immediately think of alcohol or drugs. However, an addiction
is any excessive behavior which can control your life. I have
met several people during my 24 plus years in the fitness
field that have had an obsession with food. There are
various schools of thought as to the addictive properties of
food. Some believe food addiction is an emotional
dependency that unlike drugs or alcohol, doesn't
contain chemical compounds to make a person dependent
upon it. I tend to believe that food does indeed become
addicting because of emotional dependency. This is a
learned behavior, in my opinion. When we had a bad day
at school, mom would make our favorite food or desert. If we
did something well, we are rewarded with food. However, I
also believe there are chemicals in our food that also cause
us to become obsessed and addicted. Simple carbohydrates... sugars, can create a chemical dependency. Our bodies can literally crave and go through withdrawals. How a person behaves around food, the way they view it, can lead to habits that can be the source of a food addiction.
We can train ourselves to become a food addict. Food and emotion can become closely linked. Food can become a coping mechanism similar to alcohol or drugs. When we become anxious, depressed, angry... our bodies can be conditioned to release specific hormones to crave "comfort foods". We also release hormones such as dopamine once consuming comfort foods which is a "feel good" hormone. Foods that tend to contain higher amounts of fats, sugar or salt tend to be associated with comfort or pleasure.
RECOGNIZING A FOOD ADDICTION
With any addiction, many don't wake up one morning and decide they will allow something to control their lives. There is usually an emotional trigger, a void that need to be filled. Below are some traits common among those with a food addiction: Changes in mood
Labeling food as “good” and “bad”
Restrictive dieting
Eating in secret or sneaking food
Feeling out of control with food
Rewarding/treating yourself with food
Thinking about food all the time
Feeling unsatisfied even after meal times
Weight fluctuations and/or difficulty managing weight
Body dissatisfaction
Feeling disgusted, guilty or upset after eating
Feeling stressed or tension that is only relieved by eating
OVERCOMING FOOD ADDICTION
Any addiction whether it be to nicotine, alcohol, gambling... whatever, takes a structured approach to overcome. We need to retrain the brain to overcome learned patterns. Below are a few steps you can take to begin the process to overcome an unhealthy relationship with food:
1. ESTABLISHING A HEALTHY VIEW OF FOOD.
Most 12 step programs require abstinence from the substance you are controlled by. This is obviously not possible. Food is a basic requirement for life. The first step is to see food for what it is... NUTRIENTS. By referring to it as nutrients or nutrition rather than food, we can remove the "comfort" associated to food. It's important to change our view of food. It is literally nothing more than compounds used to fuel and heal our bodies. It's important that we remove personality from food and see it as a tool for health. By first doing this, we can learn to eat properly and establish a healthy relationship.
2. IDENTIFY TRIGGER FOODS
Identifying trigger or comfort foods is important. When you are depressed, sad etc., which food do you gravitate toward. Recognize if you crave sweet, salty foods etc. and eliminate them from your home and workplace. This will help minimize mindlessly reaching for these foods when triggered.
3. DEVELOP STRUCTURED NUTRIENT INTAKE
Developing a structured meal plan will allow you to discipline both the mind and body to eat nutritious calories at structured times. This will help minimize the urge to randomly grab foods that will trigger a relapse. A structured nutrient intake plan will fuel the body, allow you to feel full throughout the day and minimize out of control urges. It will allow you to receive the nutrients your body needs to work efficiently and effectively with depravation.
4. SEEK PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE
Meeting with a Registered Dietitian and/or a Licensed Therapist can be a huge help! Any addiction no matter how deep you're addicted, can take over your life. Learning the root cause and filling the need with a healthy alternative is key. Food has strong ties to emotion. We have learned to associate specific foods with joy, sadness, celebration etc. Having someone help identify the triggers, offer suggestions for overcoming them and being accountable to, will increase your chances of successfully overcoming food addiction and allow food to be used as a tool for a healthy body and lifestyle.
If you find yourself thinking about food constantly, binge eating, reaching for the high calorie comfort foods during times of emotional stress or feel guilt after eating food, you can "retrain the brain" and develop a healthy relationship with food. With some planning, structure and education, food can be a tool to enhance your health, and life.
*Some information compiled from myfitnesspal.com