Gluttony. How to get rid of gluttony

Bouts of gluttony and insatiable hunger are summarized by one concept - bulimia. This is an uncontrollable need to obtain large, sometimes huge, amounts of food in a short period of time.

A single dose is sometimes several times higher in calorie content and volume. daily requirement in food. Physiological urges or the patient’s own invocation of vomiting after eating occur up to several times a day. However, bulimia should be viewed by doctors in a much broader sense.

Food and all the problems associated with it are a kind of distraction, masking emotional problems hidden deep in the subconscious. In addition, the disease has a significant impact on the environment of the person, relatives, and friends of the patient. The patient’s fixation on thoughts about food leads to the fact that it becomes difficult to contact others, interests and plans for the future change, ambitions are not realized, dreams are not realized, the patient is closed within the walls of his own captivity.

When can gluttony be considered a pathology?

It is very important to distinguish common gluttony from uncontrolled overeating(compulsive overeating). Overeating in itself is not a disease.

About availability mental disorder can be suspected by discovering a number specific symptoms that characterize bulimia. Symptoms – specific signs or patient complaints that describe the disease. When there are several of these signs, they can be combined into a syndrome and attributed to any disease. So in the case of bulimia, the symptoms are:

Lack of control over eating - the inability to stop eating, to the point of physical discomfort and pain.
- Secrecy.
- Eating unusually large amounts of food without obvious changes in weight.
- Disappearance and theft of food, the formation of caches of unhealthy food by patients.
- Alternating between overeating and fasting - “all or nothing” when it comes to food.
- The patient disappears after eating and attempts to induce vomiting or perform an enema.
- The smell of vomit in the bathroom or toilet.
- Excessive physical exercise, especially after eating.
- Microcracks or scars in the throat from provocations of vomiting.
- “Chipmunk” cheeks, due to swelling after vomiting.
- Discolored or yellow teeth from exposure to stomach acid.
- Frequent weight fluctuations up to five kilograms.

All bulimia attacks reflect the patient's feelings and are a way of getting rid of negative emotions. At this point, one can see similarities with addiction, such as drug addiction. On initial stages drug use brings positive effects. As with drug addiction, bulimia can be accompanied by reckless behavior, even petty crimes (stealing food or medicine) occur. Patients often deny that there is a problem, hide their behavior, and try to deceive others.

The problems of a bulimic sufferer are often complicated by others. Conflicts in the family due to the patient eating a large amount of food, social isolation.

Causes of bouts of gluttony

Scientists believe that gluttony is a panicky, compulsive (uncontrollable) overeating, the causes of which lie in a combination of genes with negative emotions. Studies of brain structures have shown that the formation of the disease is based on dysfunction (impaired functions) of the brain, which is responsible for appetite. In addition, the development of bulimia is influenced by genetic predisposition to addiction, education (if food was used in the family as a means to alleviate stressful situations).

When there are other causes influencing the disease, the disorder is classified as “unrefined.” This:
- Ugly body proportions, far from the physical ideal.
- Low self-esteem.
- Mental trauma or illness in the past.
- Lack of a life partner or permanent sexual partner.
- Strong changes in life.
- The period of puberty.
- Public profession or type of activity.

Risk factors for bulimia

Six factors have been identified that influence the development of the disorder eating behavior, the most important are four of them:

Hereditary factor.
It is believed that the disease can be inherited (a factor associated with a distorted understanding of patterns and standards associated with food). Tests conducted on twins show that both subjects have a predisposition to bulimia and this is associated with the 10th chromosome.

Physiological factor.
Bulimia greatly affects hormonal balance in the body, therefore, in the formation of the disease it is extremely difficult to determine the true, preceding disease, endocrine disorders. It is impossible to know for sure whether low level hormones are the cause of the disease or its consequence. However, research shows that endocrine reasons Bulimia should be considered:

Chronically increased level stress hormones (glucocorticoid hormones group is responsible for the regulation carbohydrate metabolism);
- dysfunction of neurotransmitters (nerve impulse transmitter): serotonin (mood, anxiety, appetite), norepinephrine (stress) and dopamine (reward);
- abnormal levels of the hormone responsible for hunger and metabolism.

