Are you a food addict?

We’ve all heard about drug and alcohol addiction, even shopping and sex addiction. Some people swear they’re addicted to chocolate or coffee ... but is there really such a thing as food addiction? And if there is, do you have it?

While experts argue about the precise nature of food addiction, many people with eating problems don’t fall into clinical diagnoses of eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia. Consultant Clinical and Coaching Psychologist Dr Suzy Green says, “There are definitely people who do rely on food as a major source of comfort and/or use it to reduce negative emotions like anger, sadness and fear.”

Is junk food addictive?

Some research into food addiction suggests that people who are controlled by food show similar characteristics to people who are addicted to substances like drugs, alcohol and nicotine. By stimulating the release of natural opioids in the brain, sugar and fat could have a similar effect to addictive drugs such as heroin, according to John Hoebel, a psychologist at Princeton University in New Jersey.

Dr Hoebel conducted research in which rats were fed a high sugar diet. When their sugar-rich diet stopped they showed signs of anxiety, including ‘the shakes', symptoms similar to those seen in people withdrawing from nicotine and morphine. Dr Hoebel commented, "The implication is that some animals – and by extension some people – can become overly dependent upon sweet food."

In other words, the affected person could be looking for a ‘hit’ that comes from the release of brain chemicals brought on by eating certain foods or types of foods. Other research has suggested the high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt combo that can be found in many junk foods may be difficult to resist, too. We all reward ourselves with treats from time to time, but overdoing comfort eating can mean that the brain becomes trained to recognise certain foods as a type of quick mood fix.

Compulsive eating

Compulsive overeaters are people who eat too much, too often and inappropriately. They’ll often plan a binge session and stuff themselves in secret. The session can involve any type of foods, even unappetising frozen fish fingers eaten straight from the freezer. Over time, uncontrolled binge eating can feel normal, because it becomes a regular part of a person’s life.

Take Sarah. She struggles with overeating and is a self-confessed chocolate ‘addict’. She says, “Whenever I feel stressed or depressed, I reach for something sweet. I have plenty of it stored around the house, but not where my husband and kids can see it. When I am in the middle of a session, I don’t think about what I am putting into my body. I just carry on and on until I feel bloated and uncomfortable. Afterwards, I look at all the empty wrappers and I feel disgusted at my lack of control. I feel angry and depressed, but I know I will do it again.”

Sarah has just started a course of treatment with a trained psychologist and hopes to get to the route of her problems and tackle her behaviour.

Are you a food addict?

Does Sarah’s story strike a chord? Do you see yourself doing the same things? Ask yourself:

• Do you eat when you're not hungry?
• Do you think about food constantly?
• Have you ever wanted to stop eating and found you just couldn't?
• Do you fast or severely restrict your food intake?
• Do you binge and then vomit, exercise or use laxatives?
• Do you over-do exercise to control your weight?
• Do you eat differently in private than you would in front of others?
• Are your family/friends/doctor concerned about your eating habits or weight?
• Do you often feel guilty or ashamed about what you've eaten?
• Do you think food is a problem for you?
• Have you ever felt angry when someone ate food you saved for yourself?
• Do you overeat more than twice a week?
• Do you seek out companions who eat the way you do?
• Do you eat and keep eating to make yourself feel better?
• Is your eating or your weight affecting your way of life, your relationships or your work?

If you answered ‘yes’ to a number of these questions and/if you have associated physical symptoms such as headaches, irritability, difficulty in sleeping, mood swings and depression, you might have a problem with food.

Getting help

If you suspect you have food addiction or disruptive eating behaviour, specialised help is a must and your doctor is a good place to start. Psychologist Dr Suzy Green suggests, “Instead of food, try to identify other ways to comfort yourself i.e. talking it out, laughing with a friend on the phone or face-to-face. Your doctor might refer you to a psychologist who can help you to get to the bottom of unresolved issues and offer practical solutions for getting your behaviour under control.”

The specialist group Overeaters Anonymous offers a 12-step program that can help you to control destructive eating behaviour. You can find meetings nationwide plus there is also help available online at www.oa.org.au.

Regain control

If you don’t feel you have a major problem with food addiction, but do want better control over your eating behaviours:

• Use the comments section of your diary to track your mood. This helps to pinpoint situations that can trigger cravings.
• Give exercise a proper go. It helps to focus your mind away from food and your mood and also boosts feel-good endorphins.
• Take up relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation. These can leave you feeling calmer and happier with yourself.

Although breaking a food addiction is tough, it is possible. If you think you have a problem, make sure you seek help.