Food addiction: signs, treatment.

“One of the main symptoms of food addiction is constant thoughts about food: what to eat, what to buy in the store, what to cook,” explains Candidate of Medical Sciences, nutritionist Irina Stetsenko. “In addition, difficulties arise in controlling oneself while eating: there is no strength to stop, you want to eat until you feel heaviness in your stomach or it becomes difficult to breathe.” Typical signs of food addiction include a spontaneous desire to eat when

form of food, “eat up” everyday troubles and other stressful situations, increasing the volume of portions over time, accompanied by a feeling of guilt. Many of us tend to reward ourselves with something tasty after completing a difficult or unpleasant task. And also an intolerant attitude towards others who criticize our food habits. Dependence also manifests itself in the fact that, against a background of hunger, anxiety arises; the lack of favorite food causes physical suffering, reminiscent of withdrawal. And another characteristic sign is frequent, disordered eating during the day and at night. If all these symptoms are familiar to you firsthand, you have a food addiction.

Typical signs of food addiction include a spontaneous desire to eat at the sight of food, as well as “eating” everyday troubles and stress. Photo: PhotoXPress

“Once a young plump woman turned to me for help, who by that time had reached extreme despair,” says Irina Stetsenko. “With a height of 160 cm, she weighed 84 kg, felt deeply unhappy and consumed all her everyday troubles with chocolate. She replenished her supplies of her favorite delicacy every day, then locked herself in the room and devoured them in secret from her family. After talking with the patient, I found out that her “sweet” addiction came from early childhood: her parents, who were constantly missing at work, left their daughter with her grandmother, compensating for their absence with candies and chocolate. I first

recommended her a two-day chocolate fasting diet - 150 g of chocolate (70-80 % cocoa content) per day for 6 doses (chocolate had to be slowly absorbed), 3 tsp. honey and always 2 liters of still water plus 2-3 cups of herbal tea. After a couple of days, my patient got rid of 2.5 kg without any pain and was very happy, believing in her strength and the result. She and I created a program of fractional meals, and chocolate (20-25 g) was always present in her daily diet between breakfast and lunch. Her parents bought her a treadmill, and suddenly the girl became interested in running. In 5-6 months she lost 22 kg and got happily married.”

Where do product lovers come from?

According to scientists, food addiction can also be inherited. For example, a person may be born with fewer dopamine receptors, which predetermines the development of many types of addiction in the future. Dopamine is a hormone responsible for a person’s psycho-emotional state. He supports

the functioning of the heart and brain, helps control weight and is responsible for performance. The lack of this hormone in the human body leads to a constant state of depression and the accumulation of excess weight. For some, food addiction begins in early childhood. After all, food is the first pleasure available to a child from birth. And often parents, perceiving any discomfort in the child as hunger, begin to feed him. They console with goodies, relieve nervous tension, smooth out quarrels, improve relationships, encourage, and by punishing, they deprive the child of these pleasures. As a result, such eating behavior is reinforced and, what is even sadder, it displaces emotional and spiritual needs.

Alas, today for some reason constant overeating is not considered a bad habit. But it does so much harm to the body! The behavior of people with food addiction is similar to the behavior of drug addicts: they have an irresistible desire to eat their favorite product, which eases the tolerance of stress, they do not use food

to satisfy hunger, and above all, to cope with anxiety, excitement, or to cheer up and get pleasant emotions. It has been proven that people with food addiction, like alcoholics and drug addicts, have a malfunction of dopamine receptors, which are responsible for motivation. Both cannot resist their habit, no matter how destructive it is to their lives. Therefore, like an alcoholic, a food addict will eat until his favorite food runs out in the house. It must be said that many of us sometimes do this, especially on holidays, but addicted people do this all the time. And it’s not just a lack of self-discipline or simple promiscuity, as is usually believed, but a serious disruption of the functioning of dopamine receptors.

Don't go to the store on an empty stomach!

Is it possible to completely get rid of food addiction without resorting to the help of doctors? It turns out that it is possible. “First, you need to identify foods and drinks that provoke addiction,” recommends Irina Stetsenko, “and try to either completely abandon them or reduce their presence on the menu to a minimum

(you can treat yourself to your favorite treats in small quantities and only in the first half of the day). A great way to understand your eating habits is to keep a food diary in which you record what, when and how much you eat. Don't stock up on groceries at home and don't go to the store on an empty stomach. Remember that any food you buy will eventually end up in your stomach. Gradually train yourself to use small plates and cups, which will help reduce portion sizes. Eat small, regular meals and eat only when you are truly hungry.”

However, it should be remembered that it is almost impossible to maintain excessive food restrictions for a long time - they can lead to breakdowns and subsequent stress. Therefore, do not completely give up your favorite food: if you have an irresistible desire to eat something, give in to it, but... just a little. And don't forget that not only

food can compensate for the lack of dopamine and joy hormones. Anything that brings pleasure can successfully relieve stress and improve your mood. This includes physical exercise and various hobbies, such as dancing, music, books, and hanging out with positive people. In addition, exercise increases dopamine levels in the brain and increases the number of its receptors, which reduces hunger. Try to be positive, and your life will sparkle with new colors, and the need for extra calories will gradually go away. As you know, people in love and creative people have no appetite during work - the craving for food is interrupted by other dominants.

