is very helpful and some recognition would be more helpful, imo of course. Cheers
Absolutely!!!!!! Wonderful points neanderthin.1 -
neanderthin wrote: »Glycogen is needed to energize muscles to work. Glycogen comes from glucose with comes mainly from the breaking down of sugars (carbs). It's natural to want sugar in the body because of how it fuels not only the body BUT THE BRAIN.
It's NOT AN ADDICTION. You don't moderate addiction and you need glucose to function properly. You don't moderate alcohol as an alcoholic, nor cocaine if you're a drug addict. The reason why people are so drawn to sugar is it's hyper palatable. Even animals are attracted to things that have sugar in them.
So just eat things that have sugar in them naturally like fruit. And don't be afraid to moderate eating things like candy or ice cream either but learn habitually how to limit how much you eat.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Yeah, not addictive in the true sense of the definition. Hyperpalatable is probably a good definition. Sweet taste and not necessarily granular sugar has an effect on quite a few people and that sweet taste release opioids and dopamine which are neurotransmitters connected to our reward center of the brain and we feel good/excited. Part of the problem is the more sugary foods consumed in this population the less opioids and dopamine is released which then requires more sugary foods for the same hit and our psychological state has a big influence on that landscape as well. It's difficult for these people and I don't think saying it's not an addiction is very helpful and some recognition would be more helpful, imo of course. Cheers
I feel like there's a way to recognize that it's an incredibly difficult problem for some people without jumping to the "addiction" language.
One of the things I dislike about "sugar is an addiction" is that it seems to imply that the person is completely powerless in the face of an uncontrollable force. That's a disservice.
Mindset is an incredibly powerful part of change-making. In the case of weight management, creating just that small chink of self-definition maneuvering room between "I'm a sugar addict" and something like "I currently eat too much sugar, too often" . . . that can be a useful thing to make the road to change look like a way one can travel, even if the road is bumpy ahead.
JMO as always, though.6 -
neanderthin wrote: »Glycogen is needed to energize muscles to work. Glycogen comes from glucose with comes mainly from the breaking down of sugars (carbs). It's natural to want sugar in the body because of how it fuels not only the body BUT THE BRAIN.
It's NOT AN ADDICTION. You don't moderate addiction and you need glucose to function properly. You don't moderate alcohol as an alcoholic, nor cocaine if you're a drug addict. The reason why people are so drawn to sugar is it's hyper palatable. Even animals are attracted to things that have sugar in them.
So just eat things that have sugar in them naturally like fruit. And don't be afraid to moderate eating things like candy or ice cream either but learn habitually how to limit how much you eat.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Yeah, not addictive in the true sense of the definition. Hyperpalatable is probably a good definition. Sweet taste and not necessarily granular sugar has an effect on quite a few people and that sweet taste release opioids and dopamine which are neurotransmitters connected to our reward center of the brain and we feel good/excited. Part of the problem is the more sugary foods consumed in this population the less opioids and dopamine is released which then requires more sugary foods for the same hit and our psychological state has a big influence on that landscape as well. It's difficult for these people and I don't think saying it's not an addiction is very helpful and some recognition would be more helpful, imo of course. Cheers
I feel like there's a way to recognize that it's an incredibly difficult problem for some people without jumping to the "addiction" language.
One of the things I dislike about "sugar is an addiction" is that it seems to imply that the person is completely powerless in the face of an uncontrollable force. That's a disservice.
Mindset is an incredibly powerful part of change-making. In the case of weight management, creating just that small chink of self-definition maneuvering room between "I'm a sugar addict" and something like "I currently eat too much sugar, too often" . . . that can be a useful thing to make the road to change look like a way one can travel, even if the road is bumpy ahead.
JMO as always, though.
Humans are hardwired (neurons) to seek out sweet things and evolutionarily speaking we probably, no, most definitely wouldn't have survived without it. Unfortunately, the difficulty is the "seeking out" part of this equation has changed, alot, a world of difference, literally, and when foods are engineered to be highly palatable, easily accessible, easier to consume than more labor-intensive alternatives (whole foods) and cheaper, it has to contribute to some degree to the situation we see now and less we forget how much humans love sweet things.
