Food Addiction: Just a Label or a Real Disease? Food addiction: causes, types, treatment.

How to get rid of food addiction: advice from psychologists

Along with nicotine or alcohol addiction food is allocated: it has only psychological roots, and ultimately negatively affects human health.

What is food addiction: symptoms, signs, test ^

Food addiction is a condition in which a person cannot control the amount of food consumed, or uses it not to satisfy hunger, but for other purposes: to relieve anxiety, get positive emotions, etc.

Thus, food becomes not a means of satisfying appetite, but a kind of solution to problems at work, in personal life or in the field of finance.

There are three types of food addiction:

• Overeating: a person cannot control the amount of food, tries to seize any stress with it;
• Bulimia is serious psychological illness, in which there is an awareness that it is impossible to stuff the stomach like that, and often patients combine foods that a healthy person cannot eat;
• Anorexia: This is the very moment when people begin to believe that thinness and beauty are one and the same. There is an aversion to food, people begin to see themselves in the mirror as fat, although in reality they are not.

The symptoms of food addiction are as follows:

• Constant increase in the amount of food for a long time;
• Lack of self-control: for example, instead of eating 1-2 sweets, a person wants to eat them until overeating occurs;
• Frequent thoughts about food, preoccupation with what to eat today to cook something delicious;
• Desire to “eat” stress;
• If it is not possible to eat a favorite dish, a person experiences physical suffering;
• Inability to stop until all the food is eaten;
• Eating at night, secretly from the rest of the family;
• Desire to enjoy food and eat alone;
• The appearance of guilt after eating;
• A negative reaction to criticism from the outside that you can’t eat so much;
• Lack of endurance: for example, after dinner, a person sees a chocolate bar, and he has a desire to eat it whole.

How food addiction is formed

Psychological food addiction is formed in stages:

• At first, a person cannot deny himself his favorite food, does not control his portions, overeats;
• Then there is a desire to eat even at night, and absolutely any food;
• After the realization of the problem comes, and if it cannot be solved, then a feeling of guilt sets in.

To identify this disease in yourself, you can take a test for food addiction by answering "yes" or "no":

• I have a fear of getting fat;
• I refuse to eat even when I feel very hungry;
• I am constantly disturbed by thoughts of food;
• I often eat uncontrollably;
• When I exercise, I think about burning calories;
• I try to eat only diet foods;
• I enjoy food, so I eat very often;
• I eat to calm down, not to satisfy my hunger.

By answering yes to more than two questions, we can confidently state the presence of signs of food addiction. If 50% of the answers are in the affirmative, then there is a moderate or severe addiction.

Even if the problem is only on initial stage, it is necessary to get rid of food addiction in a timely manner, tk. in this case, remove it.

What can happen if you do not overcome food addiction:

• Obesity;
• Diseases internal organs;
• Diabetes;
• Development of complexes;
• Temporary cessation of breathing during sleep;
• Increased cholesterol levels;
• Severe exhaustion.

How to deal with food addiction

To defeat food addiction at an early stage, you must adhere to several rules:

• You can not completely refuse your favorite food: this can lead to a breakdown, which gives the worst consequences;
• Do not stock up. If the refrigerator is full of food, there will always be a desire to have a bite, so it is best when there is a minimum set of provisions;
• Avoid temptations. When you go to the store, you need to clearly know what you need to buy. Otherwise, there is a risk of acquiring a lot of excess food and, as a result, overeating at home;
• Exercise regularly. With an inactive lifestyle, people are more likely to want to eat than those who play sports;
• Eat only when you feel hungry.

How to get rid of food addiction on your own: recommendations from psychologists and nutritionists ^

How to get rid of food addiction: reviews and results of those who have lost weight

Psychotherapy for food addiction

Referring to a psychotherapist is the right decision, which should be used in the following cases:

• With constant overeating and lack of self-control;
• At obsession lose weight even when it is not necessary at all;
• With obesity resulting from frequent use food in large quantities.