If you can’t get rid of food addiction on your own, you shouldn’t put the problem on the back burner - be sure to consult a nutritionist and psychotherapist. “In my practice, I have encountered stubborn patients who were difficult to deal with,” says the nutritionist. - For example, one

one of my charges could not get rid of his long-standing addiction to sweet soda. Or rather, he didn't want to do it. I gave all kinds of arguments, convincing him to give up the drink: I told him that each bottle contained 36 cubes of sugar, about the negative impact of carbonated water on the functioning of various organs, about diabetes. The patient listened, nodded, but did not express any desire to give up soda. And only after learning that it contained dangerous compounds that destroy hair follicles and stimulate hair loss, he was truly scared and since then has not touched the harmful drink again.”

Rules to help you get rid of food addiction

• Eat 5-6 times a day in small portions.
• Be sure to have breakfast, since it is the morning meal that launches metabolic processes and energizes you for the whole day.
• Organize the right snacks: some fruit (or dried fruit), whole grain bread, natural yogurt, nuts.
• Avoid sugary soda and drink plenty of plain water. It muffles the feeling of hunger and helps get rid of waste and toxins.
• Chew your food thoroughly and slowly: this will help you feel full faster and avoid overeating.

Modern people use food not only as a source of energy, but also to eat away their problems. Many of us use food as a substitute for communication, sex and intense emotions. In this article we will talk to you about a serious problem that most likely partially concerns you.

You can’t live a day without a liter of coffee, or you can’t deny yourself a cake even after a hearty lunch, or perhaps you eat chips every day? Most likely, you have a food addiction. What to do to overcome it, what “symptoms” and signs of the disease should alert you - read about this in the article.

The average person, unencumbered by training and active recreation, exceeds the daily calorie intake by one and a half to two times. What causes this behavior? How to stop eating stress and how to get rid of food addiction? Why shouldn't you give up all your favorite treats right away? You will find answers to these and other questions in today's article.

The essence of the disease and the causes of the problem

Psychology identifies the term “addiction,” which means dependence. Experts say that food addiction is no different from alcoholism or drug addiction. If a drug addict needs a “dose”, and an alcoholic needs a full glass, then the “foodie” needs food. The process of eating food is practically uncontrollable, and in the absence of the necessary products in the refrigerator or cupboard, the addict’s mood deteriorates, irritability and excessive emotionality arise.

A person who suffers from food addiction begins to eat much more than his body needs for normal functioning. Such people are prone to overeating, and the process of eating treats is suspended only when the sufferer becomes physically ill.

There are two types of obsessive needs (addictions) - chemical and emotional. And if the former relate to alcohol and drugs, then the latter precisely characterize behavior when a person, with the help of some actions (and in this case, food) tries to make up for the deficiency of certain emotions.

Just like other addictions, “food addiction” can develop from childhood.

What products can be classified as dangerous?

There are certain treats that can actually cause addiction, which is quite difficult to get rid of. These include:

• First of all, these are sweets. Everyone knows about a substance called serotonin, which can cause joy and other pleasant emotions. It is the consumption of “sugar” desserts that contributes to the production of this compound, and only after eating them does a feeling of satisfaction arise. If you don't get joyful emotions in your life, then very soon you will become addicted to cakes and ice cream.
• Potentially dangerous can also be products containing cocoa beans. These include cocoa, chocolate and, of course, coffee.
• You should also be careful with fast food. All these dishes contain a considerable amount of flavor enhancers that can cause food addiction.

It is known that breaking the connection between “sweets and pleasure” is often beyond the power of overweight people. To begin with, it is recommended to at least partially replace buns and other treats with dried fruits. You need to remove them from the diet gradually, and not at once. After all, this is a huge stress for the body.

In order not to get “hooked” and not look for information on how to overcome food addiction, we recommend that you listen to the opinion of nutritionists and give up harmful additives:

• monosodium glutamate;
• fructose corn syrup;
• artificial sweeteners.

The latter actually reduce the calorie content of your favorite carbonated drinks, but they do not bring any benefits to the body. In addition, these synthetic substances significantly increase appetite.

All these additives are used in the manufacture of products not with the best intentions. Psychologists believe that they cause a feeling of addiction, and after using them a person goes back to the store for a new “dose.”

Consequences of addiction

Before we talk about how to overcome addiction to food and get rid of the obsessive desire to count calories or eat troubles, you need to clearly understand what “foodism” leads to. Do you think that the worst thing is 5-7 kg. overweight? Unfortunately, the “side” effects can be much more frightening. These include:

• obesity;
• diseases of the joints and musculoskeletal system;
• serious problems associated with the functioning of internal organs;
• development of diabetes mellitus;
• increased levels of “bad” cholesterol in the blood;
• temporary cessation of breathing during sleep.

It should also be noted that “food addicts” often suffer from low self-esteem; they cease to respect themselves. Really, what kind of respect is there if food addiction takes control of you again and again?! Women note that they stop liking themselves due to rapid weight gain.

Signs of food addiction

There are many signs of food addiction. You may be suffering from this disease if:

• your portion size has increased significantly over the past few years;
• you stop eating only after you feel bad;
• you cannot pass by a supermarket or small shop without going there and buying something;
• you start eating the purchased delicacies as soon as you leave the store, and even if you are not at all hungry;
• you can eat to calm down, get rid of feelings of loneliness or anxiety;
• Once you feel full, you continue to eat until you've eaten every last crumb.

In all of these cases, the person suffering from food addiction realizes that he is eating too much and that he should change his habits, but he cannot help himself. If you have at least some of the “symptoms”, then you most likely suffer from a food addiction. How to get rid of this problem?

