(including in South Africa), articles and interviews of various researchers began to appear in the media explaining this problem from the point of view of the phenomenon food addiction... Moreover, they directly classify certain foods as poison or "addictive substances." In connection with this situation, there are also calls for a ban on the excessive consumption of sugar and highly refined foods, as well as on the excessive consumption of tobacco and alcohol. Is the situation really that dire, or is it just a "tempest in a teacup"?

Does food addiction really exist?

The term "food addiction" is often referred to in various reports of obesity, it is a phenomenon that the public refers to, but the medical community has only recently begun to use this term. It seems now that dietitians, psychiatrists and psychologists are beginning to recognize that there are still conditions that can be recognized as food addiction.

The essence of the theory proposed on this topic is that delicious foods cause addiction in some people, since the reactions underlying addictive behavior and the brain center responsible for overeating are located in the same part of the brain, i.e. are directly related to each other.

A team of researchers from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Florida analyzed data from studies of binge eating in animals. Scientists have found that behavioral changes in response to overeating are similar to the neurochemical changes observed in animals exposed to drugs (cannabis, tobacco, alcohol). An article published by researcher Davis and co-authors in the journal Appetite also says that "there is growing evidence of food addiction in overeating animals."

Compulsive overeating. Food Addiction in Children: Causes and Treatment

Yale food addiction

Davis and her team at York University in Toronto, Canada, also tried to find out if the Yale Food Addiction Scale (the first tool developed to identify people with food addiction) is a powerful measure. Examining the results of an experiment proving the effectiveness this instrument Measurements involving 25 obese people aged 25 to 45 years, the scientists found that the diagnostic criteria for food addiction had the following characteristics:

• binge eating disorder (uncontrolled overeating);
• attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder;
• impulsivity and nervousness;
• emotional reactivity;
• the need to calm down with food.

Davis and her colleagues concluded that this knowledge supports the use of this scale as a tool, a tool for identifying obese individuals who are particularly vulnerable to environmental factors risk. The Yale Food Addiction Scale and all of the research into it could open the door to new therapies for thousands of people struggling with overeating, overweight or obesity.

What foods are addictive?

According to Corsica and Pelkat, researchers of the Chicago Of the medical center, neurochemical changes involving dopamine and so-called endogenous opioids, as well as neuroanatomical changes in the limbic system of the brain support the theory that some foods are addictive. For those who wish lose weight it is useful to know exactly what these foods are.

Here are the foods that are most addictive:

• sweets and refined carbohydrates;
• fats;
• foods that combine fatty and sweet;
• highly processed products (highly processed);
• too salty food;
• products containing food colors, additives and stabilizers.

American endocrinologist Dr. Robert Lustig also calls for strict restrictions on sugar intake.

Danger signals, or what to look out for

The following characteristics should be known to every person suffering from food addiction, because they are a kind of danger signals:

• preoccupation with food / food - as an obsession;
• loss of control and composure before or during a meal;
• suffering from forced eating, in which food provokes a whole cycle of overeating, regardless of what negative consequences may arise;
• "attachment" to food, the connection of feelings of pleasure and comfort with food, as well as helplessness and inability to stop overeating due to the fear of losing these feelings;
• developing physical cravings that keep you eating all the time.

Contradictions

Currently there is great amount controversy over the classification of individuals who gain weight or become "food addicts". On the one hand, some experts in the field of psychology and psychiatry believe that overeating is a type of addiction. At the same time, other researchers believe that food is a psychoactive substance that induces habit, but also withdrawal.

Until recently, food addiction in all its manifestations was not included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is used by the American Psychiatric Association as a guideline for diagnosing mental disorders. However, it is quite possible that this concept will be included in future editions of the guide, and obesity, overweight and overeating will be classified as mental disorders.

How to deal with food addiction?

The most important step in tackling food addiction is to immediately consult with a dietitian, psychologist, or an Eating Disorder Clinic. For example, in the United States, support is already being provided for such organizations to help people with food addiction.