Psychological factor.
Personality traits and emotional problems are significant contributors to bulimia. Such as low self-esteem, feelings of hopelessness, panic fear gain weight, uncontrolled behavior, emotional instability.
Many features of the human psyche are the result of many years of exposure environment. It is difficult to understand what influences the development of the disease more, cultural or psychological factors.

Examples psychological influence:
According to studies, 40% of weight loss in girls aged 9-10 years occurred due to the insistence of parents and the mother’s excessive emotionality in this matter;
The disease manifests itself less frequently in families where there are traditions and daily routines and more often where relatives rarely dine together at the same table;
Among victims of violence, bulimia is 35% higher.

Cultural factor.
Thinness in modern world considered an indicator of a person’s success and worth. Colorful magazines, television programs and beauty shows promote thinness. A stereotype has formed that only a slim person is beautiful. Sports, work and creative activities force you to monitor your weight, keep fit and appearance. Therefore, the risk of developing bulimia is highest among actors, television workers, athletes and dancers.

Diseases that can cause binge eating

Depression is a mood disorder that may be a precursor to bulimia.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a personality disorder in which uncontrollable behavior is possible, such as overeating.

Schizophrenia - there is one of the forms when patients are dissatisfied with the proportions of their body or believe that food is harmful to them. Characterized by delusional judgments and refusal of food, provoking vomiting.

Obesity - chronic illness, manifested by increased body weight. In order to lose weight, patients may resort to methods such as inducing vomiting or taking special medications for weight loss. The disease can transform into bulimia.

Diabetes mellitus develops as a result of a lack of the hormone insulin. Patients are on lifelong maintenance treatment with a special drug. Artificial insulin causes a strong feeling of hunger in patients, bouts of gluttony may occur, and adipose tissue grows.

Injuries and hematomas (bleedings) of the brain in the past lead to impairment brain activity. Subsequently it may develop organic disorder personality, when the patient’s behavior becomes not entirely adequate. Overeating or chronic vomiting are possible.

Dependence on psychoactive substances (alcohol, drugs) - when coding or long-term abstinence from these substances, the disease can become dependent on bulimia.

Functional disorders thyroid gland: Hypothyroidism - greatly increased appetite, the synthesis of male and female sex hormones is disrupted, patients constantly feel cold. Hyperthyroidism - the function of hormone synthesis is disrupted, patients develop mental insufficiency and are not able to fully control their actions. The nervous and digestive systems are affected, everything slows down metabolic processes, the patient may gain weight.

Stroke is a disorder of cerebral circulation that leads to dysfunction (disorder) of the cerebral and nervous activity. Subsequently, deviations in the norms of eating behavior are possible.

Facts and myths about bulimia.

There are many myths and false beliefs about bulimia. We present the most popular of them.

Myth #1 - “If I don’t vomit, I don’t have bulimia.”
Vomiting is the most common symptom, but there are others that indicate illness.

Myth No. 2 - Regular vomiting after every meal.
A person suffering from bulimia can eat normally and does not always vomit.

Myth #3 - Only teenage girls suffer from bulimia.
There is evidence that indicates that 1-3% of men are susceptible to this disease. Currently, there is a tendency towards an increase in the age of patients.

Myth #4 - A person suffering from bulimia is fat.
Most people suffering from bulimia are within the normal weight range.

Myth #5 – People don’t die from bulimia.
The physical consequences of bulimia include electrolyte imbalance (which causes heart problems - weakness of the heart muscle and leads to myocardial infarction), damage to digestive system(including rupture of the stomach or esophagus). Such cases can be fatal. The disease is sometimes associated with depression, which can lead to suicide attempts.

Myth No. 6 – “Vomiting is only for weight loss, everything is under control.”
Bulimia is not a diet, it is an eating disorder. The causes of bulimia often have little to do with weight loss. Vomiting can be seen as an attempt to cope with stress.

Myth No. 7 - The best way Treatment of bulimia - stopping vomiting.
When a person is dependent on a disease, it will not be possible to “just” quit by forbidding himself to vomit; the disease will take a different form.

