Can you be addicted to food?

I'm addicted to food, peanut butter exspecially. I love food not just junk food but real food, like steak, fish, veggies and fruit. Just strong will power its the same for any addict

I definitely believe you can be addicted to food. I love food! I could eat and eat and eat....

look at americans. we are killing ourselves with food. addiciton? i think so.

we are wired to crave salt and fats because they are rare in the wild. now they are everywhere, but we haven't evolved.

Yes, I think that I am a food addict, much like someone is a drug addict or alcoholic. I have much more patience and understanding for people who fight these addictions since coming to this realization of how hard it is to give up food. One thing that makes a food addiction different from a drug or alcohol addiction (and I'm not saying better or worse, but different) is that with food, we can't just go cold turkey and not eat ANY food, like someone would cut out all drugs or alcohol. I think that if I could go cold turkey on all of it, I could do much better....but, ya gotta eat sometime......and that is hard for me......

ummm obviously! LOL

i think people are happy when they eat-remeber happy times etc-and enjoy eating- isnt that why we cant stop....addiction i think you can say that, i think the question is-who isnt.

I am smart, in the medical field (which is embarrassing to be obese) and educated in how the body works. I feel my weight has gotten where it is because I am a food addict.... is that possible. I lack self discipline with food and I am such an emotional eater. Any thoughts?

Addicted to food? Probably not. Addicted to junk food... Quite possibly. I have read that appetite enhancers are actually placed in various types of snack foods which leave you wanting more... Whether this is intentional or unintentional (side-effect) of preservatives, the effect is the same... We crave more. and more. Additionally, as you well know, most snack foods are EMPTY CALORIES... This means that you have a large quantity of calories coming in with little to no nutritional value to show for it. Since I have eliminated most snack foods out of my diet, I no longer even really want most of it. I do have protein bars and some other low calorie snack bars (such as the South Beach snack bars) but at least there is some nutritional value.

I have read several times that obese people are some of the most malnourished people around. They have a caloric surplus but are lacking in basic protein and other nutritional stores to supply the body what it needs... So the body continues to crave things.... trying to get what it needs to survive... Often in the wrong places. You have taken the first step.. You now realize that you have a problem. Now it is time to take the steps to correct the problem. You can do it. I look forward to hearing of your progress.

As a health industry member, as you improve your own health, it will give you more insight into how to better help others beat their addictions and win the "battle of the bulge"... Congrats on your first step. Best wishes on your journey.

Yes. It's more a mental addiction than anything, but things like sugar, fats and salts are generally craved for. Keep in mind that the human body has evolved over thousands of years when drought and famine were common. Our body stores fat in preparation for the next period of starvation in order to survive. Now, for the significant majority of people in the world periods of starvation are no longer part of the equation. You can get past this, but it takes mental self control.

yes of course.. its an addiction, primal we are addicted to sweet and salt foods is it an initiate thing

It's not innate though. Not everyone is addicted to food. Addiction is when it becomes a disease of the mind and body. Sometimes addiction is due to biochemical/physiological changes in the brain, sometimes it's just an emotional dependency, but it's beyond normal.

Not to pick on you or anyone else in this thread, but it does bug me when people use the word 'addicted' or 'addiction' so lightly. It's not an addiction to want/crave sugar, fat, and salt. That's called being human and is part of our biology. We evolved to survive. Survival meant seeking out those foods that would give us maximal energy and maximal food storage to survive the droughts and famines. Addiction goes beyond these cravings and into the realm of self-destruction. And by self-destruction, I don't mean just obesity. It's more than that... addiction is the mouse that presses the lever for cocaine even when he receives a painful foot shock. Addiction is the person who can't find happiness and peace without a bottle of alcohol in his hand. Addiction is the person who steals from his family because he can't bear to walk away from the gambling table.

Addiction is serious. Addiction is a disease. Some people can be addicted to food. But not everyone is. The word should not be used so lightly, in my opinion.