Addictive Food Additives

Food addiction has psychological roots even when it was obtained as a result of the use of products containing nutritional supplements. What substances are considered the most harmful:

• Sodium glumanate (E621): added to improve taste. It is found in fast food, bouillon cubes, semi-finished products, crackers, chips and purchased sauces;
• Fructose corn syrup: it contains those that improve its taste. It is present in confectionery and flour products;
• Sweeteners: they do make drinks less caloric, but they strongly stimulate appetite, as a result of which a person begins to uncontrollably eat food and gain weight.

How to treat food addiction in children

Very often, parents unconsciously form this problem in children. To avoid obesity, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules:

• If the child is crying, you do not need to give him candy, etc. in order for him to calm down. This is deposited in his subconscious, and he begins to think that in order to get rid of negative emotions enough to eat sweets;
• You can’t force a child to eat when he is full: over time, his tendency to overeat will only increase, excess weight will appear, and with it complexes;
• If the child prefers to spend time at home in front of the computer and with food, you need to push him to look for new hobbies. For example, enroll in a sports section or a music school.

Before you treat a food addiction, you need to take the appropriate test, identify the signs of the disease in yourself and decide how to cope with it - on your own or with the help of a doctor.

It is also necessary to limit the use of foods that cause food addiction:

• Chocolate, donuts, ice cream, cookies;
• Coffee;
• Fast food;
• Crackers and chips;
• Pasta and pizza;
• Seeds with additives.

Feedback from our readers about their successful struggle with food addiction:

Olga, 23 years old:

“I used to have a habit of chewing sunflower seeds before going to bed. When I realized that I started to get fat from them, I simply refused them. It was difficult to do this, but for the sake of a beautiful figure, you can endure "

Yana, 33 years old:

“A few years ago I was constantly on a diet: I counted calories. I didn’t eat after 5 pm, didn’t eat sweets, etc. For the whole day I consumed no more than 600 Kcal, as a result of which my slightly full body left skin and bones. It’s good that at that time my mother took me to a psychotherapist, he prescribed me a treatment that lasted about a year, because the work of my internal organs was disrupted and I rejected any food. Now I have gained weight, and I don’t even want to think about any diets. ”

Maria, 35 years old:

“A year ago, I absolutely could not control myself while eating, and, sitting down to festive table, crushed everything. Now everything is different: I eat as much as I need, and all this thanks to the simple recognition of the problem and setting a goal - to get rid of it. I didn’t constantly think about my overeating - I just treated it as a small flaw that needed to be eliminated. ”

It would seem, what is dangerous in food? But for many it becomes a drug. For such people, food turns into a source of pleasure and problems at the same time. They can think about the next meal all day, constantly eat only certain foods, or, conversely, limit themselves in everything. Improper nutrition sooner or later leads to physical health problems, and food cravings can completely destroy personal life such a person.

Types of food addiction

We all know what addiction to cigarettes, alcohol or drugs is like. But food is a little different. Food bondage can look different, so it is necessary to know its types and distinguish between them:

• Overeating is the most common type of addiction. The patient may not even be aware of his problem, he will claim that he just loves to eat deliciously. But at the same time, the amount of food consumed will exceed all allowable norms, and the weight of a person will begin to increase rapidly.
• Bulimia is a type of food addiction that is quite common in young girls and women. A person affected by this disorder has an almost indefatigable appetite and can eat a huge amount of food in one sitting. At the same time, he perfectly understands that he overeats, but he cannot stop on his own. Very often the absorption is too a large number food leads to hyperdistension of the stomach and its self-emptying through the esophagus. But more often, the patient himself induces vomiting or takes a laxative to get rid of the feeling of heaviness in the abdomen or in order not to gain excess weight.
• Anorexia is a type of food addiction, which consists in the complete refusal of food. At first, a person may limit certain foods, afraid of gaining weight, but gradually the list of prohibitions expands and leads to complete starvation. For such people, food can cause fear and disgust, they avoid any places where they can offer refreshments, but they, like all addicts, prefer to hide their problem.

  Overeating often leads to health problems

How to recognize food addiction?

Most people who are prone to this problem hide it, bringing themselves to a state where it is no longer possible to do without qualified medical intervention. Therefore, it is important to know the signs of food addiction in order to recognize it in time. loved one and be able to help him.