Diagnosis of bulimia

To diagnose bulimia, a doctor must:

1. Collect anamnesis (medical information) of the patient’s life.
2. History of diseases in the past.
3. Find 3 or more symptoms (see above) characterizing the disease
4. Undergo publicly available examinations to rule out other disorders that may influence the development of bulimia. (CT, MRI, Echo-EG, UC for sugar, biochemical AA, total AA, analysis of sex hormones and thyroid gland)
AK blood test
MRI - magnetic resonance imaging
CT – computed tomograph.
5. Conversation with relatives and loved ones in order to receive additional information about the patient, as well as if the patient hides his illness.
6. Use of ICD10 for diagnosis (international classification of disease 10 revision)

In what cases and which doctor should I contact in case of bouts of gluttony?

There is little chance that a person with bulimia will see a doctor on their own. This is only possible when the person suffering from an eating disorder begins to be bothered by other somatic (bodily) disorders.

1. Treatment by a resuscitator occurs in conditions intensive care unit and patients are usually delivered by ambulance medical care. Patients are hospitalized for loss of consciousness of unknown origin, heart pain, dehydration, fainting, and low blood pressure. The violation is considered “acute” and assistance is provided urgently. In an intensive care hospital, the volume of lost fluid and microelements in the body is replenished through infusion (drip) therapy, then after stabilization of the patient’s condition, the patient is moved to another department according to the profile.

2. Treatment by a therapist, in a therapeutic department, when the consequences of the disease are less severe. Sometimes the patient is transferred to therapy from the intensive care unit with the agreement of the doctors.

3. Consultation with a surgeon for abdominal pain, stool and vomiting with blood. These symptoms indicate injury or rupture internal organs, bleeding hemorrhoids. Surgery may be required.

4. Contact an otolaryngologist if the patient has a nasopharyngeal infection or enlarged cervical lymph nodes.

5. Treatment by an endocrinologist for hormonal and endocrine disorders.

6. In case of carious lesions, weakness of tooth enamel, bleeding gums, the oral cavity is sanitized (treated) by a dentist.

7. Contact a psychiatrist for consultation and appointment drug treatment or placement in a psychiatric hospital. Treatment in a special institution (psychiatric hospital) is planned and with the consent of the patient. Forced treatment can only be by court decision.
If necessary, the patient is examined by other specialists before hospitalization.

To enter the clinic, you must have the following tests with you: general analysis blood, urine, certificate of absence of infectious diseases and contacts with infected patients; depending on the receiving institution, analysis for HIV and hepatitis, blood sugar, preferably biochemical analysis blood.
For less severe cases of bulimia, treatment with outpatient setting. To do this, you need to contact a local psychiatrist at your place of residence or paid consultation to any of the clinics.

8. People turn to a narcologist to identify the presence of concomitant addictions (alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.), as well as to clarify the degree of dependence on bulimia.

9. Consultation with a neurologist, if necessary, undergo examinations such as CT and MRI. Which can exclude pathology of brain structures that affect the development of the disease.

10. Treatment by a psychotherapist in order to identify the causes of the disease hidden in the patient’s subconscious; it is also possible to adjust or reduce the dose of psychiatric medications.

11. A nutritionist or valeologist will advise you on how to eat properly and talk about a healthy lifestyle.

Read more about the symptoms and treatment of bulimia >>

Psychiatrist Kondratenko N.A.

IN modern life overeating is increasingly used as an escape from negative emotions and experiences. They rush to eat any negative emotion with something tasty.

What are reasons for overeating?

The first reason for overeating:

Stress at work. Anxiety caused by problems in the family. People do not use food to satisfy primary needs...

Food is the shortest route to pleasure. When the stomach is full, signals are sent to the brain evoking feelings euphoria, akin to the effect of taking narcotic drugs. Of course, from consequences of overeating woman it will be difficult to get rid of, and cosmetics and shapewear will no longer be able to hide excess weight.

People ignore other sources of endorphins – the “enzymes” of happiness – sports. For men this is volleyball, football, for women - aerobics, fitness.

How to deal with gluttony.