I don't think you can be addicted to food, but you can be addicted to eating. Fortunately, addictions are just habits, and habits can be broken, or replaced with better habits! You have the power to take back control over your life!

What LabRat said is all true. I would add that 'addiction' is an appropriate term as it is defined as doing some activity (in this c I ase eating calorie-dense food) despite negative consequences. All of us here have seen the negative consequences but we all give in at times anyway. That is addiction. Yes, it's also behavioral and our early programming reinforces the biological preference for calorie-dense food. But there's more to the story. Big Food is big business. They want us to be reliant on their products. Their food is chemically engineered to satisfy our base cravings and, in doing so, reinforce them. They want us to be fat, as fat people are better customers. No conspiracy paranoia is required, it's a simple result of market forces. Whoever gives us what our reptile brain wants in the most appealing packages will make the most money. Our culture is inundated w/ food advertising and they get their hooks in early. Watch childrens' programming on TV this Saturday morning and see what they're selling your kids.

What to do when faced by an irrational craving, something you know you don't need but still want very badly?

I try to remember WHY I want it - and REBEL. Rage against the Big Food machine. Refuse to be their slave. CHOOSE to be your own person. And go eat something you know your body needs.

Your reptile brain will come around. And Big Food can bite me.

I am smart, in the medical field (which is embarrassing to be obese) and educated in how the body works. I feel my weight has gotten where it is because I am a food addict.... is that possible. I lack self discipline with food and I am suck an emotional eater. Any thoughts?

yes. technically, you can become addicted to anything. it's a mentality - not based on substances alone.

I used to think so. I used to think I was a food addict. I work with drug and alcoholics and when I first started my journey, back in November 2011, it was about learning how to have a healthy relationship with food, not necessarily about loosing weight, although that was a benefit I received. I tried to use many of the same principals I use when working with the drug and alcoholics.. Some are good principals but in the long run I found I really wasnt addicted because I was able to eat foods in moderation, including ones I sometimes felt powerless to such as ice cream...

What I realized thru my journey was I had poor coping mechanisms (ate to relieve bordem and/or stress or numb myself by going into what i call a feeding freenzy or eating coma/trance) and absolutely horrible eating habits, not really an addiction. In additin it seems I was so busy multi-tasking in my world, eating became one of those multi-tasking things, you know, driving while listening to the radio, talking on the cell, and eating OR coming home from work, on my cell, putting groceries away with the tv on and eating, OR sitting at my office desk, filing papers, on the phone and eating....

I realized EATING needs to be a totally separate activity fom everything else. I needed to be more MINDFUL, AWARE and IN TUNE with my body and mind while I am eating. It can no longer be bringing a bag of chips to the sofa believing I will stop at one serving, or eating out of a pint size container of ice cream while surfing the Internet or nibbling on some crackers while cooking dinner because I am so famished I can't even wait 15 more minutes for my dinner to be done. I had to totally make my eating an activity in and of itself....

I have been teaching myself healthier eating habits by practicing different things. This is what I found to have worked:

1) NEVER NEVER NEVER eat anything directly from the original container unless it is a single serve container., even then consider putting it on a real plate. Never eat your first bite of ANY food, snack food, ice cream or other food item/indulgence until the container is safely closed up and put back into the pantry or refrigerator/freezer. Never eat standing up, in the kitchen (I used to do this all of the time and it would lead me to scarf down what was in front of me in mere moments only to have me in too convenient of a place, the kitchen, to begin rummaging around for "just one more chip, spoonful of ice cream, nibble of cake, etc... "

