Abnormal eaters

[Guest guest]

I hate to continue this. But I really can't see too much difference between a so-called food addiction and people who have eaten far too much on a regular basis and then get really fat. Because most people who are overweight don't want to be overweight, but can't help themselves. While my top weight was 230 or so, I'm now down about 40 pounds from that, I have not eaten normally for many years. So since I have not eaten normally for so many years, could not control myself, got sick because I ate so much yet could not eat less, I guess I can be considered an abnormal eater, and am striving to be a normal eater. CindiSubject:

Re: How I'm DoingTo: IntuitiveEating_Support Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 5:58 PM

Styxia,

I do think there is something to food addiction. I have done some reading on addictions (due to trying to understand addictive behaviors that have emerged in my teen age son and that are prevalent all throughout my family)and there is research out there supporting that food addiction is real. It has to do with the chemicals in the brain (I believe dopamine is the main one) that is released when certain foods are ingested just like with a drug addict or an alcoholic. I don't think this happens with all foods, but certain types of foods that affect those chemicals - sugar is of course one of those. I would say that if you believe there is an addictive reaction happening when you eat certain foods, then you need to treat it like you would any other reaction such as an allergic reaction. Know that if you do eat it, you will have a reaction. But then if you do ingest it, don't beat yourself over it, observe it, and then react kindly, working on changing

the behavior for the next time (how will I handle this next time?). I am sorry there is so much controversy around this topic. I think this has come up in the past. Only you will know if you truly have an "addiction" to certain foods and you need to listen to that and work at doing what is right for you. I agree, it would be that much more difficult to contend with as it isn't just behavioral, it is physical.

Take care and hope you can figure this out for yourself.

Alana

>

> > I think that addiction is not quite the right word here? If I don't eat a

> > certain thing of way, I'm not going to go thru DTs or rob people to get

> > money for my food 'fix' ;-).

>

> I think food addiction is very real. Certain foods trigger the same

> parts of the brain as other drugs do. There is more and more evidence

> for this. Food addiction (may it be in the form of compulsive

> overeating, bulimia or anorexia) causes a lot of harm and can even

> physically kill people. Bulimics flush thousands and thousands of bucks

> down the drain if the disease gets bad enough, causing patients to steal

> money and food to get their fix. They might not rob a bank but they go

> shop lifting to get their fix.

>

> I don't know if you've heard of the theory of the "selfish brain". I

> think it's an interesting read when it comes to obesity and food

> addiction.

>

> I think it's important to accept that food can be very addictive (not

> saying that everyone on here is a food addict). It changes the challenge

> from not "only" having to conquer an emotional issue but a physical one

> as well. I believe it's important to accept the physical processes as

> well and not deny them, though I have to say it's kind of hard to

> swallow as it seems to raise the odds against me even further.

>

> s.

>