Self-realization in work and creativity, music, dancing can bring no less pleasure than pleasure in food. And then, acquiring problems with overweight woman, is embarrassed to receive satisfaction from the listed alternative sources. Woman, which is the most negative thing, begins to acquire tensions not only in sex, in sexual communication. Woman embarrassed to make acquaintances, addicted gluttony with redoubled force, explains his timidity and failures in personal life just everything is becoming more and more unnecessary weight.

The second reason for overeating:

– uncertainty, inability to defend one’s rights. . IN conflict situation a person who has complexes about excess weight , inclined to yield to the opponent. But negative energy doesn’t go away, and women there are two ways out, either take out your anger on someone who is weaker - perhaps a child, but the negativity has no outlet - and the only way get emotional release - overeat.

And finally

Third psychological reason for overeating:

– in a person’s life there are no other sources of pleasure, personal hobbies, or activities to his liking. The resulting empty niche is firmly occupied by insidious food - and, as a result, the hated gluttony.
That is why, along with studying the usefulness of a particular diet, treatment overweight with the help of medications, it is important to first find out the psychological reasons for overeating, liquidation methods consequences of overeating.

How to cope with gluttony.

First of all, this is a change in eating behavior: this is a correction of eating style, helping a person to become aware of negative emotions, changing his view on the problem of nutrition, and general behavior in society. When a person openly expresses negative emotions, he learns to independently resolve conflicts, the need to absorb food in unlimited quantities often disappears sharply.

If you have already decided to overeat, then eat a variety of effective fat-burning foods. They contain fewer calories and taste very good.

The most important thing is to remember that the world is multifaceted and diverse, do not put up a fight with your excess woman's weight, to the fore, eat to maintain the necessary tone, look for your activities and hobbies, learn to be confident and you will see - reasons for overeating will disappear by themselves.

Coping with gluttony You can either independently or together. Don’t be left alone with the problem, believe me, there are many like-minded people. Both those who were just at the beginning of the path, and those who successfully overcame this path, were defeated by a huge excess weight and is ready to support you with my advice. Go to forums on the Internet. Look for people like you, and then you will definitely be able to change your destiny.

Feelings of boredom, disappointment, anger, joy, fear, guilt, depression, fatigue can push us to consume food without any feeling of hunger. For example, to escape from unpleasant feeling and oppressive thoughts or to compensate for the unpleasant moments experienced. To figure out how we can resist this dependence, first of all, let’s consider how it is formed, and already knowing its nature, we can change something.

One day, when I went into a store, I noticed one of my patients, T., who was trying on clothes. She asked for size 48 pants. Since the pants were too small, the seller suggested bringing a larger size. T. refused and left the store with an unhappy look. A few minutes later, walking past the nearest cafe, I again saw T., “eating” her disappointment with a large piece of chocolate cake with a milkshake. Isn't it a familiar picture?

Who is guilty?

Very often it all starts in early childhood. We hear from mom: “If you behave well, you’ll get a pie,” or, in response to some failure: “Don’t cry, it’s better to take candy,” or after wrapping a broken knee with iodine, “Take a chocolate bar, and everything will go away right away.” Thus, we gradually get used to the fact that when things are bad, candy will make things good, and the pie begins to be associated with mother’s warmth and support.

Now let’s remember Pavlov’s famous experiment. For a month, he rang a bell when giving the dog food. As you know, salivation increases during eating. A month later, when the academician rang the bell again, but no longer bringing food, the dog still salivated. This is a classic conditioned reflex. And we, too, are walking sets of conditioned reflexes collected over our entire lives. And the search for something “tasty” after yet another disappointment in life is, figuratively speaking, the same dog salivating in response to the ringing of a bell.

If you look at “psychological hunger” a little deeper, you can easily trace a certain order of actions and thoughts, which, as chain reaction, leads from experience to food (see diagram)

When we encounter something unpleasant, or unwanted, or unplanned, we feel some discomfort. For example, boredom, stress, fatigue make us feel anxious and weak. Since we are all reasonable people, these sensations immediately form into a thought, which we, as a rule, do not even notice. In most cases, this thought will be associated with food (conditioned reflex - see above). Here are some examples.