Here are tips to help you overcome food addiction as well:

• Determine what situations cause, provoke cravings for food; try to avoid them as much as possible.
• To overcome the urge to eat, drink plain water... However, don't overdo it.
• Try to do a simple set of exercises regularly.
• Learn to relax using special techniques: deep breathing, yoga, meditation.
• Try to distract yourself with something as soon as cravings arise (for example, a walk, chatting with friends).

It is hoped that Gluttony Anonymous societies will be formed in all corners of the world to provide timely support and numb the pain of patients suffering from food addiction.

Psychotherapy for food addiction: coding, trainings, drugs, food diary

It would seem, what is dangerous about food? But for many, it becomes a drug. For such people, food turns into a source of pleasure and problems at the same time. They can think about the next meal all day, constantly eat only certain foods, or, conversely, limit themselves in everything. Improper nutrition sooner or later leads to problems with physical health, and craving for food can completely destroy the personal life of such a person.

Types of food addiction

We all know what addiction to cigarettes, alcohol or drugs is. But with food, the situation is a little different. Food bondage can look different, so it is imperative to know its types and distinguish between them:

• Overeating is the most common type of addiction. The patient may not even be aware of his problem, he will argue that he simply loves to eat deliciously. But at the same time, the amount of food consumed will exceed all permissible norms, and a person's weight will begin to rapidly increase.
• Bulimia is a type of food addiction that is quite common in young girls and women. A person susceptible to this disorder has an almost insatiable appetite and can eat a huge amount of food in one sitting. At the same time, he perfectly understands that he overeats, but cannot stop on his own. Very often absorption is too a large number food leads to overstretching of the stomach and its self-emptying through the esophagus. But more often the patient himself induces vomiting or takes a laxative to get rid of the feeling of heaviness in the abdomen or so as not to gain excess weight.
• Anorexia is a type of food addiction, which consists in a complete refusal to eat. At first, a person may restrict certain foods, fearing to gain weight, but gradually the list of prohibitions expands and leads to complete starvation. For such people, food can cause fear and disgust, they avoid any places where they can offer a treat, but they, like all addicts, prefer to hide their problem.

  Overeating Often Leads To Health Problems

How to recognize food addiction?

Most people susceptible to this problem hide it, bringing themselves to the point where it is no longer possible to do without qualified medical intervention. Therefore, it is important to know the signs of food addiction in order to recognize it in time in loved one and have time to help him.

Almost all food addicts:

• Thinness is considered a synonym for beauty;
• Do not recognize the presence of underweight or overweight;
• Have uncontrollable cravings for food or certain foods;
• Have anxiety about eating
• In the presence of attachment to some products, they may become enraged if they are not in the house;
• Refuse food and even visit places where they can offer snacks;
• They absorb food quickly and behave impatiently if it is served too slowly;
• Experiencing uncontrollable anxiety if they have to miss another snack;
• Suffer from feelings of guilt after eating;
• They have low self-esteem;
• Suffer from depression and frequent headaches;
• Have problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Uncontrollable love for sweets is also food addiction

The appearance of these or other symptoms indicates that a person's dependence on food is already developing and it is necessary to immediately take measures to save him.

The reasons for the development of the disease

Many people like to eat tasty food, but not all of them develop addiction. Why is this happening? Because the feeling of “emptiness” inside a person, which he tries to fill with food, leads to getting into bondage. The body can confuse the sensations arising from emotional distress with signals of hunger, which leads to haphazard eating.

The likelihood of developing a dependence on food has nothing to do with social status, income level and place of residence of a person and is found in people of different ages and races living in different parts of the world.

The main reasons for the development of food addiction:

• Lack of meaning and purpose in life;
• Situations of disappointment and loss - for example, divorce;
• Situations when achieving what you want leads to relaxation and loss of incentive to work on yourself - for example, after marriage;
• A state of crisis: for example, in a transitional age, with the threat of losing a job or in other similar situations;
• Eating food for other purposes: for example, a child may systematically overeat in order to receive praise from parents or to not offend a grandmother who tried and cooked a difficult dish. This stereotype of behavior can persist for life.