If you have been trying to fight yourself for a long time and dream of getting rid of this “illness”, but cannot control yourself and understand how to overcome food addiction, then perhaps you should consult a psychologist. It also wouldn’t hurt to visit a nutritionist who can help you form healthy eating habits and select a balanced menu for every day.

Eating behavior: the difference between sick and healthy

Please note that if you are accustomed to the taste of a particular product and constantly consume it, this does not mean that you have developed a food addiction. In reality, it's just your passion. There are a large number of people who love certain dishes or foods. For example, coffee in the morning, pizza, cheese with black bread or seafood. All this refers to absolutely normal eating behavior.

But there is also the other side of the coin, when we can talk about the presence of an addiction that needs to be gotten rid of. For example, if you eat not because you feel hungry, but in order to eat away stress or a problem, lack of love or money, or when you are tormented by a feeling of guilt. In this way you are trying to get positive emotions and a “charge”. In just a short period of time, a person with an addiction notices that portions are increasing, and he is increasingly resorting to such “food therapy.”

One of the main differences between addiction and addiction is that in the first case a person enjoys the taste of his favorite foods. And in the second, he absorbs food mechanically and unconsciously, enjoying the process itself.

How to overcome food addiction

1. First of all, you must realize that you have a food addiction. How to get rid of it is the second question. First you need to understand what led to its development. Some people are used to escaping reality in this way. For example, the reasons for “food addiction” may be hidden not only in a lack of positive emotions, but also in health problems. Surprised? Indeed, people who are in pain try to distract themselves with a cake or French fries.
2. For self-control, we recommend starting keep a food diary. Throughout the day, write down everything you put in your mouth. If most of your diet consisted of forbidden delicacies, then remember the reasons for your eating behavior. Analyze whether you can handle food addiction treatment at home. You can overcome the disease on your own if you make an effort on yourself and deny yourself the next portion of treats. Instead, drink a glass of acidified water.
3. By the way, about water. Experts advise starting to deceive your body. Instead of the much-desired sweets, treat him to two glasses of water. Do this before every meal, and also at times when you feel like you're about to break down. This will help you get rid of the “disease” as quickly as possible.
4. If you want to understand how to overcome a severe food addiction, analyze your day. Most likely, you eat while watching TV or chatting on a social network. Psychologists advise starting to eat in silence, without being distracted by other activities.
5. Out of the fridge, out of mind. Partially remove all foods you are addicted to from your kitchen. And during the week, do not look into the departments of the supermarket where they are located.
6. Experts believe that You can’t completely give up the “forbidden fruit”. Take away the chocolate or donuts and you will have a breakdown. Plus, you'll eat a lot more. After all, the body has received a command that it is being limited. Many people struggle radically with problems. They need to lose weight - they refuse to eat or go on strict diets. In the case of such an eating disorder, this is not an option. In your case, breakdowns are extremely dangerous.
7. Emotional dependence on forbidden food must gradually be replaced pleasant emotions, obtained from communication with others, interesting work or hobbies.
8. Addiction can be treated with physical activity. Sport should become an integral part of your life, because it removes the source of the problem of food addiction. The fact is that with regular training, the hormone of joy is produced, so all negative emotions will remain in the gym, and you will feel a surge of strength and vigor. If you are struggling with an “illness” in this way, give up the idea that this is how you punish yourself for gluttony.
9. It is very important that a person suffering from food addiction find like-minded people, together with which it will be easier to get rid of sick mania. Perhaps it would not hurt you to visit the club of anonymous “foodies”. Or you can tell your family about your problem and ask for their support. Sometimes, with a well-coordinated tandem, the help of a specialist may not be needed.
10. If your psychological addiction to food has arisen due to severe stress or nervous tension, then start practicing aromatherapy, attending massage sessions or other spa treatments. These are effective methods that combat negative emotions and relax not only your body, but also your brain. Getting rid of a strong food addiction may also include acupuncture sessions, yoga and meditation.

If your methods of struggle are ineffective, then it is better contact a specialist which will reveal food addiction. Its treatment involves the use of neurolinguistic programming, suggestion or hypnosis. But remember that these methods will not work if you are not aware of your problem and want to get rid of it.

Now you know what food addiction is and what symptoms may indicate that you need professional help. After all, first of all, this is a psychological problem. We also hope that our tips on how to deal with food addiction on your own will help you get rid of the problem, overcome it and, finally, start living a full life.

Do not forget that a person really needs food for the normal existence of his “biological spacesuit,” but you should not become a slave to the refrigerator and your stomach. We believe that instead of another pack of chips or a hearty lunch at KFC, it is better to spend time with your family, take up a new hobby or arrange an evening of relaxation in the bath.

Has it ever happened to you that after eating you are completely full, your stomach is full, but you still want to eat something just to enjoy it? Has it ever happened to you that you have already eaten at home, but suddenly find yourself at a party or in a public catering place where you are offered something to drink or eat, and you are overcome by the fear that if you do this, you will definitely gain extra pounds? Does it ever happen that you don’t notice how you eat a kilogram of candy in one sitting and don’t even feel like you’ve overeaten? If you answered yes to at least one of the questions, then most likely you have a food addiction.

Types of food addiction

Don’t be too scared and run to the doctor or register yourself as disabled. It is possible that such eating behavior is not typical for you all the time, but happens very rarely and you can count such situations on your fingers. But if this happens often enough, and you realize that you cannot control yourself and control it, then you should think seriously about your health.