Since it is thought that determines behavior, the response will be gluttony, which in itself can become a new root cause for the next discomfort, since many of us feel guilty when overeating. Thus, the circle is closed, and everything starts all over again.

Reason one: chronic otitis media

Frequent inflammation of the middle ear in childhood develops a tendency towards excess weight - in the course of a large-scale study, American epidemiologists were able to prove this. Having carefully studied the eating habits and health status of schoolchildren and adults with frequent ear infections, experts have discovered that this disease damages the nerve endings of the taste buds. This manifests itself in the fact that we begin to give preference to fatty and sweet foods. The result for the figure is sad: according to statistics, those of us who regularly have to suffer from ear pain, are 62% more likely to carry extra pounds.

Action plan: the most ridiculous thing in this situation is to try to forever give up your favorite buns and forcefully choke on celery and carrots instead of sweets. This the right way cause stress and make you fatter.

Fatty and sweet – not necessarily rich buns and milk chocolate. Cut back little by little and look for healthy alternatives. If you want cream, you can eat low-fat pudding, yogurt, fruit jelly or oatmeal with cinnamon and fruit. Instead of sweets, you can snack on raisins and dried cherries.

Train yourself to have a hearty breakfast and lunch. To do this, fuel up with “long-lasting” carbohydrates and proteins: omelette with broccoli, tofu/cheese cheese and bell pepper; sandwich with slices of avocado, tomato and feta; porridge with a handful of berries and walnuts(oatmeal, rice, millet, buckwheat); dishes with legumes. They provide for a long time normal level glucose in the blood and relieve attacks of “sweet fever”.

Reason two: a delicious challenge

Intense mental work can backfire: it provokes spontaneous outbreaks of hunger. In blood samples that Canadian nutritionist Angelo Tremblay and his colleagues at Université Laval analyzed periodically during the experiment, subjects showed increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol, glucose and insulin during and after periods of intellectual work. These substances send hunger signals to the brain and increase the desire to urgently eat something.

Action plan: Choose the right candidates to be your allies. These products should, on the one hand, quickly give a feeling of fullness, and on the other, maintain it for as long as possible, at least several hours. Therefore, you will need food rich, firstly, in fiber (whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes), secondly, in an abundance of liquid (juicy fruits), and thirdly, in proteins (beef, fish, legumes).

Australian doctor Suzanne Holt and a group of colleagues, through experiments, identified the most satisfying foods. In descending order of satiety:

• potato,
• fish,
• oatmeal,
• apples and oranges,
• whole grain pasta,
• beef,
• legumes,
• grape,
• whole wheat bread,
• popcorn.

In addition, food rich in unsaturated oleic acid quickly “quenches” appetite and erases the feeling of hunger in the brain: walnuts, avocado, olive oil, salmon.

Sweets, alas, cannot boast of a high satiety index. On the contrary, chocolates, cream cakes, croissants, cookies and similar gastronomic delights not only burden us with extra calories, but also sneakily make us feel hungry. Reason – a large number of fats in confectionery products.

Reason three: wrong gender

Men are better able to resist the appetizing smells and tastes of their favorite foods than women - specialists from the Brookhaven Laboratory at the US Department of Energy received visual confirmation of this during an experiment.

The men and women tested were given positron emission tomography while they were tempted by their favorite foods (kebabs, pizza, cinnamon rolls, chocolate cake). The scanner images showed that it is harder for the weaker sex to resist food temptations than the stronger sex.

It sounds disappointing, but it’s a fact: hence the tendency to overeat and susceptibility to eating disorders (nervous gluttony, anorexia, bulimia) in severe life circumstances among women. The natural impulsiveness of nature also makes its contribution: most women cannot endure a starvation diet for a long time. Such methods of losing weight only provoke obesity.

Action plan: Try to eat, if not by the clock, but at a certain time: breakfast, lunch, dinner, plus two snacks. This style of eating normalizes hormonal background, promotes healthy digestion and brings to life a “corroded” stomach. For those who are used to swallowing food at great speed, it is better to exchange European cutlery for Chinese chopsticks: this will slow down the process of food absorption, and the brain will have time to receive a signal of satiety.