Eating disorders are often formed during childhood

Regardless of what reasons led to the emergence of addiction, in the future, it begins to determine the behavior of a person. Gradually, food becomes a kind of lifeline, it brings a feeling of calmness and tranquility, replaces communication with people and any other entertainment.

It is believed that athletes eat right and therefore are not threatened with food addiction, but this is not the case: according to statistics, approximately 13-14% of athletes suffer from such disorders, and among girls involved in aesthetic sports, this figure reaches 42%.

Eating disorders often form early in childhood... If a child is not allowed to show their emotions, they may begin to seek comfort in treats. Force-feeding and the encouragement of tasty food also lead to problems in the future. Any reward or punishment with food leads to a distortion of the understanding of the very process of eating. The child begins to perceive food not as a source of energy, but as a reward and pleasure.

Consequences of food bondage

Food addiction leads to the gradual destruction of the entire body, because the process of obtaining energy by the body is disrupted. With systematic malnutrition or bulimia, a person loses weight, blood flow slows down and all organs begin to suffer. The main cause of death in patients with anorexia is heart disease. Bones, endocrine and nervous system, digestion suffers, brain function worsens.

Low self-esteem is one of the causes of eating disorders

It used to be that eating disorders were a purely female problem, but today there is a skyrocketing rise in men with such diagnoses.

Not less problems also brings overeating, as it becomes the cause of obesity, which leads to:

• type 2 diabetes
• increased blood cholesterol levels,
• hypertension,
• diseases of the heart and gallbladder,
• pain in muscles and joints,
• osteoarthritis,
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract,
• apnea.

Steps to Freeing Yourself from Food Addiction (Video)

Food addiction- a serious disorder, so it is often impossible to get rid of it on your own, but if the situation is not too advanced yet, you can try. To do this, you will need to go through four steps:

• Step 1 - motivation... A person must realize and admit that he has a problem and it needs to be solved. Often food addicts deny everything and do not even admit to themselves that they are suffering. Therefore, it is important that loved ones help them understand that there is a disease and it is necessary to get rid of it first of all for oneself, in order to get a healthy body and a normal interesting life.
• Step 2 - drawing up correct diet ... After a person finds a goal for himself, for the sake of which it is worth living and improving, it is time to choose a new food system. It's not very easy, you have to study the relevant literature and compile a list of the most useful products that you need to eat daily, as well as those that can be consumed less often. You should not sharply limit your favorite dishes, but if they are very harmful, you can pamper yourself, for example, once a month.
• Step 3 - self-realization... Food addiction usually occurs when a person has no other positive emotions, so you must definitely find something that will allow you to realize yourself and bring satisfaction. You need to remember what you wanted to do before or come up with something that interests you now, in addition to food. You must learn to enjoy life. You can start playing sports - exercise leads to the production of hormones that affect the centers in the brain responsible for appetite and pleasure.
• Step 4 - work on self-esteem... Most food addicts suffer from low self-esteem. They do not love their bodies and try to make it thin, or they do not love themselves and their lives and seek consolation in food. They need to learn to perceive themselves correctly and adequately relate to criticism from other people.

It's not easy to go through all the steps without the help of psychologists and nutritionists, but you need to believe in yourself and not give up. Many people managed to overcome even their dependence on hard drugs on their own, you need to remember this and not give up.

There was such a sin behind me before - I ate a lot, especially in the evenings. Now I realize that there was an addiction, but then I did not understand this and dragged everything onto the table in huge portions! The food calmed me down, gave me pleasant emotions.

I thought when, during a routine examination, a doctor from a polyclinic said that I had a bunch of different ailments. Moreover, he added that I had nothing to be surprised at, because I am fat. Yes, that's exactly what I was. I was very offended then. Well, what right did he have to insult me?

I got offended and thought. Yes, lately I have greatly recovered. It seems that nothing has changed, but for some reason I got fat. Although ... I realized that I began to eat more. And I decided that we must fight this addiction!

Out of sight - out of the refrigerator!

To get rid of addiction, I first decided to get rid of junk food. Now I have no cakes "just in case", sausages, sweet yoghurts and curds in my fridge. I also stopped buying cookies, sweets and condensed milk.