Almost all food addicts:

• Thinness is considered a synonym for beauty;
• Do not recognize the presence of deficiency or excess body weight;
• Have uncontrollable cravings for food or certain foods
• Experience anxiety associated with eating;
• If there is attachment to certain products, they can become furious if they are not in the house;
• Refusing to eat or even visit places where they can offer snacks;
• Absorb food quickly and act impatient if it is served too slowly;
• Experiencing uncontrollable anxiety if you have to skip another snack;
• Suffer from feelings of guilt after eating;
• They have low self-esteem;
• Suffer from depression and frequent headaches;
• They have problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Uncontrollable love for sweets is also a food addiction

The appearance of these or other symptoms suggests that a person is already developing dependence on food and it is necessary to immediately take measures to save him.

Reasons for the development of the disease

A lot of people love to eat delicious food, but not everyone develops an addiction. Why is this happening? Because the feeling of “emptiness” inside a person, which he tries to fill with food, leads to falling into bondage. The body can confuse the sensations that arise from emotional experiences with hunger signals, which leads to haphazard eating.

The likelihood of developing dependence on food is in no way related to social status, income level and place of residence of a person and is found in people different ages and races living in different parts of the world.

The main reasons for the development of food addiction:

• Lack of meaning and purpose in life;
• Situations involving disappointment and loss, such as divorce;
• Situations when achieving what you want leads to relaxation and loss of incentive to work on yourself - for example, after marriage;
• The state of crisis: for example, in transitional age, with the threat of losing a job or in other similar situations;
• Eating food to achieve other goals: for example, a child may systematically overeat in order to receive praise from their parents or in order not to offend their grandmother, who tried and prepared a complex dish. This stereotype of behavior can persist for life.

Eating disorders often develop in childhood

Regardless of what reasons led to the emergence of addiction, in the future it begins to determine human behavior. Gradually, food becomes a kind of lifeline, it brings a sense of calm and peace, replaces communication with people and any other entertainment.

It is believed that athletes eat right and therefore they are not in danger of food addiction, but this is not so: according to statistics, approximately 13-14% of athletes suffer from such disorders, and among girls involved in aesthetic views sports, this figure reaches 42%.

Eating disorders often develop in early childhood.. If a child is forbidden to show his emotions, he may begin to seek solace in treats. Force-feeding also leads to problems in the future, as well as encouragement delicious food. Any reward or punishment through food leads to a perversion of the understanding of the very process of eating. The child begins to perceive food not as a source of energy, but as a reward and pleasure.

Consequences of food bondage

Dependence on food leads to the gradual destruction of the whole organism, because the process of obtaining energy by the body is disrupted. With systematic malnutrition or bulimia, a person loses weight, blood flow slows down and all organs begin to suffer. The leading cause of death in anorexics is heart disease. Bones, endocrine and nervous systems are also destroyed, digestion suffers, brain function worsens.

Low self-esteem is one of the reasons eating disorders

It used to be thought that eating disorders were only women's problem, but today the rapid growth of men with such diagnoses is noticeable.

Overeating brings no less problems, as it causes obesity, which leads to:

• type 2 diabetes,
• increase in blood cholesterol levels,
• hypertension,
• diseases of the heart and gallbladder,
• pain in muscles and joints,
• osteoarthritis,
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract,
• apnea.

Steps to Self-Relief from Food Addiction (Video)

food addiction - serious disorder, therefore, it is often impossible to get rid of it on your own, but if the situation is not yet too running, you can try. To do this, you will need to go through four steps:

• Step 1 - Motivation. A person must realize and admit that he has a problem and needs to be solved. Often food addicts deny everything and do not even admit to themselves that they are suffering. Therefore, it is important that relatives help them understand that there is a disease and get rid of it first of all for yourself in order to get healthy body and a normal interesting life.
• Step 2 - compiling proper diet . After a person finds a goal for himself, for which it is worth living and improving, the time comes for a choice. new system nutrition. This is not very easy, you will have to study the relevant literature and make a list of the most useful products that need to be eaten daily, as well as those that can be consumed less frequently. You should not sharply limit your favorite foods, but if they are very harmful, you can pamper yourself, for example, once a month.
• Step 3 - Self-realization. Food addiction usually occurs when a person has no other positive emotions, so you definitely need to find something that will allow you to fulfill yourself and bring satisfaction. You need to remember what you wanted to do before or come up with something that interests you now, in addition to food. You need to learn to enjoy life. You can start playing sports - exercise leads to the production of hormones that affect the centers in the brain responsible for appetite and pleasure.
• Step 4 - work on self-esteem. Most food addicts suffer from low self-esteem. They do not love their body and try to make it thin, or they do not love themselves and their lives and seek solace in food. They need to learn how to perceive themselves correctly and adequately relate to criticism from other people.