If you can’t keep up with your eating schedule, you can simply eat little and often (green vegetables, yoghurts, bread, cherries, plums (including frozen), citrus fruits) and big amount fiber. Recharge with endorphins and fill the deficit Have a good mood will help physical activity: walks at a brisk pace, jumping rope.

Reason four: chaos around

Dirt and clutter in the kitchen can cause unsuccessful attempts to lose weight.

This curious dependence on own experience discovered by American graphic designer Peter Walsh. In his book on how to turn a cluttered den into a cozy home, Walsh gave readers, basically simple tips: get rid of unnecessary things, get more air, moderate your appetite for new unnecessary purchases. To his surprise, Walsh turned out to be quite popular as... a nutritionist! Grateful readers flooded him with letters: it turns out that as soon as they cleared away the rubble in their kitchen, their diet also became more rational and organized.

Inspired, Walsh wrote new book″The chaos in the house puts fat on my butt?″ (Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? In it, he again calls for ridding your home of unnecessary things, and at the same time of food waste. The argument is ironclad: excess things are a consequence of an excessive unhealthy appetite , and an excessive appetite leads to an excess of extra centimeters at the waist.

Action plan: Once you put the surrounding space in order, the desire to overeat will appear, and with it the excess weight will begin to recede. Walsh advises “putting yourself on a diet” first of all in the kitchen. First, you should part with everything that is not used for cooking, serving and storing food.

Cracked dishes, a non-working mixer, an old toaster, a cutting board cut beyond recognition, a fondue pot and a microwave that haven’t been used for years.

It is also important to monitor the temperature in the room: the colder it is, the more you want to eat, warn experts from Harvard. This human “weakness” is often taken advantage of in restaurants, deliberately maintaining a low temperature in the rooms.

Reason five: fast food

Addiction to fast food is a dangerous thing. The fact is that fast food, in addition to huge amount preservatives, flavorings and additives that are far from beneficial to our health are, for the most part, simple carbohydrates. Once in the blood, they provoke a sugar attack - the level of glucose in the body decreases sharply, and after an hour and a half we experience an unpleasant gnawing feeling in the stomach - the body, hooked on fast food, requires a new “dose”.

Action plan: It’s worth trying to give up fast food and processed foods for at least a week or two and switch to healthy food made with your own hands: making a vegetable salad, an omelet with tomatoes and herbs, mixing a fruit smoothie or a sour-spicy puree soup in a blender is not at all difficult and takes not much time. Or you can try baking your own homemade whole grain bread. This menu will allow you to feel full for a long time – primarily due to fiber. Gradually clogged taste buds Wake up and you will be able to see fast food in its true light - a pile of salt, sugar and fat.

Polina Lungardt

For many of my students, the issue of gluttony is very relevant. It has different shapes and manifestations, but quite dangerous. We all overeat from time to time, whether it's an extra helping for lunch at grandma's or an extra dessert at a birthday party. However For real gluttons, overeating is regular and uncontrollable.

Using food as a way to combat stress and other negative emotions makes us feel even worse.We can't help but feel closed in vicious circle, but gluttony is treatable. At the right help and support, you can learn to control your eating and develop a healthy relationship with food. I wrote this article using the latest scientific materials from HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL and my experience working with students using my “LOSE WEIGHT EASY AND FOREVER” method.

IN MY ARTICLE:

Gluttony: Key Aspects

Signs and symptoms

Consequences of gluttony

Causes and factors of gluttony

How to stop gluttony

Helping someone with gluttony

Health care

Gluttony: Key Aspects

Compulsive overeating, or simply gluttony, is the consumption of huge amounts of food that is uncontrollable and impossible to stop. Symptoms of binge eating usually begin in late adolescence or early adulthood, often after a major diet. Binges usually last about two hours, but some people manage to binge throughout the day. Gluttons eat even when they are not hungry and continue to eat even after they are full.

