12 Symptoms of Food Addiction
This is a guest post written by Uttoran Sen.
Those of you, who eat a healthy and balanced diet, skip the cola and drink water, avoid the junk and cook at home, substitute sugar with natural sweeteners like honey – food addiction might be an alien concept for them.
However, unfortunately, most people aren’t that disciplined when it comes to eating. You eat as much as you want; you chase the taste instead of nutrition and very soon without you even realizing you fall into one of the food addiction traps that are so very hard to get out of.
Here, in this article, we are going to list some common signs and symptoms of food addiction.
1. Lack of control – You know you have eaten more than the portion you have set aside for yourself and you still can’t stop eating. Lack of control over your diet is a serious sign of food addiction and should be taken very seriously. This is where it all begins and surely it can end here if you just put more self-control over your eating.
2. Eating in private – You are ashamed of your food intake and you feel more comfortable to eat at some place private where people can’t see you eating.
3. Food as a prize – How do you reward yourself for your achievement and success? Right, you eat more – you give yourself an awesome treat. While this is not bad in general, however if this is just an excuse for you to eat more, then it is time you give it a second thought.
4. Are your clothes tight? – Your new dresses are just as tight as the old ones, and there is no way you can fit into any of those. Get some control over your eating or start wearing those large size clothes – take your pick.
5. Prefer food over party – Why do we go to a party? Dance, drink, food, meet new people, make friends, eat more food, get some free time, release tension, even more food, Right?
If the sole reason for you to go to a party is to eat food then you should be going to a restaurant instead.
6. Lifestyle changes – Are you changing yourself so that you can eat more food? You do exercise, join a gym, get loose clothes etc. just because you can’t get rid of the extra calories that your diet provides.
7. You lie about your eating – Have you ever talked about your food intake with any one? Do you tell people that you just had some snacks when the reality is that the snacks you ate would be good enough for someone’s whole lunch?
8. Eat with a full stomach – You feel like eating even if your stomach is full. You keep eating till the point when you can no longer eat any more and finally fall sick.
9. Eating when sad – When you feel low, when you are sad – you start eating? You take comfort from food and use it to get rid of the sadness that is surrounding you.
10. Speed eating – Do you eat quickly so that you can eat even more?
11. I hunger – The feeling of being hungry – is it affecting your life? You cannot focus on your everyday work, can’t work in your office, can’t do your day-to-day activities, because that feeling – hunger – is taking control over yourself.
This happens with every addiction, it stops you from doing your regular work because there is only one thing in your mind – the thing you are addicted to. This is how substance abuse goes on; you can’t stay away from it.
12. Over eating guilt – Yes, this is the worst of the feelings. You know you have done wrong, you know you are guilty of overeating – but there is nothing you can do to stop it. No matter how much you think about it today, how many failed promises you make – yet there will be tomorrow and you will over eat again.
Image courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Category: Diet and Nutrition
As someone who has stuggled with binge eating for many, many years I can relate to all of those symptoms of food addiction. I found that it was the result of other underlying issue that I had to address first. I’ve been on a path of healthy living for 2 years now. Controlling myself with food portions is a struggle everyday but I take everything one step at a time. Thanks for this article!
Mandy recently posted..Could being a little overweight be a good thing?
Twitter: evelyn_parham
says:
Hi Mandy!
Thank you for sharing and chiming in!
Taking everything one step at a time is a very good practice.
Take care,
Evelyn
Food addiction is very similar to drug addiction but both can be overcome with the right treatment.
Sadly I meet almost all of the criteria for a food addict. Some days are better than others but it’s a daily struggle
Michelle recently posted..Melvita Organic Cosmetics Review
Twitter: evelyn_parham
says:
Hey Michelle,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing!!
Twitter: mylifeenergy
says:
Hi Michelle,
I am sorry to hear about your food addiction. I don’t know if you juice daily, but if you don’t I think doing so is a good way to start breaking your addiction. If you have a blender, start blending veggies in the morning. This can either replace your breakfast or complement it. Use what green leafy vegetable you have in your fridge. If you have kale or can get some, that would be great. If not use lettuce. Add some ginger, and if you have some cilantro add some. And also some cayenne pepper. This will help to start to clean your system and will provide nutrients to help stop cravings.
Aqiyl Henry recently posted..The Benefits of Noni Juice | Weight Loss Yes It Works
Twitter: evelyn_parham
says:
Hey Aqiyl!
You should write a guest post, only if you like. Either way, I’m sending you an invite.
I can return the favor for you by writing a guest post.
Thank you so much for replying to Michelle. You are giving her excellent advice.
Evelyn Parham recently posted..The Avocado, An Amazing Superfood
Twitter: mylifeenergy
says:
Thanks Evelyn, I sent you an email.
Aqiyl Henry recently posted..The Benefits of Noni Juice | Weight Loss Yes It Works
Twitter: evelyn_parham
says:
Got it! Take care!
Twitter: mylifeenergy
says:
Thanks Uttoran Sen for your article and thanks for your comment and link to radio show. I agree with the Dr.’s assessment that eating foods with empty calories creates a cycle that causes us to stay hungry, even though we are eating large quantities of food. To combat the hunger we need to be educated that only foods will high levels of nutrients will help us not to hunger. Our bodies need a certain amount of nutrients daily, and the body will cause one to crave food (feel hungry) until those nutrient levels are met. We will need much more empty calorie foods to satisfy our hunger, and since we would be eating larger amount of foods, we make it difficult for our organs to properly digest the food, and then the undigested food starts to build up in our bodies.
Aqiyl Henry recently posted..Iron and Non-Heme Role In The Body And Its Benefits
Twitter: pampeekemd
says:
Thanks for your posting. I was very happy to see your thrust about taking food addiction seriously. I\’m a physician and scientist in this field and join my other colleagues as we share with you new NIH funded research validating food addiction. There are two new resources for people seeking knowledge and help about this: for professionals there\’s the newly published Food and Addiction textbook edited by Brownell and Gold. For consumers there is The Hunger Fix, which, after its recent launch became a NYT bestseller. Both present the new science and the consumer book profiles a science based detox and recovery blueprint. We now know that there is are organic changes that take place in the brain of anyone with an addiction and food addiction is no exception. Once empowered with this information, as with all addictions, there is a plan to help people as well. There\’s also a Yale U Food addiction quiz you can take http://www.drpeeke.com/PopQuiz.htm which is a scientifically validated tool. Kudos again to you for highlighting this topic which, in the coming months, will become more well known, and hopefully help many people.
I hope I will never become a food addict. However, in my opinion, only weak people can’t control their cravings.
Cristian Stan recently posted..Steam Mop Reviews
Twitter: KymberlyFunFit
says:
Lots of great habits listed to help identify the difference between eating too much and a true food addiction. In fact, my sister and I just interviewed Dr Ed James on our radio show on the very subject of food addictions, and agree they are insidious and growing! If your readers are interested to learn more, take a listen: http://www.womensradio.com/2012/11/are-your-food-cravings-normal-or-a-food-addiction/
KymberlyFunFit recently posted..How to Avoid Overeating on Thanksgiving
Twitter: uttoransen
says:
hi Kymberly,
Just went through the radio show of yours and must say, I absolutely agree with Dr Ed James. Also, it is always good to have someone with authority to speak about these matters.
thanks for sharing,
Uttoran Sen recently posted..47 Outlandish Ways to Inspire Writing