It is not easy to go through all the steps without the help of psychologists and nutritionists, but you need to believe in yourself and not give up. Many people managed to overcome even addiction to hard drugs on their own, you need to remember this and not give up.

Food addiction is one of the forms of psychologically determined addictive behavior, expressed in the inability of a person to resist the need to eat. At the same time, the need is not due to the physiological feeling of hunger or thirst, but psycho-emotional state, entailing such an activity as the absorption of food.

food in modern society becomes a drug, legal permission to have fun, relieve stress, make an appointment or take time out. The secondary benefits provided by the process of eating are huge - they will help a shy boy to communicate with a girl, and a man overwhelmed with work will not be condemned by leaving for lunch, in contrast to a walk in the park, which takes the same amount of time. Food gathers people into certain companies, where a lighter and nice talking- remember the cheerful laughter at the smoking room or near the coffee machine, and how it stops when people leave these places.

Signals of the emergence of addiction are a change in the previous lifestyle and behavior, relationships appear and change, while the main part of a person’s thoughts revolves around food and there is an inability to give up either thinking on this topic or an extra piece of food. This dependence is manifested mainly on sweet, spicy, fast food products, usually unhealthy food containing fats and carcinogens.

Causes of food addiction

Hunger is not always an addiction factor, you can feel the need not for food, but to treat yourself to something delicious, choosing certain kind products - then there is a certain level of chemical dependence caused by some products, where not a change in the biochemical work of the body is involved, but the degree of impact on the receptors. After eating sugary and carbonated foods, natural flavors vegetables and fruits do not irritate the receptors of the tongue to the proper extent, and there is no feeling of fullness. The same thing happens with smoked meats and foods containing monosodium glutamate - after them, other food seems tasteless, so even after dinner, you want such things. Retracted similar effect quickly enough, by forceful refusal within a few days (of course, there will be breaking) and taste buds recover, it's harder to break the mental habits of buying chips after every fight.

Predisposition arises and is fixed this species behavior in childhood, and deliverance has the same stages as from any other psychological, since there is no chemical component here. The need for stress-eating (as a way of self-comfort) can be formed by the style of upbringing (when a bun was offered to a child instead of psychological care). The feeling of one's own bodily and psychological needs may be disturbed when parents decide how the child should eat - then an attitude is formed that what more food will be eaten, the better will be the attitude of the elders, or at least this way it will be possible to avoid punishment.

It is a mistake to believe that a person with a food addiction is overweight, because you can make an effort and be normal, while losing all control over your own behavior at the sight of a chocolate cake. Also, food addiction has its manifestations in lack of weight, having as its manifestation not overeating, but rather refusal of food. Any deviations in eating behavior and its construction not on the basis of a feeling of hunger is an addiction, and it can manifest itself both in excessive absorption and in the refusal of food altogether. On the example of human relations, this is called dependence and counter-dependence, in terms of the psychology of behavior, this is and.

To understand how to deal with food addiction, you need to explore the aspirations of the individual and understand what brings joy besides food, since the main substance obtained from the foods chosen by the addict is serotonin. And if there is nowhere to take joy in your own life, it is taken from food, and life's problems accumulate, so the circle closes, which must be broken, taking into account psychological features and mechanisms.

Recovering from a food addiction begins with identifying symptoms, including increased portions of food, frequent overeating, and inability to stop supplementing. In addition, there is a craving for sweet, starchy and spicy, a feeling of guilt after eating, a desire to absorb food secretly, to induce vomiting after eating. With such symptoms, one should begin to get rid of addiction, starting from the search for its appearance.