Now I always have apples, bananas, low calorie cottage cheese, fresh cucumbers and tomatoes. And instead of "fast" sausages and pasta, I eat boiled fish or chicken.

Reason for addiction

Also, on the advice from one article, I decided to look for the cause of my addiction. These turned out to be constant problems at work.

I always went home to stressful condition... And the first thing that relaxed me and made me forget about all the troubles at work was delicious food. I could eat a whole chocolate bar and not notice it!

Now I come home from work and go for a relaxing bath. It calms me down, relieves stress. Then I eat a full portion of dinner and no sweets!

If you really want to, then a little bit

Instead of a whole chocolate bar, I only allow myself to eat one piece. But I stretch it for a long time. It's such a pleasure! Previously, I have not received even a small fraction of this from a whole tile.

I can also eat one cookie or marshmallow. I no longer want to eat them all. One a day is enough!


Holidays are not a reason to get upset

V holidays I can afford everything. But I noticed that I no longer grab everything, but choose with taste. I prefer low-fat dishes- fish, fresh vegetable salads, fruit desserts... Well, I can try a little more new or high-calorie dishes.

I got rid of addiction gradually. More than 7 years have passed since then! Now I can't even imagine how so much food could fit into me! And I also realized that you need to love yourself, and not what you eat!

Do you have a food addiction? How do you deal with it?

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But the permanent struggle with weight does not give any results. How to deal with this problem? It's just that you need to approach its solution in a comprehensive manner. Resident expert of the "Family Size" program, psychotherapist Evgeniya Panchenko talks about how to help yourself emotionally tune in to the difficult process of losing weight.

We get rid of food addiction. Photo: thinkstockphotos

Majority overweight people Suffering from fat mass, he spends a significant part of his life in exhausting and fruitless attempts to lose excess weight. And there are a great many methods of this brutal struggle: pills and all sorts of fat burners, laxatives and diuretic teas, jogging and exercise equipment, fasting and wasting diets.

Fighting kilos

People enter the next bodyweight fight with great enthusiasm, and how does it usually end? Most often, another failure, feelings of resentment towards oneself and anger towards an ineffective method. It so happens that having collected the will into a fist, a person finally drops a certain amount of kilograms, but very soon the fat returns to the owner.

And as a rule, after many years of struggle, losing weight capitulates. There is a justification similar to a scientific, but explaining nothing: improper metabolism, constitution, heredity, etc. A person gives up and continues to live, under the moral and physiological pressure of excess weight, with a feeling of resentment and dissatisfaction, secretly dreaming of a magic pill, having eaten which, one day he will wake up light and slender.

Why do we eat more?

Let's try to understand the reasons for this phenomenon. It is known that obesity- this is a consequence of the imbalance between the intake and expenditure of energy in the body, that is, overeating against the background of a sedentary lifestyle, from which, alas, most of the urban population now suffers.

Everyone knows: to lose weight you need to eat less. But it is very difficult! This is where main question: "Why does a person feel the need to eat more than necessary?" The fact is that overeating is a consequence of certain psychological factors in a person's life. And only after understanding and working through them, you can count on an effective and comfortable process of losing weight.

Formation mechanism food addiction the same as in the development of alcoholism, tobacco smoking and other similar forms of self-destructive behavior. Overeating appears and is recorded as a reaction to acute or chronic stressful situations. Often against the background of constant emotional stress, overwork, conflict situations anxiety and internal discomfort arise in the family or at work.

Therefore, food becomes the only possible way, at least temporarily compensating for stress. No wonder they say, "stress seizes." Food tastes and satiety are physiological sources of positive emotions. And against the background of emotional imbalance, the body does not allow them to be abandoned so easily.

Thus, it is impossible to lose weight through diet alone or through exercise. Complex methods are effective, including work aimed at both the psychological and biological components of excess weight.

One can argue: whether it is necessary to lose weight or not, it is important or not, but one thing is obvious - getting rid of excess weight, a person gains lost energy, activity, vitality, acquires a new quality of life! And if you decide to start the fight with fat mass, complete two tasks.

