Is a food addiction really possible? We all have to eat. How do you separate a food addiction from just over-eating?
Food addiction is a serious issue.
Food addiction? I HAVE to eat. I cannot be addicted to food. That doesn't make sense. Except it does make it sense and it might for you too.
According to WebMD, "The idea that a person can be addicted to food has recently gotten more support from science."
The article continues: "Experiments in animals and humans show that, for some people, the same reward and pleasure centers of the brain that are triggered by addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin are also activated by food, especially highly palatable foods. Highly palatable foods are foods rich in: Sugar, Fat and Salt. Like addictive drugs, highly palatable foods trigger feel-good brain chemicals such as dopamine. Once people experience pleasure associated with increased dopamine transmission in the brain's reward pathway from eating certain foods, they quickly feel the need to eat again. The reward signals from highly palatable foods may override other signals of fullness and satisfaction. As a result, people keep eating, even when they're not hungry."
So how did I finally decide I was an addict? Well, let me share my journey with you. The first time I remember eating too much was when I was 13. I was home alone after school and I ate about a half pound of American cheese. I was full and I knew it. And then I ate a bag of Oreo cookies. The whole bag. My stomach hurt so badly, but I wasn't satisfied. And as a side note - man did I get in trouble.
Fast forward to about 16-years-old and I now had a driver's license. I took my Datsun B-210 (with no power steering) to the drive-thru at a fast-food joint and gorged on burgers and fries. I was alone in my car and I just ate and ate and ate. Of course I also ate dinner when I got home too.
I also had a job at a small store and one of the things we made was cookies from pre-made cookie dough. I used to eat the dough. Not one or two cookies worth, but probably about a dozen cookies.
Before and Now: October 2011 and January 2012
I lived on my own starting around age 18 and since I never really learned how to cook, my diet for the most part was take-out and scrambled eggs. There were MANY nights when I would eat ice cream for dinner.
Throughout my early adult life my terrible eating habits continued, but that alone was not the food addiction. The food addiction could be seen in the types of food I chose and the way I behaved around food. I ate what a reasonable person would – when I was with others, but then behind closed doors I would gorge on sweets. I have been known to eat a large bag of miniature Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups, two or three ice cream cones, a package of Funny Bones, and a two-liter bottle of Diet Coke – in one sitting. The sneaky behavior was a serious indicator of how deep my addiction had become. I would hide the wrappers in a bag and bring them out to the trash before a roommate or significant other got home.
They say addicts hit a low which brings clarity; personally I do not know which of my many sad food addiction memories was the worst. It may have been the time when I went to Dunkin Donuts and ordered six donuts, which was not the bad part. I lied to the woman taking the order and said, “Could I have two chocolate donuts for him. And two jelly for her,” knowing full well there was no him or her and I was going to eat all six donuts. The other low moment was when there were NO sweets in my house and I was in major need of a fix. I ended up eating the hot chocolate mix. I actually sat with a spoon and ate the powder mix.
One thing I know I have in common with addicts of other substances is overcoming the addiction one day at a time. It is the hardest thing I attempt to do each day. For example my roommate just made oatmeal cranberry cookies and the smell is wafting through the house. I cannot say I do not want one because I do, but I want to have the control over my addiction more. If you or someone you know struggles with food addiction, please know it is very real and very complicated.
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