We all know that there is alcohol or nicotine addiction, drug addiction and gaming addiction, the so-called gambling addiction, but few people realize about food addiction. In fact, it is difficult to imagine dependence on what all of humanity is dependent on. Food is what every living creature needs to sustain life. The difference is that we eat to live, and people with food addiction live to eat. No matter how loud it may sound, it is true. I speak about this with complete confidence, because I myself experienced it and still experience it, although much less often.
So, let's figure out what types of food addiction there are and what separates them.

The most common type of food addiction is the usual Binge eating or Gluttony. In religious literature this is called gluttony and is equated to a great sin, like murder or theft. Many people nowadays suffer from this disease without even noticing it. A person consumes much more food than he needs, devoting himself completely to eating, making a whole event out of it, devoting a lot of time and attention to eating. Moreover, very often a person is not aware that he is overeating and that his weight is rapidly growing, and even if he notices, he does not concentrate his attention on it, because eating food in large quantities is very pleasant, and the rest is not important.

Another type of food addiction is (translated from Greek as bullish appetite). The person has an insatiable appetite and consumes large amounts of food in one sitting or throughout the day. Moreover, the understanding that he is overeating clearly and clearly appears before him, but he is not able to stop on his own. Very often a person eats to such an extent that the stomach cannot stand it and empties on its own. But basically, the patient himself empties his stomach so that all the food eaten does not have time to be absorbed by the body. Unlike the first type of food addiction, a person suffering from bulimia is very afraid of gaining excess weight and strives in every possible way to get rid of excess calories. This is usually achieved by artificial cleansing of the stomach or intestines, using.

The last type of food addiction is (translated from Greek - not the urge to eat). A person suffering from anorexia completely or partially refuses to eat for fear of gaining excess weight. At the beginning of the disease, a person refuses some foods completely, avoids them and is even afraid. Later, he reduces the amount of all food consumed, and, in the end, may completely refuse to eat. Food in principle causes hatred and fear in them. They avoid visiting public places where they might be offered food.

Signs of food addiction

All types of food addiction that I described above are presented in the very last stage of their development, that is, an already existing disease. Like any disease, food addiction has its own symptoms, and if you notice any of them in yourself or your loved ones, you should pay close attention to this and determine the extent of the disease.

So, how food addicts behave and how they feel:

• They think that thin and beautiful are the same thing
• They don’t take care of their appearance and don’t want to notice their excess weight
• Uncontrollable cravings for food in general, or for certain foods
• Constantly feeling anxious about eating
• Attachment to certain products and feelings of dissatisfaction and rage due to the absence of this product in the house
• Eating frequently throughout the day (every hour or more often)
• Intentionally refusing to eat or visit places that offer food
• Impatience when eating, eating food quickly
• Uncontrollable anxiety about skipping meals
• Feelings of guilt caused by food consumption
• Self-blame and low self-esteem
• Depression
• Frequent headaches
• Gastrointestinal problems

These are just a few of the symptoms that indicate an incipient or progressive disease. Each patient has his own symptoms that are not inherent in the other. Only you yourself can feel that your life and all your thoughts depend on food. If you live from breakfast to lunch, from lunch to dinner and nothing else occupies you, then this is the first signal that you are gradually starting to get sick. Food addiction is not born in one day or even in one year. This is a very long process that usually begins in childhood.

Causes of food addiction

All signs of food addiction are already consequences of the disease, its extreme forms, so to speak. But the reasons for food addiction are purely psychological. Unlike drug addiction, which is caused by a physical effect on the nerve centers of the brain, food addiction is more psychological in nature. Although, of course, food also affects our brain and causes it to produce substances that cause a feeling of euphoria and satisfaction.

Despite this, the reasons for this dependence are psychological factors. However, I cannot say clearly that food addiction is caused by any specific feeling. Each person has completely different reasons. For some it is a child’s resentment towards their parents, for others it is a resentment towards their husband or wife, etc. One thing I can say for sure is that a feeling of dissatisfaction with oneself, one’s appearance and low self-esteem are inherent in everyone suffering from food addiction. Some people know exactly what triggered the problem; some find it difficult to figure out the reasons for the addiction themselves. To do this, it is best to contact a professional psychologist or psychotherapist. In the treatment of food addiction, it is very important to understand what exactly caused such consequences. Fighting the disease with purely physical methods (hiding food, replacing harmful foods with healthy ones) is not effective. It is more important to understand the psychological reasons and motivate a person to get rid of this addiction.

Why is food addiction dangerous?

If you suffer from food addiction, then you understand that this is the most disease there is and it brings as much suffering as, say, toothache. Imagine that this toothache constantly accompanies you, before bed, in the morning, at work, at home, wherever you are. Not only do thoughts about food prevent you from working and existing normally, they also have purely physical consequences.

Food addiction in the form gluttony and overeating dangerous for obesity, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and many other diseases that obese people are susceptible to.

It is dangerous because uncontrolled eating of large amounts of food always leads to problems with the functioning of the stomach and intestines; there have been cases of ruptures of the stomach walls. Constant emptying of the stomach leads to problems with the esophagus, destruction of tooth enamel, and diseases of the oral cavity. Frequent use of laxatives disrupts intestinal function and leads to dehydration.

Anorexia most often entails eating disorders, hormonal imbalance, cessation of the menstrual cycle and infertility, deterioration in the quality of the skin, hair and nails. The extreme consequences of anorexia are dehydration and death.