Key features of gluttony:

• Frequent attacks of uncontrolled overeating.
• Feeling depressed or regretful during or after overeating.
• Unlike bulimia, there are no attempts to correct everything by vomiting, fasting or intense training.
• Guilt, disgust and depression.
• Desperate desire to stop overeating, which is accompanied by constant feeling failure to do so.

Overeating may feel good for a moment, but when it comes back to reality, regret and self-loathing sets in. Excessive food consumption often leads to weight gain and obesity, which only increases the desire to overeat. How feeling worse glutton and the more critical his self-esteem is, the more often food is used as a calming aid. Vicious circle, openwhich would seem impossible.

Signs and symptoms

People who suffer from gluttony are embarrassed and ashamed of their eating habits, so they often try to hide their imperfections and eat in secret. Many gluttons have excess V EU or obesity, but there are representatives with absolutely normal weight.

Behavioral symptoms of gluttony:

• Inability to stop eating or control what you eat
• Eating a large amount of food quickly
• Eating food even when feeling full
• Hiding and stockpiling food to eat later in secret
• It's usually okay to eat when surrounded by people and to overeat alone
• Continuous eating throughout the day, without scheduled meals

Emotional symptoms of overeating:

• Feelings of stress or tension that are relieved only by eating
• Feeling embarrassed about how much you've eaten
• Feeling numbduring a bout of gluttony with the transition to autopilot
• Lack of satisfaction, regardless of the amount eaten

• Feelings of guilt, disgust, or depression after overeating
• Desperate and unsuccessful attempts to control weight and nutrition
• Express test for gluttony:

• Is your overeating uncontrollable?
• Are you busy? Are you thinking about food all the time?

• Does place overeating in secret?

• Is it possible to eat food until you feel sick?
• Is food a means of calming, relieving stress and escaping your worries?
• Do you feel shame and disgust after eating?
• Is there a feeling of powerlessness and inability to stop the process of eating?

The more positive answers, the more likely presence of gluttony.

Consequences of gluttony

Overeating leads to many physical, emotional and social problems. People with binge eating tend to experience stress, insomnia, and suicidal thoughts. Depression, anxiety and substance abuse are common side effects. But the most well-known consequence of overeating is weight gain.

Over time, gluttony leads to obesity, and obesity, in turn, leads to causes numerous complications, including:

Causes and factors of gluttony

There are many factors, the combination of which contribute to the development of gluttony - including human genes, emotions, impressions. But there are certain factors responsible for compulsive overeating.

Biological causes of gluttony

Biological abnormalities may contribute to gluttony. For example, the hypothalamus (the part of the brain that controls appetite) cannot send messages about true feelings of hunger and fullness. The researchers also found genetic mutation, which causes food addiction. There is also evidence that low serotonin levels, chemical element brain, provokes overeating.

Social and cultural reasons gluttony

Social pressure to be thin and judgment of people who are prone to binge eating only encourages overeating and the desire to comfort ourselves with food. Some parents unwittingly set the stage for overeating by using food to console, encourage, and calm their children. Children who experience frequent criticism of their body and weight are just as vulnerable as those who were sexually abused as children.

Psychological causes of gluttony

Depression and gluttony are closely related. Most gluttons are depressed or have been depressed before. depressed state, some are not able to manage their emotions and feelings. Low self-esteem, loneliness and body dissatisfaction can also contribute to overeating.

How to stop gluttony

Overeating and food addiction are quite difficult to overcome. Unlike other addictions, this “drug” is necessary for survival, so there is no way to avoid its use. Instead, we need to develop a healthy relationship with food - a relationship that is based on meeting our physical nutritional needs, not our emotional ones.

In order to stop the unhealthy pattern of binge eating, it is important to start eating for health and nutrition. Healthy eating involves creating a balanced system, where the choice is made towards healthy foods with sufficient vitamins, minerals and calories.