There's a lot of blaming that should be going on before we blame individuals that find themselves in this situation, but I also believe that most people have a sense that consuming too many sugary things isn't good for them. I'm referring to in excess of EB calories and not in moderation where EB is baseline then sugar is not a problem for the most part.
It appears that people find in almost impossible to give up the dopamine hit and accept the consequences but alternatively I find people either need to completely remove sugary foods from their diet or move to a lifestyle change where the foods they consume are from almost all whole food where some higher GI carbs can be included like berries for example or dairy where some sugar is evident......there is no easy solution, and every person requires and deserves to be examined and looked after by whatever health care system is in place and the overall healthcare cost would come down. I do get carried away, sorry for the diatribe, again. cheers.
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neanderthin wrote: »neanderthin wrote: »Glycogen is needed to energize muscles to work. Glycogen comes from glucose with comes mainly from the breaking down of sugars (carbs). It's natural to want sugar in the body because of how it fuels not only the body BUT THE BRAIN.
It's NOT AN ADDICTION. You don't moderate addiction and you need glucose to function properly. You don't moderate alcohol as an alcoholic, nor cocaine if you're a drug addict. The reason why people are so drawn to sugar is it's hyper palatable. Even animals are attracted to things that have sugar in them.
So just eat things that have sugar in them naturally like fruit. And don't be afraid to moderate eating things like candy or ice cream either but learn habitually how to limit how much you eat.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Yeah, not addictive in the true sense of the definition. Hyperpalatable is probably a good definition. Sweet taste and not necessarily granular sugar has an effect on quite a few people and that sweet taste release opioids and dopamine which are neurotransmitters connected to our reward center of the brain and we feel good/excited. Part of the problem is the more sugary foods consumed in this population the less opioids and dopamine is released which then requires more sugary foods for the same hit and our psychological state has a big influence on that landscape as well. It's difficult for these people and I don't think saying it's not an addiction is very helpful and some recognition would be more helpful, imo of course. Cheers
I feel like there's a way to recognize that it's an incredibly difficult problem for some people without jumping to the "addiction" language.
One of the things I dislike about "sugar is an addiction" is that it seems to imply that the person is completely powerless in the face of an uncontrollable force. That's a disservice.
Mindset is an incredibly powerful part of change-making. In the case of weight management, creating just that small chink of self-definition maneuvering room between "I'm a sugar addict" and something like "I currently eat too much sugar, too often" . . . that can be a useful thing to make the road to change look like a way one can travel, even if the road is bumpy ahead.
JMO as always, though.
Humans are hardwired (neurons) to seek out sweet things and evolutionarily speaking we probably, no, most definitely wouldn't have survived without it. Unfortunately, the difficulty is the "seeking out" part of this equation has changed, alot, a world of difference, literally, and when foods are engineered to be highly palatable, easily accessible, easier to consume than more labor-intensive alternatives (whole foods) and cheaper, it has to contribute to some degree to the situation we see now and less we forget how much humans love sweet things.
There's a lot of blaming that should be going on before we blame individuals that find themselves in this situation, but I also believe that most people have a sense that consuming too many sugary things isn't good for them. I'm referring to in excess of EB calories and not in moderation where EB is baseline then sugar is not a problem for the most part.
It appears that people find in almost impossible to give up the dopamine hit and accept the consequences but alternatively I find people either need to completely remove sugary foods from their diet or move to a lifestyle change where the foods they consume are from almost all whole food where some higher GI carbs can be included like berries for example or dairy where some sugar is evident......there is no easy solution, and every person requires and deserves to be examined and looked after by whatever health care system is in place and the overall healthcare cost would come down. I do get carried away, sorry for the diatribe, again. cheers.
My intention is not to "blame" individuals, but rather to encourage them to seek a mindset - a self-conception - that empowers them at least a little - that gives them, inside their own heads, a space where they can find a path toward change.
As with anything, I'm not arguing that this is a panacea, or even universally helpful or necessary. I'm speaking out of a self-perception that I make better progress if I can reasonably define obstacles as something to be gotten over, around, through or otherwise past (a problem-solving approach) rather than irresistible total blocks to progress. For me, the latter is posture of powerlessness, maybe even victimhood, that doesn't help me.
