If you or your loved one has been experiencing any of these above symptoms as a result of food addiction, seek out professional help immediately to work through these pertinent issues. If you or your loved one had been struggling with a food addiction, you may understand the implications this may have on the various aspects of your life. If a food addiction is left ignored or untreated, it can rapidly begin consuming your life, creating damaging and chronic symptoms.
Understanding how this may affect the different aspects of your life may encourage you to get the help you need and deserve. The following are some of the effects of an addiction to food:.
Physical Effects — A food addiction can result in many negative physical consequences on the body as an excess of food is consumed. These are some physical effects that may be experienced:. Psychological Effects — An addiction to f ood can be debilitating to mental health, especially if there is a lack of support or inadequate help.
Some of the psychological effects that may be experienced include:. Finally, food addiction can have an impact on your social life and relationships. Social effects of food addiction include:. If you or a loved one has found yourself stuck in the vicious cycle of an addiction to food, you have likely experienced a roller coaster of emotions, including despair, frustration, and hopelessness. Publications from , , , , and , among others, have highlighted that palatable foods — or even foods in general — stimulate the same parts of the brain and share the same neuronal activities as illicit substances.
The hippocampus, caudate, and insula are three brain regions that researchers have pinpointed as being implicated in this relationship. For instance, foods and illicit substances both result in the release of the hormones, such as dopamine, and endogenous opioids that the body naturally produces.
In theory, it is possible to explain this behavior by the phenomenon of incentive sensitization , which posits that it is possible for a person to want something even if they do not like it, as long as it stimulates the pleasure centers in their brain.
For example, people may crave a sugary beverage because it makes them feel good due to the release of dopamine rather than because they genuinely enjoy drinking that beverage. In fact, researchers developed the YFAS based on information in the DSM-4 about the symptoms and associated behaviors of substance use disorders.
The YFAS contains 25 self-reported questions that may help identify food addiction. The concept of food addiction has drawn a lot of interest in the scientific community, with some proposing it as a potential underlying contributor to obesity and others seeing it as a symptom of having excess body weight. Whichever way this association may lie, a review cites evidence that behaviors linked with food addiction occur at notably higher levels in people seeking bariatric or weight loss surgeries.
Despite the existing research, food addiction remains a controversial topic in the scientific community due to inconclusive evidence from numerous studies.
Many studies that argue that food addiction is a real phenomenon focus on the similarities between food cravings and cravings for illicit drugs. However, the concept of food addiction raises the important question: If foods can become addictive, are they bad for us? Although both foods and drugs stimulate the reward system and pleasure center in the brain, foods do not exert the same pharmacological effect as drugs. Also, people consume foods very regularly and in complex combinations. This makes quantification difficult and blurs the line between use and misuse.
Not only is it difficult to classify the misuse of foods, but researchers have not yet determined which nutrient or combination of nutrients causes food addiction. Studies in rats have identified that a diet high in fat and sugar — as many processed foods are — can induce addiction-like behaviors. Some believe that the presence of sugar in the gut may be the causative nutrient, but this remains unproven.
Some studies suggest that food addiction is a plausible cause of obesity, and the food addiction model even emphasizes being overweight or having obesity as one of the clinical criteria. Food addiction is a problem that rarely resolves on its own. Unless a conscious decision to deal with it is made, chances are it will worsen over time.
The first steps to overcoming the addiction include listing the pros and cons of quitting trigger foods, finding healthy food alternatives, and setting a fixed date to start the journey toward health.
Consider seeking help from a health professional or free support group. Its current publication date reflects an update, which includes a medical review by Timothy J.
Legg, PhD, PsyD. Some foods are more likely to cause symptoms of addiction than others. This article provides a list of the 18 most addictive and the 17 least…. Food addiction is a common eating disorder. Here are 8 common signs and symptoms of food addiction. Losing or maintaining weight can be challenging, especially with so many tasty food options available.
Here are 11 foods that can contribute to weight…. Food addiction can affect the same area of the brain as drug addiction, and treatment may involve similar approaches.
This article lists the 4 most…. Refined sugar and highly processed junk foods affect the brain in many similar ways as addictive, abusive drugs like cocaine.
Junk foods are highly processed foods that tend to be high in calories but low in nutrients. Examples of possible trigger foods include:. However, it is worth noting that a person might develop a compulsion to eat any food that brings them comfort. Binge eating disorder includes periods of excessive overeating. Read more here. After compulsively consuming large quantities of food, a person may also experience negative feelings, such as:.
Treatment for compulsive eating should address the emotional, physical, and psychological needs of the individual. Treatment will focus on breaking the destructive habit of chronic overeating. The goal is to replace dysfunctional eating habits with healthy ones and to address problems, such as depression or anxiety. Treatments that may be effective include :. Several lifestyle changes can also help a person manage uncontrollable urges to consume particular foods, including:.
Crash dieting is not helpful for curbing dietary urges, as the craving can return once food intake becomes less restrictive. People who compulsively eat certain foods and feel they would benefit from a particular diet plan should speak to a dietitian, nutritionist, or physician before starting to restrict their intake.
Anyone who feels that their eating is out of control or who wants help getting to a healthy weight should speak to their doctor. Likewise, if self-prescribed lifestyle changes are not sticking or compulsive eating behaviors continue, a person may benefit from seeking medical assistance.
A doctor will be able to help suggest treatment methods and routines for healthy eating, weight loss for those who would benefit, and regular exercise. A therapist can also help a person develop new coping mechanisms and a more positive relationship with food.
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