As you can see, the consequences of any food addiction are very terrible and sometimes irreversible, and ultimately leading to death.

How to get rid of food addiction on your own

Of course, food addiction is not a runny nose and it is very difficult to get rid of it forever on your own. This requires a lot of effort and long work not only on oneself, but also the work of specialists in the field of nutrition, psychology and physical education. However, we know many examples where people even got rid of drug addiction on their own. Because the main problem of any addiction is, first of all, in the head. And this is where you should start if you want to get rid of addiction on your own.

Step 1

So, the first direction you need to choose is motivation. Motivation is very important in overcoming yourself and your own fears. A person can sometimes motivate himself so strongly that he turns out to be capable of actions that are unusual for him, while showing courage and bravery, strength and pressure, courage and fearlessness of which he is not aware.

The main and first step on the path to recovery is to motivate yourself. You can be motivated by your loved ones, your loved one. But sometimes the people around you are not aware of your problem and cannot motivate you. We have to take everything into our own hands. First, understand that food addiction is not just a habit, it is a bad habit and sooner or later it will lead you to severe health problems, sometimes incompatible with life. Set yourself the goal of getting well for the sake of someone or something, and first of all for yourself, for the sake of life itself, healthy and happy.

Step 2

Once you have found a purpose to live for and strive to overcome your food addiction, you need to create a power system, which will allow you to eat right. Start by writing a list of foods that you can eat every day. Read the literature, scour the Internet and you will find a bunch. After that, make a list of foods that you can eat 1-2 times a week. These are foods that are also healthy, but in small quantities, which do not make you full, but contain useful substances. It could even be various sweets. Then make a list of foods, perhaps your favorites, that you can treat yourself to once a month. It is very important that you do not set any strict limits for yourself. You shouldn’t give up on your favorite chocolate and decide for yourself that you will never be able to taste it again in your life. This is wrong. Even if fast food will be present, but in such quantities that it cannot harm either your body or your figure.

Step 3

The next important stage of rehabilitation is hobby. Food addiction is an addiction not so much to the food itself, but to the emotions that eating it gives you. It is unlikely that any of you will eat raw cabbage all day long and worry about it. Most likely, these will be foods that you enjoy eating, tasting, and enjoying. By and large, food addiction becomes a problem when there is a lack of positive emotions from the outside replaced by positive emotions from eating. Therefore, during the recovery period, it is very important to get positive emotions from something other than food. You just need to keep yourself busy with something interesting. This will help you not think about food constantly and get positive emotions. Do something that interests you. Enroll in a drawing, sewing group, or a sports section. Sport, by the way, is another way to get rid of food addiction. During strenuous exercise, the body produces hormones that affect the centers of the brain responsible for pleasure and appetite suppression. This is true, I tested it myself.

Step 4

And the last stage, the most difficult and longest, is working on your self-esteem. People suffering from any form of addiction are people who are unsure of their uniqueness, of their personal integrity, suffering from low self-esteem, and subject to constant self-flagellation. The main thing is to understand that it is not your body and your organism that makes you who you are, but your consciousness that forms the wrong idea about food and your essence. Stop berating yourself, stop hating your body. It's beautiful and unique. If you suffer from excess weight or are afraid of gaining it, then do not eat your grief, do not force your body with hunger. It's a vicious circle. Loving yourself is very difficult and requires a lot of effort and time. But the work is worth it. Reward yourself for any victory, even the smallest one. And don't punish yourself for any mistake. Just forgive yourself for everything and move on towards your goal. You have no one closer and dearer than yourself. No one will ever take care of you if not you yourself. This is your life and you have only one. And there are a lot of interesting and pleasant things in it, besides food.

I suggest you watch the video of Dr. Gavrilov’s “Nothing Extra” project on how to deal with food addiction.

The content of the article:

It is difficult for people who have not encountered this problem to believe that ordinary food causes addiction in some people. People need daily food to survive, but it also brings great pleasure. If a person consumes it in large quantities, it can cause a pathological addiction.

Food addiction - what is it?

If people have a great addiction to food, then it is boldly called a disease. According to experts in this field, this disease can be compared to drug or alcohol addiction. This process is almost impossible to control, because a forced ban, on the contrary, can lead to a surge of negative emotions.

A person suffering from this disease eats so much food that it exceeds the usual norm. And therefore, a lot of overeating occurs, which can lead to diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and gastrointestinal problems.

One of the main causes of addiction is unpredictable stressful situations. And, unfortunately, not many people are able to cope with them, because they begin to get nervous and worry, which leads to a great desire to eat.

Causes of food addiction

• As already mentioned, stress is the main cause of food addiction. After all, there are a lot of people who “eat up” any minor excitement. For them, food becomes the only “joy” that relieves them from feelings of depression and loneliness.
• Food serves as a similar method of “treatment” for people with mental illnesses. Eating different foods calms them down, helps them get rid of negative emotions and generally improves their condition.
• Often the disease occurs in those people who have some defects in appearance. They worry so much about this that eating turns into an uncontrolled process for them.
• There are times when people eat a lot of food to reduce physical pain. On a mental level, they believe that food helps them feel much better.