Are there unconquerable obstacles? Sure. For the majority of people, I don't think that a strong taste or craving for sugar is one of them.
As you say, people can try cutting out added sugars entirely, focusing on a mostly-whole-foods diet; or, as I and others have said, try eating more fruit, getting sweets out of the house, etc. Are all or any of those strategies guaranteed to work? Of course not. But they're worth a try.
"I can't control my sugar intake" is not a great starting point for trying things with an open mind.
Will some people fail no matter what? Maybe. I don't know. I do see people here try various things, and find strategies that help them. That encourages me to believe that others can find such strategies, too. Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems like believing there's some strategy that could possibly work seems like an important element.
I'm also not arguing that people should just go ahead and Eat All The Sugar. I believe that good overall nutrition. at sensible calories, is important. I suspect that better nutrition might reduce sugar cravings for some . . . but I have no proof, and I suspect that it would take a period of time to see the effect, if it exists - not great for anyone looking for a quick solution. But that's speculative.1 -
People use language to convey their experience. If I say "I really enjoy food", you'll have one understanding of what that means. If I say "I'm addicted to food" then you have a different, perhap more accurate, understanding of my experience. Using the term addicted generally intimates that the individual is unable to moderate their use of that particular thing. And yes, being addicted to sugar is a very real experience. And nobody should deny the op her experience. If she feels addicted to sugar, then she feels addicted to sugar. All of your guy's semantics are useless and devaluing the op's experience, whether you like what she said or not.11
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sollyn23l2 wrote: »People use language to convey their experience. If I say "I really enjoy food", you'll have one understanding of what that means. If I say "I'm addicted to food" then you have a different, perhap more accurate, understanding of my experience. Using the term addicted generally intimates that the individual is unable to moderate their use of that particular thing. And yes, being addicted to sugar is a very real experience. And nobody should deny the op her experience. If she feels addicted to sugar, then she feels addicted to sugar. All of your guy's semantics are useless and devaluing the op's experience, whether you like what she said or not.
I understand what you're saying, I think. I'm not minimizing the difficulty.
Still, I don't think it's wrong to suggest to suggest that people examine their own thought patterns or preconceptions. Sometimes, those have an effect on progress or outcomes. Often, I suspect. I know they do for me. I'm rarely unique.
If they're literally unable to moderate the thing, is there an escape route from that? If so, what might it be? Should they just give up?
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People use language tosollyn23l2 wrote: »People use language to convey their experience. If I say "I really enjoy food", you'll have one understanding of what that means. If I say "I'm addicted to food" then you have a different, perhap more accurate, understanding of my experience. Using the term addicted generally intimates that the individual is unable to moderate their use of that particular thing. And yes, being addicted to sugar is a very real experience. And nobody should deny the op her experience. If she feels addicted to sugar, then she feels addicted to sugar. All of your guy's semantics are useless and devaluing the op's experience, whether you like what she said or not.
I understand what you're saying, I think. I'm not minimizing the difficulty.
Still, I don't think it's wrong to suggest to suggest that people examine their own thought patterns or preconceptions. Sometimes, those have an effect on progress or outcomes. Often, I suspect. I know they do for me. I'm rarely unique.
If they're literally unable to moderate the thing, is there an escape route from that? If so, what might it be? Should they just give up?
Anne, your previous post had some very valid points, and I agree that yes, examination of thought patterns is helpful. It's how we find coping mechanisms. And I think that's what the op is really looking for... coping mechanisms. And people just telling her "but you're not ACTUALLY addicted, I mean, it's not an illegal drug" isn't really helpful for her.9 -
Glycogen is needed to energize muscles to work. Glycogen comes from glucose with comes mainly from the breaking down of sugars (carbs). It's natural to want sugar in the body because of how it fuels not only the body BUT THE BRAIN.
It's NOT AN ADDICTION. You don't moderate addiction and you need glucose to function properly. You don't moderate alcohol as an alcoholic, nor cocaine if you're a drug addict. The reason why people are so drawn to sugar is it's hyper palatable. Even animals are attracted to things that have sugar in them.