The causes of food addiction may be hidden behind physical or. In the first case, food serves as a consolation and gives some kind of analgesic effect, saturating the body with serotonin, in the second it helps to survive a feeling of sadness or even cope with loneliness. Stimulation of the mouth area at an unconscious level is associated with breast sucking and brings calm. The mechanism turns on in those stuck at the oral stage, and then they look for similar ways to overcome emotional difficulties during adult life- alcohol, cigarettes, food, kissing, everything related to the oral apparatus and its stimulation. Food also helps to cope with, blocking negative experiences and delivering a much-needed sense of happiness in the shortest, but not the most productive way, in many cases leading to an even greater drop in self-esteem,.

Eating disorders are often companions, sometimes remaining the only area that is available for human control. Since mental activity no longer seems reliable to him, and manifestations of reality can be illusory, so as not to fall into the abyss of uncertainty and anxiety, a person resorts to calming with food. Also for disorders related to self-perception and acceptance own body, slightly obsessed with caring for him, a food addiction arises, the purpose of which is to reduce the number of defects or bring one's own physical manifestation to an ideal state.

Of the emotional experiences, an invariable companion of any overeating is a feeling of inner emptiness and not fullness of one's own emotional life. Since our mental and physical are inextricably linked, such mental hunger at a certain stage begins to give signals that are perceived as physical, and a person who does not pay attention to his soul begins to feed himself, in the hope that it will become easier. But the feeling of satiation with food will not come, and the absorption will be like throwing food into a black hole, as in the movie Route 60, since the real emotional need remains unnourished.

Situations of inner emptiness arise due to the absence or loss of significant goals, guidelines, meanings of life (for example, both divorce and marriage can lead to similar condition, plunging into a misunderstanding of how to live on). , transitional stages and traumatic situations - those events that knock the ground out from under your feet and destroy the old way of life, forcing you to hiccup new ways of existence, the meanings of your future aspirations and organization of space. And if a person is stress-resistant enough, has experience of getting out of crisis moments, he will find new ways more easily, while for those who have not experienced global changes or have lost something extremely valuable, finding a way out will be problematic and will require mental painkillers. Some in such cases go to psychotherapy, some to a bar, and some to a candy store.

Provoke the wrong attitude to food can and biological factors, (change hormonal background or metabolism entail a change in eating habits), but unlike psychological moments, such failures may require medical intervention acting solely as a symptom. In such cases, it is pointless to go on a diet, to monitor and control, including awareness, one's behavior, since this only exacerbates the underlying disease.

The tendency to food addiction is laid down with food by parents. For example, a mother may try to manipulate the behavior of the baby with the help of feeding; at an older age, it is for the child to decide what kind of food, in what quantities, and at what time he will eat, ignoring the needs of the child himself. With such upbringing, a person’s sensitivity to the needs of the body is disturbed, the feeling of hunger can be perverted, and food is perceived as a way to achieve approval (“well done, you ate everything”), a reward (“you will do your homework, you will get candy”), a protest (do not eat up or not at all do not eat during quarrels). Then food becomes a way of communication and loses its primary functions, and relationships with food reflect relationships with the world, increasing its significance in the personal assessment of the environment.

Types of food addictions

Speaking of food addiction, many imagine a girl who will not miss a window with cakes, although in fact there are much more varieties of such a violation and more serious forms are also acquired.

Taste addiction focuses on the need for a certain product and its taste. Great distribution among taste addicts, they receive food with serotonin (chocolate, bananas) or food that has a tangible effect on the body (coffee, seafood). Pleasant sensations from the taste of the product dilute the negative, boredom or fill a pause, like a cigarette smoker, and the use and taste addiction itself are similar to entertainment, although this is not excluded in the long absence of a favorite treat.

More serious problem already represents overeating, when a person is not able to control the required amount of food, as a result of which obesity begins. Usually caused by stress factors or a decrease in mood and. Completely soluble when working out psychological problems and change in life strategy.

The next type is fasting, which has various forms manifestations. It could be a rejection certain products(when trying to lose weight, foods that, in the opinion of a person, contribute to the deposition of fat are excluded) or refusal of food in general. The reason is often the desire to lose weight, and this leads to a violation in the psycho-emotional sphere, anorexia nervosa, dystrophy and a number of both psychiatric and physiological problems. With anorexia, violations are revealed in one's own body, which seems complete even with insufficient weight. At the initial stage, a person is quite able to independently regain a healthy attitude to the process of eating or use the support of loved ones and a psychologist, and at the stage of more serious development, it is necessary drug therapy for recovery as a physical (restoration of metabolism and correct operation digestive organs) and mental health(considered one of the diseases of the psychiatric clinic).