Symptoms that help identify the disease

1. For a long time, people have been constantly trying to increase their food intake. And compared to previous years, meals are noticeably different.
2. Tolerance is one of the symptoms of the disease. It manifests itself when a person realizes that he actually eats a lot of food.
3. Anxiety comes when a person feels hungry. Scientists have proven that when you feel hungry, the human body feels discomfort. Also, against the background of hunger, many people experience anxiety and panic, which is a direct sign of food addiction.
4. Symptoms of concern. They manifest themselves when a person who is already addicted to food spends a lot of his time purchasing food products. And the daily necessary tasks take much less time than it was done before. And therefore, people often forget about important things because their thoughts are occupied with food.
5. Many attempts to cope with the disease on my own were unsuccessful. People who have experienced a very strong addiction try different diets to get rid of it. But for many, instead of switching to diet food, the opposite happens, a stronger appetite appears.
6. It is difficult for a person to give up his habit even after serious complications have arisen in his health. For example, eating too much food (to a large extent, consuming a lot of sugar) can lead to diseases such as diabetes, as well as obesity. This symptom almost always indicates a person’s food addiction.

How to get rid of food addiction?

Food addiction is a disease that needs to be treated. To get rid of it you need to follow some rules:

1. In order to try to get rid of addiction, you need to adhere to an appropriate diet. It is necessary to completely eliminate sugar and flour products from the diet. This can be done at least for a while until control begins to be restored.
2. Another huge step towards recovery is eliminating irritants. To do this, you need to try to remove from the house all those products that pose a threat to humans. It is also very important that all family members stand in solidarity with the dependent person and support him.
3. Those people who are addicted are accustomed to eating irregularly, having frequent snacks, and eating at different times. You need to develop your own regime, which includes three main meals and two light snacks.
4. It is also very important that addicted people find like-minded people in this problem. Because it will be easier to find a common language with such people, since you are united by the same problem, and it will be easier to look for ways to solve it faster.
5. People suffering from this disease need to learn to cope with their emotions. If they control their emotions, it will be easier to find the reasons that influence the appearance of stress.
6. Everyone knows that physical activity always has a positive effect on human well-being. And in this case, they will be very useful, because with the help of various exercises you can not only get rid of excess weight, but you can also increase self-control over food intake. Thanks to this, people become more resistant to stressful situations.
7. Thanks to the advice and consultation of specialists, people managed to get rid of the disease and make their lives more manageable. But first you need to make sure that the addiction has completely disappeared. A person needs to be extremely careful for some time. And when everything gets better, you can return to your previous way of life.
8. Since the main reason for eating habits is various stressful situations, keeping a special journal will help you get rid of this disease. In this journal you need to write down your negative emotions, and in what quantity and how often you eat food. Experts say that this method makes a person understand that the emotional background greatly influences the increase in food consumption.
9. As soon as a person has a desire to eat, he goes to the kitchen in search of “prey”, as a result it all ends in severe overeating. In this case, experts recommend keeping your hands busy with something else, because in this way you can be distracted and control the amount of food you eat. For example, you can do a regular hand massage, because this will also be beneficial for the skin of your hands. Try doing exercises with a wrist spander. This procedure will not only help you get rid of the thought of eating, but will also be very beneficial for your muscles and joints. And the simplest “distraction” is a regular manicure. Just get your nails in order and you will get rid of the next “attack” of hunger.
10. If you find it difficult to refuse another portion of goodies, try tricking your body. To do this, you need to prepare low-calorie dishes that will bring you more benefits. For example, replace your favorite salads with mayonnaise with low-fat sour cream or low-sweet yogurt. Also choose those salads that are prepared with the addition of olive oil. Also avoid fried foods and steam food instead. If it is difficult for you to give up chocolate, eat only natural dark chocolate, not white or milk.

Also remember, you should never console a child with sweets, because many adults do this to children. In addition, there is no need to reward your baby with food, because you may pay dearly for it in the future.

For more information on how to get rid of food addiction, watch this video:

Food addiction is a form of psychologically determined addictive behavior, expressed in a person’s inability to resist the need to eat. Moreover, the need is not caused by a physiological feeling of hunger or thirst, but by a psycho-emotional state that entails such an activity as the absorption of food.

Food in modern society is becoming a drug, a legal permission to have fun, relieve stress, make an appointment or take a time out. The secondary benefits presented by the process of eating food are enormous - they will help a shy young man to communicate with a girl, and a person swamped with work will not be judged if he goes out for lunch, unlike a walk in the park, which takes the same amount of time. Food brings people together in certain companies, where easier and more pleasant communication begins - remember the cheerful laughter in the smoking room or near the coffee machine, and how it stops when people leave these places.

Signs of the emergence of addiction are a change in the previous lifestyle and behavior, relationships appear and change, while the main part of a person’s thoughts revolves around food and there is an inability to refuse either thoughts on this topic or an extra piece of food. This dependence manifests itself mainly on sweet, spicy, fast food products, usually unhealthy foods containing fats and carcinogens.

Causes of food addiction

Hunger is not always a factor in addiction; you may feel the need not for food, but to treat yourself to something tasty by choosing a certain type of product - then there is a certain level of chemical dependence caused by certain products, where it is not a change in the biochemical functioning of the body that is involved, but the degree of impact to receptors. After eating sweet and carbonated foods, the natural tastes of vegetables and fruits do not irritate the receptors of the tongue to the proper extent, and a feeling of fullness does not occur. The same thing happens with smoked meats and products containing monosodium glutamate - after them, other food seems tasteless, so even after lunch, you crave such things. This effect is removed quite quickly, by forceful refusal within a few days (there will certainly be withdrawal) and the taste buds are restored, it is harder to break the mental habit of buying chips after every quarrel.