So just eat things that have sugar in them naturally like fruit. And don't be afraid to moderate eating things like candy or ice cream either but learn habitually how to limit how much you eat.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
you dont need carbohydrates to fuel or function properly. you can fuel on keytones perfectly fine and its a preferred source for brain function for certain medical cases. ie, epilepsy.3 -
Not to mention, with our brains on overload with all stimulus from work, social media, stress, etc., the brain will work on trying to refuel as well. Vicious circle.neanderthin wrote: »Glycogen is needed to energize muscles to work. Glycogen comes from glucose with comes mainly from the breaking down of sugars (carbs). It's natural to want sugar in the body because of how it fuels not only the body BUT THE BRAIN.
It's NOT AN ADDICTION. You don't moderate addiction and you need glucose to function properly. You don't moderate alcohol as an alcoholic, nor cocaine if you're a drug addict. The reason why people are so drawn to sugar is it's hyper palatable. Even animals are attracted to things that have sugar in them.
So just eat things that have sugar in them naturally like fruit. And don't be afraid to moderate eating things like candy or ice cream either but learn habitually how to limit how much you eat.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Yeah, not addictive in the true sense of the definition. Hyperpalatable is probably a good definition. Sweet taste and not necessarily granular sugar has an effect on quite a few people and that sweet taste release opioids and dopamine which are neurotransmitters connected to our reward center of the brain and we feel good/excited. Part of the problem is the more sugary foods consumed in this population the less opioids and dopamine is released which then requires more sugary foods for the same hit and our psychological state has a big influence on that landscape as well. It's difficult for these people and I don't think saying it's not an addiction is very helpful and some recognition would be more helpful, imo of course. Cheers
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition 1 -
"Feeling" addicted isn't the same as "physically" relying on a substance. Sorry, but I deal with this with many clients and yes I deny them this out. Because it's NOT addictive. When people get into that mindset, then they believe they have no chance to have sugar at all. Like I stated, you CAN'T moderate an addiction. You quit it altogether or you'll be stuck on whatever substance you're addicted to. People "addicted" to sugar won't steal from family, rob people, do "side jobs" to just get money to attain it, nor lick or scoop sugar off the ground, drink mouthwash, etc. That's devaluing people who truly are addicted to substances. So I emphatically believe it's not semantics but the correct use of the word. Hyper palability is the correct phrase to use. And since this is a public forum, whether you want to agree or not, I believe it's right to make sure people know the correct definition. Don't believe me? How many people end up in a rehab clinic for "sugar addiction"?sollyn23l2 wrote: »People use language to convey their experience. If I say "I really enjoy food", you'll have one understanding of what that means. If I say "I'm addicted to food" then you have a different, perhap more accurate, understanding of my experience. Using the term addicted generally intimates that the individual is unable to moderate their use of that particular thing. And yes, being addicted to sugar is a very real experience. And nobody should deny the op her experience. If she feels addicted to sugar, then she feels addicted to sugar. All of your guy's semantics are useless and devaluing the op's experience, whether you like what she said or not.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Not to mention, with our brains on overload with all stimulus from work, social media, stress, etc., the brain will work on trying to refuel as well. Vicious circle.neanderthin wrote: »Glycogen is needed to energize muscles to work. Glycogen comes from glucose with comes mainly from the breaking down of sugars (carbs). It's natural to want sugar in the body because of how it fuels not only the body BUT THE BRAIN.
It's NOT AN ADDICTION. You don't moderate addiction and you need glucose to function properly. You don't moderate alcohol as an alcoholic, nor cocaine if you're a drug addict. The reason why people are so drawn to sugar is it's hyper palatable. Even animals are attracted to things that have sugar in them.
So just eat things that have sugar in them naturally like fruit. And don't be afraid to moderate eating things like candy or ice cream either but learn habitually how to limit how much you eat.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Yeah, not addictive in the true sense of the definition. Hyperpalatable is probably a good definition. Sweet taste and not necessarily granular sugar has an effect on quite a few people and that sweet taste release opioids and dopamine which are neurotransmitters connected to our reward center of the brain and we feel good/excited. Part of the problem is the more sugary foods consumed in this population the less opioids and dopamine is released which then requires more sugary foods for the same hit and our psychological state has a big influence on that landscape as well. It's difficult for these people and I don't think saying it's not an addiction is very helpful and some recognition would be more helpful, imo of course. Cheers
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Not to mention, with our brains on overload with all stimulus from work, social media, stress, etc., the brain will work on trying to refuel as well. Vicious circle.neanderthin wrote: »Glycogen is needed to energize muscles to work. Glycogen comes from glucose with comes mainly from the breaking down of sugars (carbs). It's natural to want sugar in the body because of how it fuels not only the body BUT THE BRAIN.