2) eat without ANY distractions. No tv, no phone, no internet. Be MINDFUL! Sit at a table if you can. For dinner, I set the timer on my cell phone that counts backwards by the second. I set it for 20 minutes. I take each bit, chew thoroughly. I put my eating utensil down between each and every bite. Once I swallow the food in my mouth I wait no less than 10 seconds before I pick up my utensil for another bite. while I am waiting to take the next bite I stare down my food. I talk to myself sayng that it is not urgent that I quickly put another bite into my mouth, I CAN wait, there is NO RUSH. When I first started doing this I realized how much it pained me to wait for that next bite because I used to have the next mouthful already loaded on my utensil and ready to shovel in my mouth before the stuff in my mouth was even chewed properly! When I first began this exercise I finished most of my meals in about 10-13 minutes (to consume a diet frozen entree and 2 servings of fresh veggies). My goal was to take a full 20 minutes as that is the time it takes for your brain to be signaled that you have eaten. I now always reach my 20 minute goal and sometimes, like tonight it took me over 30 minutes to eat. Now, when I am done eating, my brain knows I ate and I am not as compelled to go into the kitchen to eat more. I used to do that, go into the kitchen immediately after i ate and eat more. Now I realize it's because I I ate so fast that my brain didn't even have time to process it, so I still felt hungry and would compulsively reach in for unhealthy and quick things to put in my mouth despite having just eaten a nourishing meal!

3) for any food you think you cannot control your intake in eating, I assure you, you can. I thought I was totally addicted to Ben & Jerry's ice cream and at first avoided it like the plague, only to realize, my goal was to have a healthy relationship with food, ALL foods... And avoidance is not healthy, nor is eating excessive amounts. So, I began to practice eating healthy portions of my indulgent foods. First, portion out ONE serving.(much to my dismay a pint of ice cream was not one serving) Put the container away BEFORE taking that first taste! this is imperative. Also make sure you do not eat it out of the container. I try to eat off regular plates as much as possible, even if single serve items b/c it helps me visualize what ONE serving should look like on a plate, bowl etc. once I have my indulgent item out, I take it to a quiet place wth no distractions. Sometimes I even close my eyes. I take the first bite and try to enjoy every sensation whether it be the creaminess of ice cream, the saltiness and crunch of a chip, the stickiness of peanut butter, the moistness of a brownie, etc. I try to taste each flavor ad texture and really enjoy it. If my mind begins to drift off to other things such as the kids, the dog, the phone, the laundry, whatever, I do not take the next bite until I have forced my attention back to eating my indulgence. This helps to stay mindful in your eating and tasting and enjoyment of the item. Between each mouthful put down the utensil and wait 10 seconds between bites. If there is no utensil and your eating something like chips, sit on your hands or cross/fold your arms for 10 seconds... Anything to prevent you from impulsively grabbing the next chip and putting it in your mouth before that 10 seconds is up. Once youre done, have an activity at the ready to distract you, for atleast 15 minutes, thus preventing you from grabbing more of what you might normally binge on. It can be taking the dog for a walk, bathing the kids, folding laundry, talking on the phone in a room well away from the kitchen, logging and/or blogging on MFP or taking a shower. I like taking a shower as it is relaxing, totally prevents me from wandering back into the kitchen and takes atleast 20 minutes from start to finish to complete. I find that this immediate time away from the kitchen and my indulgent food STOPS my compulsion to eat and I have been successful more times than not, in eating just one serving.

I have practiced many of these things so many times that I no longer need to do some of them anymore as my new habit has kicked in. Sometimes I need a refresher and some things I still do, such as setting my dinner timer, just because I like to see how long I can drag out my dinner. Be patient.... Bad habits take a lifetime to learn... They will not be broken over night!

good luck!

I don't think you can be addicted to food, but you can be addicted to eating. Fortunately, addictions are just habits, and habits can be broken, or replaced with better habits! You have the power to take back control over your life!

Correction... Addiction is a disease... Not just a bad habit. sadly it isn't as some as replacing an unhealthy habit with a healthy one. I work intensely with drug addicts and alcoholics. I see the horrible devastation of the disease of addicition. I have also seen drug abusers cross my path... Abusers are not addicts. Maybe there are food abusers, not food addicts?