Overcoming food addiction can be just as tough as battling any other addiction. The obesity and overweight levels in the US are skyrocketing. Some people blame the wide variety of high calorie foods that are available on a daily basis. Never before has there been so many calories available to a population with such a relatively low price. Since food is so cheap some believe that we are eating too much just because we can. If there is food in front of us we will eat it. To a certain extent this may be true because our ancestors needed to eat a lot whenever they could because they never knew when their next meal would come.
But this doesn't answer all the question of why we have such a high level of obesity. There were times in history when food was plentiful but people did not get as gargantuan as they are now. This other aspect may very well addiction.
We have become a nation of addicts. The levels of drug addiction, nicotine addiction, and alcoholism are at all time highs for the younger generations. If our view of food is changed it could very well be that we would be seeing the same problems with food that we see with drugs. Food has become more than just a way for us satisfy our hunger. It has now become an entertainment item. If you watch TV you see all the time how food and restaurants highlight the fun factor of food. If you are sad, go out to dinner and be happy. If you are stressed, go out to dinner and forget your problems. If you are lonely, go out to dinner the ads always show lots of happy people having a great time when they are eating.
It is very possible that we have linked emotions to food and that is why we are overeating. We are eating to fill up an emotional need not to fill up our stomach. Until we come to grasp the idea of food addiction we will not be able to do anything about our obesity problem.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Food Addiction Recovery
There seems to be more and more evidence that people can actually be addicted to food and suffer the consequences of addiction just like an alcoholic or drug addict. In particular it seems the foods rich in simple carbohydrates may have an affect on a person suffering from food addiction that nicotine, alcohol, or illicit drugs have on people addicted to those substances. All of these substances can affect the serotonin levels in the brain and there is some evidence that the brain chemistry can be affected by high carbohydrate snack food also.
Basically, serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the nervous system. Low levels of serotonin have been associated with depression and most anti-depression drugs target serotonin manufacturing and the inhibitation of the uptake or absorbing of the transmitter. There is now a growing body of evidence that suggests foods rich in carbohydrates may have an affect on brain chemistry like addictive substances do.
In the digestion process dietary tryptophan is converted to serotonin. This is a normal occurance but in some people this inrush of serotonin acted like as a mood alterer. People who tend to binge late in the day on simple carbohydrate snacks tend to get a rush of good feelings that can lead to an addictive behavior. Everyone has heard of a sugar rush and this is exactly what happens. Some people who eat foods that are high in simple sugars receive a mood altering experience that can be reinforcing. If you crave candy, cookies, and chips it is quite possible that you may be experiencing this phenomenon.
I know sometimes I have such a craving for chocolate or sugar that I am almost in a trance state until I feed the craving. This type of food addiction can be very controlling as it can very easily lead to binging. Have you ever done really well for a few days by not eating junk food and then you have just one cookie. That cookie then sets up an eating binge that doesn't stop until you finally eat so much that you are sick? This could be a reaction to food addiction.
Many alcoholics and addicts in recovery find that they crave high carbohydrate foods. In fact there is a joke in recovery circles about the weight gain associated with addiction recovery. You lost the addiction but gained 40 pounds. It may be that the people in addiction recovery are satisfying their need for serotonin with simple carbohydrates instead of the alcohol and drugs that their brains had relied on.
If you have cravings for sugary foods that seem to take control of your actions you may have an addictive reaction. New research is shedding light on this problem and addiction treatment centers are being set up to help people who suffer from this unhealthy relationship with food. Considering how much sugar and corn syrup is being added to our diet today it is no wonder that our obesity levels are rising. This may be why overcoming food addiction is becoming such an important topic to discuss as we look at ways of combating our overweight problems. The good news is food addiction can be treated once it has been diagnosed.
Basically, serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the nervous system. Low levels of serotonin have been associated with depression and most anti-depression drugs target serotonin manufacturing and the inhibitation of the uptake or absorbing of the transmitter. There is now a growing body of evidence that suggests foods rich in carbohydrates may have an affect on brain chemistry like addictive substances do.
In the digestion process dietary tryptophan is converted to serotonin. This is a normal occurance but in some people this inrush of serotonin acted like as a mood alterer. People who tend to binge late in the day on simple carbohydrate snacks tend to get a rush of good feelings that can lead to an addictive behavior. Everyone has heard of a sugar rush and this is exactly what happens. Some people who eat foods that are high in simple sugars receive a mood altering experience that can be reinforcing. If you crave candy, cookies, and chips it is quite possible that you may be experiencing this phenomenon.
I know sometimes I have such a craving for chocolate or sugar that I am almost in a trance state until I feed the craving. This type of food addiction can be very controlling as it can very easily lead to binging. Have you ever done really well for a few days by not eating junk food and then you have just one cookie. That cookie then sets up an eating binge that doesn't stop until you finally eat so much that you are sick? This could be a reaction to food addiction.
Many alcoholics and addicts in recovery find that they crave high carbohydrate foods. In fact there is a joke in recovery circles about the weight gain associated with addiction recovery. You lost the addiction but gained 40 pounds. It may be that the people in addiction recovery are satisfying their need for serotonin with simple carbohydrates instead of the alcohol and drugs that their brains had relied on.
If you have cravings for sugary foods that seem to take control of your actions you may have an addictive reaction. New research is shedding light on this problem and addiction treatment centers are being set up to help people who suffer from this unhealthy relationship with food. Considering how much sugar and corn syrup is being added to our diet today it is no wonder that our obesity levels are rising. This may be why overcoming food addiction is becoming such an important topic to discuss as we look at ways of combating our overweight problems. The good news is food addiction can be treated once it has been diagnosed.
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