10 Strategies to Overcome Overeating:

• Stress management. One of the most important aspects overeating control is alternative way confronting stress and other overwhelming feelings without using food. Moderate exercise, meditation, using sensory relaxation strategies and practicing simple breathing exercises are great help.
• Eat 3 times a day plus healthy snacks. Our metabolism starts with breakfast. It is important not to skip breakfast, which should include sufficient quantity protein and proper carbohydrates. It is important to have a balanced lunch and dinner with healthy snacks in between. When we skip meals, we often resort to overeating later that day.
• Avoid temptation. It's much easier to overeat if junk food, desserts, snacks and other nasty things are nearby. Put everything that tempts us out of reach. Clear the refrigerator and cabinets of stocks of sweets, smoked meats, and snacks. Let everything be in the store. And if we suddenly want something, we will have time while we go to the store to think about how much we need it.
• Stop dieting. A strict diet that leaves us deprived and starving will only fuel the cravings for gluttony. Instead of dieting, you need to focus on eating in moderation. Find nutritious foods that we enjoy and that make us satisfied. Any abstinence and self-abuse will end in another overeating.
• Strong exercise. No abuse of your body. If you like to run - run, if you like to walk - walk, if you like to jump rope - jump. Everything should be feasible, not depressing and pleasant. Thus, the process of burning fat occurs, your mood improves and your well-being improves, and stress decreases. And this, in turn, eliminates the need to use food as a sedative.
• Down with boredom. Instead of snacking when you're bored, you need to distract yourself with something else. Take a walk, call a friend, read, or do something interesting - painting, gardening, knitting, rearranging furniture, building a children's playhouse. Start the renovation, after all. Or play with the kids.
• Dream. Fatigue and sleepiness increase food cravings to boost energy levels. Taking a nap or going to bed early is a great way to avoid overeating.
• Listen to the body. You should learn to distinguish between physical and emotional hunger. If you have eaten recently and there is no rumbling in your stomach, then this is not hunger. It is enough to drink water to make sure of this.
• Keep a diary. Recording everything that was eaten, noting the amount, time, and mood that accompanied the meal, makes eating behavior visual, displaying the connection between mood and gluttony.
• Get support. You are more likely to succumb to a binge eating disorder if you do not have strong support from loved ones or people with similar problems. Family, friends, social media, thematic clubs - all this perfectly serves as support and support in such situations.

Helping someone with gluttony

Signs that your loved one is overeating include piles of empty food bags and wrappers, empty cupboards and refrigerators, and hidden stashes of high-calorie and unhealthy foods. If there is a suspicion that close person is overeating, you need to talk to him. It is difficult to start such a delicate conversation, but silence can only make things worse.

If a person denies, snaps, gets nervous, gets upset, don’t put pressure on him. It will take time for him to be ready to admit the problem and accept help from others.

It is difficult to help a person with gluttony if the initiative does not come from him. loving person can only provide compassion, encouragement and support throughout recovery healthy image life.

5 Strategies for Dealing with Your Loved One's Overeating:

• Encourage him or her to seek help. The longer the process of restoring healthy eating behavior is delayed, the more difficult it is to overcome gluttony, so you should encourage your loved one to visit a personal therapist for a timely diagnosis of compulsive overeating and to accept the help of specialists.
• Provide support. Listen without judgment and show caring. If a person experiences setbacks on the road to recovery, it is worth reminding them that it is still possible to quit binge eating for good.
• Avoid insults, lectures and guilt-provoking. A person with gluttony tends to feel bad enough without further talking. Lecturing, ultimatums, insults will only increase stress and make the situation even worse. Instead, it is necessary to show concern for the person’s health and well-being, making it clear that you will always be there.
• Set a good example. By personal example healthy eating, physical exercise, managing stress without food convinces a person that it is real and does not require extreme effort.
• Take care of yourself. Only by being calm, confident and healthy person, you can help someone else become like that. Monitor your well-being, do not hide your emotions, give vent to your fears. Don't make your loved one a scapegoat.

Health care

For those who are unable to help themselves, there is professional support and medical treatment. Health care professionals who offer treatment for binge eating disorder include psychiatrists, nutritionists, therapists, and eating disorder and obesity specialists.

Exist different types therapy, formal support groups and various medications. But all this, as a rule, gives a temporary result - while the person pays. In fact, greedy weight loss experts only want our money. We can go to them endlessly, but the result will only come when we go to them and pay.

Only by making a firm decision once can you help yourself forever. This is what my methodology teaches.