Food Addiction

AM I A FOOD ADDICT?       Friday, August 18, 2011
By: Rose Aguilera

We’ve all heard about drug and alcohol addiction. So, is there such a thing as food addiction? And if there is, do you have it?
Have you ever asked yourself what is food addiction? Truth is many people who suffer from food addiction are also dealing with a long list of other health-related illnesses, both physical and emotional.
Food addiction, like any other addiction, is a loss of control. Food addicts are preoccupied with thoughts of food, body weight, and body image, and compulsively consume abnormally large amounts of food. Even though they understand the harm caused by their behaviour, they just can’t stop. Food addicts tend to crave and eat foods that are harmful to their bodies. For example, people with food allergies may crave the foods they are allergic to, while diabetics may crave and overindulge in sugar, despite the adverse effects. Many food addicts have turned to using food as their “drug”. Food becomes the cure for

dealing with the underlying problem. But, just like any other substance abuse, the habit becomes extremely difficult to break without getting professional help. Food becomes an obsession and the person will turn to drastic measures in order to feed the urge.
Sadly, food addiction affects tens of millions of adults and children. The constant need to over eat and indulge on food literally takes over one’s daily life. Often one’s social life is drastically affected and the person who is the addict will either isolate and completely seclude themselves, or, only willingly be with others who share in the same habit.
It is common for people to reach a point of crisis when they finally ask themselves “what is food addiction?” “Do I suffer from it?” This crisis is commonly a serious health problem. But first, why is it important to know if you are a food addict? Well, fact is that those who are addicted to food are actually suffering from a form of substance abuse....