A predisposition arises and this type of behavior is consolidated in childhood, and getting rid of it has the same stages as from any other psychological one, since there is no chemical component here. The need to eat stress (as a way of self-comfort) can be shaped by the style of parenting (when the child was handed a bun instead of psychological care). The feeling of one’s own bodily and psychological needs may be disrupted when parents decide how the child should eat - then an attitude is formed that the more food is eaten, the better the attitude of the elders will be, or at least this way it will be possible to avoid punishment.

It is a mistake to believe that a person with a food addiction is overweight, because you can make efforts and be normal, but lose all control over your own behavior at the sight of chocolate cake. Also, food addiction has its manifestations in underweight, having as its manifestation not overeating, but rather refusal of food. Any deviations in eating behavior and its construction not on the basis of a feeling of hunger are addiction, and it can manifest itself either in excessive absorption or in refusal of food altogether. In the example of human relationships, this is called dependence and counter-dependence; in terms of behavioral psychology, this is also.

To understand how to deal with food addiction, you need to examine the aspirations of the individual and understand what brings joy besides food, since the main substance obtained from the foods chosen by the addict is serotonin. And if there is nowhere to find joy in your own life, it comes from food, and life’s problems accumulate, so a circle closes, which must be broken taking into account psychological characteristics and mechanisms.

Getting rid of food addiction begins with identifying the symptoms, which include increasing food portions, frequent overeating, and the inability to refuse supplements. In addition, there is a craving for sweet, starchy and spicy foods, a feeling of guilt after eating, a desire to absorb food secretly, and inducing vomiting after eating. With such symptoms, you should begin to get rid of addiction, starting with the search for its occurrence.

The causes of food addiction may be hidden behind physical or... In the first case, food serves as a comfort and gives some pain-relieving effect, saturating the body with serotonin; in the second, it helps to overcome feelings of sadness or even cope with loneliness. Stimulation of the oral area is unconsciously associated with breastfeeding and brings calm. The mechanism turns on for those stuck at the oral stage, and then they look for similar ways to overcome emotional difficulties in adulthood - alcohol, cigarettes, food, kissing, everything related to the oral apparatus and its stimulation. Food also helps to cope with, blocking negative experiences and delivering the much-needed feeling of happiness in the shortest, but not the most productive way, in many cases leading to an even greater drop in self-esteem.

Eating disorders are often companions, sometimes remaining the only area that is within a person’s control. Since mental activity no longer seems reliable to him, and manifestations of reality can be illusory, in order not to fall into the abyss of uncertainty and anxiety, a person resorts to calming down with the help of food. Also, with disorders associated with self-perception and acceptance of one’s own body, weakly obsessive care for it, food addiction occurs, the purpose of which is to reduce the number of defects or bring one’s own physical manifestation to an ideal state.

Of the emotional experiences, an invariable companion of any overeating is a feeling of inner emptiness and lack of fullness of one’s own emotional life. Since our mental and physical are inextricably linked, such mental hunger at a certain stage begins to give signals that are perceived as physical, and a person who does not pay attention to his soul begins to feed himself, in the hope that it will become easier. But the feeling of satiety with food will not come, and absorption will be like throwing food into a black hole, as in the movie “Route 60,” since the real emotional need remains unfed.

Situations of internal emptiness arise due to the absence or loss of significant goals, guidelines, meanings in life (for example, both divorce and wedding can lead to a similar state, plunging into a lack of understanding of how to live further). , transitional stages and traumatic situations are those events that pull the rug out from under your feet and destroy the old way of life, forcing you to look for new ways of existence, the meaning of your future aspirations and the organization of space. And if a person is sufficiently stress-resistant and has experience in overcoming crisis moments, he will more easily find new ways, while for those who have not encountered global changes or have lost something extremely valuable, finding a way out will be problematic and will require mental pain relief. In such cases, some go to psychotherapy, some to a bar, and some to a candy store.

Biological factors can also provoke an incorrect attitude towards food (changes in hormonal levels or metabolism entail changes in eating habits), but unlike psychological issues, such failures may require medical intervention, acting solely as a symptom. In such cases, it makes no sense to go on a diet, monitor and control, including awareness, your behavior, since this only aggravates the underlying disease.

The tendency to food addiction is laid down by parents with food. For example, a mother may try to manipulate the behavior of a baby through feeding; in adulthood, they decide for the child what kind of food, in what quantities, and at what time he will eat, ignoring the needs of the child himself. With such upbringing, a person’s sensitivity to the needs of the body is disrupted, the feeling of hunger may be distorted, and food is perceived as a way to achieve approval (“well done, you ate everything”), a reward (“if you do your homework, you will get candy”), protest (not to finish eating or even do not eat during quarrels). Then food becomes a way of communication and loses its primary functions, and relationships with food reflect relationships with the world, increasing its significance in the personal assessment of the environment.

Types of food addictions

When talking about food addiction, many people imagine a girl who won’t miss a display of cakes, although in fact there are much more varieties of this disorder and the forms also take on more serious forms.

Taste addiction focuses on the need for a certain product and its taste. Foods with serotonin (chocolate, bananas) or those that have a noticeable effect on the body (coffee, seafood) are becoming widespread among taste-dependent people. Pleasant sensations from the taste of a product dilute negativity, boredom or fill a pause, like a cigarette smoker, and the use and taste addiction itself are similar to entertainment, although it is not excluded in case of a prolonged absence of a favorite delicacy.

