After Surgery, Addictive Eaters Moving On To Other Vices

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After Surgery, Addictive Eaters Moving On To Other Vices

UPDATED: 3:00 pm CST December 26, 2006

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As the new year approaches, many Americans will vow to lose weight in 2007.

But, as NBC's Bazell reports, sometimes overcoming an addiction to food

leads to other problems.

As obesity surgery becomes ever more popular, doctors are seeing a new

phenomenon -- patients who stop their compulsive eating only to move on to other

addictions.

Terria Linn, a social worker who had the surgery herself, specializes in

treating the problem called addiction transfer. She believes it occurs because

some people are genetically programmed for addictive behaviors.

" It's just a kind of a change of venue, so to speak, " Linn said.

How widespread is the problem? Estimates vary from 5 percent to 30 percent of

bariatric surgery patients.

Most often, the patients switch their compulsive behavior to drinking far too

much. But they can also use drugs, become compulsive gamblers or even compulsive

shoppers.

That is what happened to Eammons

" If I had more money, I would shop all the time, " Eammons said.

She spent so much, her husband enforced strict financial limits. With her

therapy, she has the urge under control but still is eager to shop whenever she

can.

" You fill some voids in your life, and it's like instant gratification when

you're shopping, " she said. " You know, you're trying on these clothes and

looking in the mirror and you feel great. "

Surgeons who perform the obesity operations, like Dr. Randy Rheinhold of the

Hospital of St. Raphael, are not surprised by the addiction transfer because

many patients will try to resume compulsive eating before they more on to other

behaviors.

" They can't eat large portions, so they eat multiple tiny portions. I've had

patients who blenderize cheesecake in order to get it in, " Rheinhold said.

Experts emphasize that obesity has multiple causes and that surgery can reduce

the girth but not change the underlying personality.

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