Can We Be Addicted to Food?
Sunday, March 27th, 2011[Excerpt]
How do you cure a food addiction? For that matter, how do you define it? Food addiction is one of those grey-area nutrition issues, formed from a combination of research, experience and anecdotes that currently lies somewhere between abstract concept and scientific truth. At this time, researchers are still working to define what, exactly, constitutes food addiction, and if such a condition exists, what can a person who feels addicted do to help themselves? Over the next few weeks, we’ll take a closer look at a complex issue that, for now, raises more questions than provides answers.
FOOD ADDICTION
As reported in the National Post last week, food addiction is a condition that falls outside of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which means that, at least for now, one cannot receive a formal, medical diagnosis of being a food addict. Those who feel they are addicted to food, however, tend to share a number of common experiences, such as out of control eating, frequent high calorie food choices or even binges, secrecy and a sense of intense, overwhelming craving for certain foods.
The psychological triggers for food addiction can be similar to the triggers of other addictive behaviour, but there is also mounting evidence that our food environment can compound the issue. If certain individuals have a genetic predisposition to food addiction, or they encounter a life-altering event or series of events that put the wheels of addiction in motion, our 24-hour-a-day access to highly palatable food can help move that trigger to full-blown dependence. This process, known as the hedonic reward system, or hedonic feeding, can be triggered by the sight or smell of food, or simply by visual cues like a food commercial or the familiar logo of a favourite restaurant. Put simply, a food addict trying to cope in today’s food environment might have a similar experience as a smoker or drinker trying to kick the habit while living in a real-life episode of Mad Men.
[End Excerpt]
Source: National Post
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