It's NOT AN ADDICTION. You don't moderate addiction and you need glucose to function properly. You don't moderate alcohol as an alcoholic, nor cocaine if you're a drug addict. The reason why people are so drawn to sugar is it's hyper palatable. Even animals are attracted to things that have sugar in them.
So just eat things that have sugar in them naturally like fruit. And don't be afraid to moderate eating things like candy or ice cream either but learn habitually how to limit how much you eat.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Yeah, not addictive in the true sense of the definition. Hyperpalatable is probably a good definition. Sweet taste and not necessarily granular sugar has an effect on quite a few people and that sweet taste release opioids and dopamine which are neurotransmitters connected to our reward center of the brain and we feel good/excited. Part of the problem is the more sugary foods consumed in this population the less opioids and dopamine is released which then requires more sugary foods for the same hit and our psychological state has a big influence on that landscape as well. It's difficult for these people and I don't think saying it's not an addiction is very helpful and some recognition would be more helpful, imo of course. Cheers
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Very true. Cheers.
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sollyn23l2 wrote: »People use language to convey their experience. If I say "I really enjoy food", you'll have one understanding of what that means. If I say "I'm addicted to food" then you have a different, perhap more accurate, understanding of my experience. Using the term addicted generally intimates that the individual is unable to moderate their use of that particular thing. And yes, being addicted to sugar is a very real experience. And nobody should deny the op her experience. If she feels addicted to sugar, then she feels addicted to sugar. All of your guy's semantics are useless and devaluing the op's experience, whether you like what she said or not.
I can never understand this problem. You'd think people would be overjoyed to learn that they are not "addicted" to something. The thing I've always liked about MFP is that it has the courage to correct misinformation.2 -
snowflake954 wrote: »sollyn23l2 wrote: »People use language to convey their experience. If I say "I really enjoy food", you'll have one understanding of what that means. If I say "I'm addicted to food" then you have a different, perhap more accurate, understanding of my experience. Using the term addicted generally intimates that the individual is unable to moderate their use of that particular thing. And yes, being addicted to sugar is a very real experience. And nobody should deny the op her experience. If she feels addicted to sugar, then she feels addicted to sugar. All of your guy's semantics are useless and devaluing the op's experience, whether you like what she said or not.
I can never understand this problem. You'd think people would be overjoyed to learn that they are not "addicted" to something. The thing I've always liked about MFP is that it has the courage to correct misinformation.
Well, I'm sure as the word gets out to all the people that feel addicted and now find out they aren't, and it's all in their heads, they'll be very grateful. lol Cheers4 -
neanderthin wrote: »snowflake954 wrote: »sollyn23l2 wrote: »People use language to convey their experience. If I say "I really enjoy food", you'll have one understanding of what that means. If I say "I'm addicted to food" then you have a different, perhap more accurate, understanding of my experience. Using the term addicted generally intimates that the individual is unable to moderate their use of that particular thing. And yes, being addicted to sugar is a very real experience. And nobody should deny the op her experience. If she feels addicted to sugar, then she feels addicted to sugar. All of your guy's semantics are useless and devaluing the op's experience, whether you like what she said or not.
I can never understand this problem. You'd think people would be overjoyed to learn that they are not "addicted" to something. The thing I've always liked about MFP is that it has the courage to correct misinformation.
Well, I'm sure as the word gets out to all the people that feel addicted and now find out they aren't, and it's all in their heads, they'll be very grateful. lol Cheers
Ha! Talking about sugar, to be clear. You have to admit there is a certain drama to "I am addicted to sugar" rather than "I tend to overeat sweets".1 -
snowflake954 wrote: »neanderthin wrote: »snowflake954 wrote: »sollyn23l2 wrote: »People use language to convey their experience. If I say "I really enjoy food", you'll have one understanding of what that means. If I say "I'm addicted to food" then you have a different, perhap more accurate, understanding of my experience. Using the term addicted generally intimates that the individual is unable to moderate their use of that particular thing. And yes, being addicted to sugar is a very real experience. And nobody should deny the op her experience. If she feels addicted to sugar, then she feels addicted to sugar. All of your guy's semantics are useless and devaluing the op's experience, whether you like what she said or not.