Task number 1.
Remember when and why the weight began to gain. Perhaps now you can analyze some of the psychological reasons for this. What then happened in your life, in your soul at that time? And also observe yourself now - at what moments the appetite is especially strong. What is the reason for this? Write about it. More details are desirable.

Task number 2.
Within two days, you need to make yourself a gift for the fact that you began to engage in your own harmony. Get creative with this activity and think of the little child, the little girl who still lives in you. She wants to have fun and enjoy life. Please her.

Food addiction is a pathological condition characterized by the inability to control food consumption by a person. In most cases, people with this disorder use foods not to eliminate hunger, but to relieve their own psychological problems, or getting positive emotions.

The studies carried out by experts allow us to assert that a person's dependence on food intake is comparable to that on alcohol, tobacco or narcotic products. And the consequences of such addictions are not long in coming - obesity, hypertension, diabetes. A lot of diseases appear. However, getting rid of food addiction is quite possible - both independently and with the help of a psychotherapist.

What are the reasons

Any addiction is, first of all, a failure in certain nervous processes. The same can be attributed to the almost uncontrollable desire of a person to eat something. Indeed, when eating food, a specific hormone is produced in the body - serotonin. With an increase in its concentration, there is a feeling of satisfaction, a surge of strength and energy. Therefore, people often substitute a desire to receive psychological comfort for the way they maintain their vital functions.

At the same time, one should not confuse an addiction to a certain type of food, for example, cucumbers or cheese, with a desire for a plentiful feast, when it does not matter what is served, as long as the portions are large. The first is eating behavior. Whereas the second, of course, is a pathological condition.

The main causes of food addiction:

• experienced long-term or short-term, but strong, stress - a kind of "seizing";
• nervous disorders - eating helps such patients to calm down, get rid of negative emotions;
• excessive worries about one's own appearance - the constant striving for perfection brings people to extremes and perversions in the diet, for example, a manic desire to minimize calories becomes the norm of their life;
• getting rid of other addictions - according to the principle "they knock out a wedge by a wedge".

Representatives of the beautiful half of humanity have long literally raised the amount of food they consume to the rank of merits - in direct proportion to the dominant fashion. Some liked the "bird" portions, while others strove for "Rubensian" body shapes.

In children, food addiction is formed from the desire to please parents, to get their praise, or not to offend their grandmother. This stereotype can remain for life.

The main types of food addiction

Whatever the reasons for the appearance of food addiction in a particular person, it manifests itself in one of the following forms of the disease:

1. Hyperphagia - or in simple terms, banal gluttony. A person consumes huge portions not because he is hungry, but to cheer himself up or out of boredom. Vivid taste sensations contribute to the production of endorphins, which improves mood, psychological calming occurs. However, after already swallowed food, a person may experience remorse and a sincere desire to stop binge eating, until the next bout of food intake.
2. A form of food addiction, when the craving for food is so painful that the patient, fearing to gain excess weight, is forced to empty his stomach after each snack. Outwardly, such people can look completely healthy and have a normal body weight. However, in the advanced stages of the disease, they are given out by dry skin, increased hair fragility, as well as destroyed tooth enamel. In addition, pathologies of the esophagus and other organs of the gastrointestinal tract are often diagnosed in bulimics.
3. A psychological disorder, expressed in a significant suppression of the desire for food - anorexia. The main goal pursued by such people is to achieve the ideal, in their opinion, forms - to lose weight as much as possible. At the same time, patients do not experience any aversion to food. It's just that being overly concerned about their own weight prevents them from eating normally. In severe cases, such torture on oneself brings a person to death.
4. Taste addiction - for example, "carbohydrate thirst", when a person seeks to make a menu only from sweet foods, or, conversely, excessively strict diets, literally counting each calorie, the so-called separate food- only proteins.

Each of the above forms of food addiction is, first of all, a failure of psychological activity. Therefore, in most cases, you cannot do without the help of a specialist.

Symptoms

The number of people suffering from various food addictions is increasing every year at a catastrophic rate. The problem is attached great value among healthcare professionals around the world.