A more serious problem is overeating, when a person is unable to control the required amount of food, as a result of which obesity begins. Usually caused by stress factors or decreased mood and. It is completely solvable when we work through psychological problems and change our life strategy.

The next type is fasting, which has various forms of manifestation. This may be a refusal of certain foods (when trying to lose weight, foods that, in a person’s opinion, contribute to fat deposition are excluded) or a refusal of food altogether. The reason is often the desire to lose weight, and this leads to disturbances in the psycho-emotional sphere, anorexia nervosa, dystrophy and a number of both psychiatric and physiological problems. With anorexia, disturbances are detected in one's own body, which seems full even if it is underweight. At the initial stage, a person is quite capable of independently regaining a healthy attitude towards the process of eating or using the support of loved ones and a psychologist, and at the stage of more serious development, drug therapy is necessary to restore both physical (restoration of metabolism and proper functioning of the digestive organs) and psychological health (considered one of the diseases of a psychiatric clinic).

The opposite of anorexia is bulimia, which is characterized by outbreaks of hunger, absorption of food in huge quantities, while the choice of products, as in the first case of taste addiction, is not important, the quantity is important. Usually this is a rather painful condition for the body and the next stage of absorbing a huge amount of food is the artificial induction of vomiting or a laxative effect. becoming obese is caused by inducing vomiting, but there is no possibility of volitional control over eating; a person actually subjectively experiences a terrifying feeling of hunger, even to the point of pain and spasms of the esophagus, seeing the only way out in the immediate absorption of a huge amount of food. Just like anorexia, in its extreme manifestations it is treated in a hospital setting.

How to get rid of food addiction on your own?

Addiction, even if not drug addiction, but food addiction is not such a simple problem, so you should learn how to deal with food addiction yourself from specialists, and not rely on luck, making the situation worse. And first of all, it is necessary to exclude biological malfunctions in the functioning of organ systems, knowing in advance that the main problem is in the psyche, then it is worth identifying your own solution, without which there will be no progress in self-healing. It helps a lot to analyze this way of life and consider the prospects where it will lead in ten years.

The mechanical and quite simple stage is to draw up a proper nutrition plan, including acceptable foods (with a distinction in what quantities and how many times a day or week each of them can be consumed), portion sizes and frequency of meals. You should always have the ideal list at hand, but you should not demand that you immediately and strictly adhere to such a diet. Old habits, reinforced by physical sensations, are quite strong and after holding on for a week, you can wake up near a fast food stall, finishing your sixth shawarma. Allow yourself sweets and unhealthy treats, but gradually reduce their volume.

When adjusting the nutrition aspect itself, do not forget that the cause of any addiction lies in the psyche and without paying due attention to the causes of addiction and changing your life situation, all efforts to improve your diet will be meaningless. Resolve old problems that undermine your mental resources, find something to fill the inner emptiness (look for emotions - new hobbies, interesting travels, people). Playing sports and filling yourself with positive emotions are allies in the fight against addiction.

Further deeper and more serious work will follow: find things that develop you and reward yourself for every achievement, even minor ones. Just not with food - give yourself new experiences by buying a movie ticket or riding a horse. If you won the math olympiad, treat yourself to a pool pass; if you defended your master's degree, update your haircut; successfully pass your project, go on a picnic. Try to keep your activities varied and develop your different sides. Your main task is to normalize your life, learn to cope with stress and resist external pressure instead of eating up problems.

Treatment of food addiction

Treatment of any eating behavior disorder includes joint work of a person with a psychologist or psychotherapist on intrapersonal problems that led to such a condition, and the duration and program are determined individually and depend on the severity of the manifestations and the specifics of the clinic. The main goal of such work is not the normalization of weight, but exclusively the normalization of eating behavior, violations of which led to the consequences of changes in body weight.

A comprehensive approach usually involves working to introduce and maintain the principles of mindful eating, which excludes forced dieting methods that lead to relapses. Mindful eating is aimed at increasing sensitivity to the needs of your own body and its responses to food (this includes both the type and amount of food).

Deep work is carried out with internal attitudes towards food and one’s own personality. Constant companions of eating disorders are decreased self-esteem, lack of energy, the inability to build productive contact, living in past problems and other traumatic situations that force a person to eat constant anxiety.

Typically, rehabilitation takes about two months with regular sessions of individual and group psychotherapy, where the personal causes of addiction are identified and the most authentic ways to get out of this situation are developed, without the use of harsh measures that frustrate the psyche. Most often, treatment is carried out with periodic visits to a psychotherapist and support groups, but in some cases hospitalization (sometimes forced) is required in cases of impaired physical health or the need for psycho-emotional correction. Compulsory hospital treatment for anorexia is especially important, since deaths are possible, as well as irreversible changes and disorders, and possibly organ failure due to exhaustion and starvation.

The most relevant in working with food addictions is aimed at eliminating inappropriate behavioral patterns and developing a new behavior pattern. Body-oriented and dynamic therapy is actively used for better contact, feeling and understanding of the body image, as well as its needs.

Group therapy has proven to be very positive in the treatment of all types of addictions, where it is possible to get support and come closer to accepting your own problem as existing, which is the starting point for rehabilitation. In addition, family therapy is actively involved, since eating behavior takes its roots in the family system, always borders closely on the sphere of interpersonal relationships and is one of the markers of trouble in the family.