I can never understand this problem. You'd think people would be overjoyed to learn that they are not "addicted" to something. The thing I've always liked about MFP is that it has the courage to correct misinformation.
Well, I'm sure as the word gets out to all the people that feel addicted and now find out they aren't, and it's all in their heads, they'll be very grateful. lol Cheers
Ha! Talking about sugar, to be clear. You have to admit there is a certain drama to "I am addicted to sugar" rather than "I tend to overeat sweets".
Well, if those 2 statements are the only 2 realities, then yes, what remains would be "certain drama". The 1st reality is a person feels hopelessly a slave to a sweet taste while the second reality would dictate that they could take it or leave it.
Here's another reality. When we consume sugar it travels down the limbic system to our brain which also controls neurochemical messaging but also has an effect on our behavior and when someone has a problem with sugar, brain scans show that the same pathways that cocaine and other drugs use and produce similar events, and studies show that sugar not only can replace the "hit" people get from drugs but that it even has a greater initial "hit" effect.
Basically it's a nuanced conversation that normally gets squashed with the conventional bias or beliefs because sugar isn't a substance that in the strictest definition, is not addicting.
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I always find this debate odd.
The definition of addiction has been very clear for a long time. It's the compulsive seeking and engagement of a behaviour or substance despite predictably negative outcomes for the seeker. It features persistent invasive thoughts in the form of cravings, which are the product of altered brain circuitry in response to the stimulus.
Some drugs make this rewiring very easy and rapid, our so-called 'addictive substances,' but they are by no means the only substances people can become addicted to, they're just highly likely to generate addiction in most brains.
So some people's behaviours with food absolutely constitute addiction. Other people's don't.
Where things get muddy are that the well established definitions of addiction don't disseminate well into the general public discourse because so much of that discourse is shaped by the recovery industry, which has its own ideological ideas about addiction. And they have much better PR.
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neanderthin wrote: »snowflake954 wrote: »neanderthin wrote: »snowflake954 wrote: »sollyn23l2 wrote: »People use language to convey their experience. If I say "I really enjoy food", you'll have one understanding of what that means. If I say "I'm addicted to food" then you have a different, perhap more accurate, understanding of my experience. Using the term addicted generally intimates that the individual is unable to moderate their use of that particular thing. And yes, being addicted to sugar is a very real experience. And nobody should deny the op her experience. If she feels addicted to sugar, then she feels addicted to sugar. All of your guy's semantics are useless and devaluing the op's experience, whether you like what she said or not.
I can never understand this problem. You'd think people would be overjoyed to learn that they are not "addicted" to something. The thing I've always liked about MFP is that it has the courage to correct misinformation.
Well, I'm sure as the word gets out to all the people that feel addicted and now find out they aren't, and it's all in their heads, they'll be very grateful. lol Cheers
Ha! Talking about sugar, to be clear. You have to admit there is a certain drama to "I am addicted to sugar" rather than "I tend to overeat sweets".
Well, if those 2 statements are the only 2 realities, then yes, what remains would be "certain drama". The 1st reality is a person feels hopelessly a slave to a sweet taste while the second reality would dictate that they could take it or leave it.
Here's another reality. When we consume sugar it travels down the limbic system to our brain which also controls neurochemical messaging but also has an effect on our behavior and when someone has a problem with sugar, brain scans show that the same pathways that cocaine and other drugs use and produce similar events, and studies show that sugar not only can replace the "hit" people get from drugs but that it even has a greater initial "hit" effect.
Basically it's a nuanced conversation that normally gets squashed with the conventional bias or beliefs because sugar isn't a substance that in the strictest definition, is not addicting.
OK. Because I always respect your posts, what do you think should be done differently with someone who has a sugar addiction verses someone who tends to overeat and is very over weight and needs to lose?
How would the approach differ? Can a sugar addiction be cured? Or, is it abstinence forever?
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