To recognize an ailment in the early stages of its appearance, it is enough to carefully look at the behavior of your family and friends. Some of the earliest signs of eating disorders include:

• reduced criticality to their own weight - patients do not recognize their excessive thinness or obesity;
• craving for food is truly uncontrollable - they can get up to have a snack, even at night;
• , anxiety if the house is missing a certain supply of food or favorite foods;
• refusal to visit public places where food is served - restaurants, cafes, canteens;
• absorption of food occurs quickly, and if food is served slowly, they can flare up;
• suffering from feelings of guilt after binge eating;
• extremely low self-esteem;
• the presence in the body of various pathologies, one way or another, interrelated with indigestion;
• many hours of sports - exhausting your own body to make it perfect;
• the search for more and more excuses for their behavior, for example, a person claims that he has, which makes him seek solace in food.

In some cases, a person brings himself to various diets, uncontrolled intake of medications, for example, laxatives and diuretics, so that he needs emergency hospitalization. How to overcome food addiction in this case will be decided by the doctors.

What are the consequences of the disease

People who are more and more addicted to overeating are prone to anxiety-depressive reactions - they can happen literally every few minutes. Self-doubt builds up own forces, passive forms of behavior, depression appear.

Food addiction can lead a person to many different diseases. A number of them in themselves have serious complications and consequences:

• diabetes is a frequent companion of obesity, accompanied by deterioration of vision, brain activity, circulatory disorders in the extremities;
• hypercholesterolemia - an increased concentration of cholesterol in the bloodstream threatens the deposition of cholesterol plaques, which is fraught with vascular accidents such as strokes and heart attacks;
• hypertension - studies prove that every 3-5 "extra" kilograms increase blood pressure parameters by 5-7 mm Hg;
• disorders of the digestive structures - frequent exacerbations of cholecystitis, pancreatitis;
• complications from the musculoskeletal system - various osteoarthritis and osteoarthritis threaten both "dumplings" and "thin" women;
• apnea - a syndrome of sudden respiratory arrest for a split second significantly impairs the oxygen supply of all organs, especially the brain, which also leads to various neurological diseases.

And this is far from complete list what can happen to a person who has this or that food addiction. Therefore, it is necessary to deal with such disorders in a comprehensive and timely manner.

What you can do yourself

The main task of a patient who realizes that he has a problem and decides how to get rid of food addiction on his own is to feed the brain, not the stomach. This is understood as the systematic switching of one's own interests from eating food to other goals - to get pleasure not from the abundant absorption of food, but from other joys of life.

So, you can sign up for the fitness center or the pool. Adequate, rather than excessive, physical activity also promotes the production of endorphins, hormones of joy. Of course, it will take great efforts to suppress the centers of hunger and desire to nourish the stomach. Few manage to get rid of such cravings on their own forever, but successful cases serve as an example for the rest.

What can be done:

• to form a really persistent motivation - to correctly set goals and objectives, and the support of relatives and friends will help to overcome not only eating disorders, but even cancer;
• to draw up a certain nutrition plan - it is better to work with a specialist, and adhere to it, by all means, for example, buy only the "right" products and in the required quantity;
• choose a really exciting hobby for yourself, which will have to pay maximum attention, and achieving success will delight you with positive emotions - enroll in a group of drawing, singing, dancing or cutting and sewing;
• working on self-esteem is a colossal work, you will have to literally "uproot" from yourself all the complexes that have been formed and embedded deep inside, learn to see yourself as you are, and then also fall in love.

Each person is the creator of his own personality. Parents can only lay the foundation, and people are already building the rest themselves. Understanding and accepting your problem is already half the battle on the long road to recovery.

Treatment by a specialist

Treatment of food addiction by psychotherapists is based on cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy. To achieve high results, it is necessary to find the root cause of the disorder, and then gradually oust it from consciousness, switch the work of the brain to something else, more interesting. Working in groups is effective, where people share their experience, methods of dealing with the desire to fill the stomach with food.

Anyone can cope with food addiction if they receive the necessary support - from relatives, friends, a psychotherapist. Only the first steps are difficult, then a person, seeing a positive result - an improvement in health and well-being, already strives for success himself.