Causes for Food Addiction

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Causes for Food Addiction

By K. Buffington, Ph.D.

Millions of Americans suffer from addictions involving alcohol,

nicotine, and drugs. For some individuals, food is also an

addiction. Recent studies found that food addiction, drug abuse, and

other self-destructive behaviors have similar underlying

neurochemical and behavioral characteristics.

One of the most common behavioral characteristics of individuals

suffering from self-destructive addictions (overeating, drinking,

smoking, using drugs, etc.) is a feeling of `not being good enough'.

Feelings of low self-worth, in turn, may cause low self-esteem, a

poor body image, depression, anxiety, a need to overachieve, and an

intense and chronic fear of failure.

The `addict' not only has negative feelings regarding themselves,

but also has failed to develop appropriate stress coping behavior to

deal with such feelings. Instead of confronting life stressors

directly or finding healthy ways to manage emotions (exercise,

journaling, relaxation, spiritual care, therapy, etc.), the `addict'

seeks to avoid unpleasant feelings by eating, drinking alcohol,

smoking, using drugs, gambling, and various other ways of escaping

from reality.

Emotional distress and avoidance stress coping behavior can produce

neurochemical changes in the limbic system of the brain, which is

the area of the brain that controls mood and basic functions such as

eating. The addict often has overactive stress hormone responses

within the limbic system that impair the actions of specific brain

messengers, (i.e. serotonin, dopamine) that, in turn, cause

depression, food cravings (particularly for carbohydrates),

overeating, compulsive behaviors (such as binge eating), substance

dependencies, and an increased risk for multiple addictions.

Reduced mood, caused by such neurochemical defects, can be reversed,

at least temporarily, by eating certain foods or by using alcohol,

nicotine, and drugs. Eating carbohydrates (sweets in particular)

helps to improve mood by increasing the neurochemical messenger,

serotonin. And, eating sweets, fat, or even smelling one's favorite

food improves mood by enhancing the actions of another

neurochemical, dopamine, which is also responsible for the `good

feelings' associated with drugs and alcohol.

The food `addict' may, therefore, be overeating in an attempt to

improve their mood. But, overeating may, similar to frequent use of

drugs or alcohol, blunt the responses of these `feel good'

neurochemical pathways to food, requiring the individual to eat more

to achieve satisfaction. At this point, the individual not only eats

in an effort to establish emotional stability but also has a

physical need to do so and, thereby, feels powerless over food.

Abstinence from the abused substance helps to reverse or improve

many of the neurochemical defects associated with addictions.

Bariatric surgery, by limiting the amount of food and type of food

that can be consumed, and by enhancing mood through the joy of

weight loss, is also effective in improving neurochemical defects

contributing to addictive behavior. However, such improvements are

often short-lived. Food cravings, as well as depression, may reoccur

over time, along with weight gain.

The neurochemical defects contributing to food dependency among post-

bariatric surgical patients may reappear over time because the

behaviors responsible for initiating the cascade of events leading

to such defects are not resolved by the surgery, those being low

self-worth and poor stress coping skills. It is, therefore, of

utmost importance for the overall wellbeing and long-term weight

loss success of the bariatric patient that aftercare bariatric

programs be designed to help individuals recognize their own self-

worth and learn healthful ways of dealing with emotional stress.