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There is no official caloric intake for Binge Eating Disorder, the new addiction included in the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5. The Mayo Clinic lists the following symptoms for BED: Eating unusually large amounts of food Eating even when you're full or not hungry Eating rapidly during binge episodes Eating until…

Binge eating can co-exist with a normal or near-normal weight as easily as with obesity. It does not necessarily correlate with body size. Further, binge eating is an addiction. Substance abuse researchers say that the brain adaptions that result from regularly eating so-called hyperpalatable foods – foods that layer salt,…

Yes, sugar is addictive. In fact, hyperpalatable foods can affect and damage the brain in exactly the same ways that alcohol and cocaine can. And here is the neurological component: As I write in my latest book, The Hunger Fix, substance abuse researchers say that the brain adaptions that result from regularly eating s…

Let's look at addiction from two views, one approved by the American Psychiatric Association, and the other a result of numerous and continuing neurological studies. The American Psychiatric Association established three diagnostic criteria for addiction. The first is binging, where an escalated intake of a substance…

If it's any help to know, you're not weak. There are no ifs ands or buts on the subject of food addiction: it is as real as cocaine or alcohol addiction and, in fact, affects exactly the same pleasure/impulse control centers of the brain as recognized drugs. This is especially true of what David Kessler calls…

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is an addiction and your best hope is to treat it very seriously. Substance abuse researchers say that the brain adaptions that result from regularly eating so-called hyperpalatable foods – foods that layer salt, fat, and sweet flavors, proven to increase consumption – are likely to be more…

The Binge Eating Disorder Association estimates that some 8 million Americans suffer from addiction to highly processed food. There are no ifs ands or buts on the subject of food addiction: it is as real as cocaine or alcohol addiction and, in fact, affects exactly the same pleasure/impulse control centers of the brain as…

There ARE withdrawal symptoms from addiction to hyperpalatable foods, including headache, diarrhea, anxiety, the shakes and tiredness. Remember that some alcoholics and drug addicts withdraw with very few symptoms while others go through horrific experiences. Is one more addicted than the other? We have to stop treating…

The point about how a diabetic learns to negotiate life without birthday cake is spot-on. For some people, the party is about the cake, not the celebration and that's what each of us who give up refined foods has to remember. This doesn't mean we eat food that isn't delicious, but we know that triggers usually lead to…

Binge eating may not be a sign of weakness. It is often an addiction in exactly the same effects as alcohol or cocaine. Science now shows through new tools like PET and MRI brain scans the addiction-related organic changes that take place in the reward system and the prefrontal cortex. This occurs across all additions,…

There are no ifs ands or buts on the subject of food addiction: it is as real as cocaine or alcohol addiction and, in fact, affects exactly the same pleasure/impulse control centers of the brain as recognized drugs. This is especially true of what David Kessler calls hyperpalatable foods -- foods dense in calories from…