The opposite of anorexia is bulimia, which is characterized by bursts of hunger, the absorption of food in huge quantities, while the choice of products, as in the first case of taste dependence, is not important, the quantity is important. Usually this is a rather painful condition for the body and the next stage in the absorption of a huge amount of food is the artificial induction of vomiting or a laxative effect. to become obese is caused by vomiting, but there is no possibility of volitional control over food intake, a person really subjectively experiences a terrifying feeling of hunger, up to pain and spasms of the esophagus, seeing the only way out in the immediate absorption of a huge amount of food. Just like anorexia, in its extreme manifestations it is treated in a hospital setting.

How to get rid of food addiction yourself?

Addiction, albeit not drug addiction, but food addiction is not such a simple problem, therefore, how to deal with food addiction on your own should be learned from specialists, and not rely on luck, worsening the situation. And first of all, biological failures in the functioning of organ systems should be excluded, knowing in advance that the main snag is in the psyche, then it is worth identifying your own deliverance, without which there will be no shifts in self-healing. It helps a lot to analyze this lifestyle, and consider the prospects for where it will lead in ten years.

The mechanical and quite simple stage is to draw up a diagram proper nutrition, which includes acceptable foods (with a distinction in what quantities and how many times a day or a week each of them can be consumed), portion sizes and frequency of meals. Perfect List you should always have at hand, but you should not demand from yourself instant and strict adherence to such a diet. Old habits, reinforced by physical sensations, are quite strong, and after holding out for a week, you can wake up near a fast food stall, finishing your sixth shawarma. Allow yourself sweets and harmful goodies, but gradually reduce their volume.

When adjusting the very side of nutrition, do not forget that the cause of any addiction lies in the psyche and without paying due attention to the causes of addiction and changing your life situation all efforts to improve your diet will be meaningless. Solve old problems that sap your mental resources, find something to fill the inner emptiness (look for emotions - new hobbies, interesting trips, people). Playing sports and filling yourself positive emotions Allies in the fight against addiction.

Further deeper and deeper serious job by: find things that develop you and reward yourself for every, even insignificant achievement. Just not food - give yourself new experiences by buying a movie ticket or riding a horse. If you won the Mathematics Olympiad - please yourself with a subscription to the pool, if you defended the CCM - update your haircut, successfully passed the project - go on a picnic. Try to keep your activities varied and developing your different sides. Your main task is to normalize your life, learn how to cope with stress and fight back against external pressure instead of jamming problems.

Treatment of food addiction

Treatment of any eating behavior deviations includes the joint work of a person with a psychologist or psychotherapist on intrapersonal problems that led to such a condition, and the duration and program are determined individually and depend on the severity of the manifestations and the specifics of the clinic. main goal such work is not the normalization of weight, but only the normalization of eating behavior, violations of which led to the consequences of changes in body weight.

A holistic approach usually involves working on introducing and maintaining the principles of mindful eating, excluding violent dieting methods that lead to relapses. Mindful eating focuses on increasing sensitivity to your body's needs and responses to food (this includes both the type and amount of food).

Deep work is being done with internal settings towards food and self. Constant companions of eating disorders are a decrease in self-esteem, lack, inability to build productive contact, living in past problems and other traumatic situations that make a person seize constant anxiety.

Recovery usually takes about two months. regular classes individual and group psychotherapy, where personal causes of addiction are identified and the most authentic ways out of this situation are developed, without the use of harsh measures that frustrate the psyche. Most often, treatment is carried out with periodic visits to a psychotherapist and support groups, but in some cases hospitalization (sometimes involuntary) is required in cases of violation. physical health or needs of psycho-emotional correction. Particularly relevant compulsory treatment in a hospital with anorexia, since it is possible deaths, as well as irreversible changes and violations, and possibly failure in the work of organs against the background of exhaustion and starvation.

The most relevant in working with food addictions is aimed at eliminating inappropriate behavioral and developing new scheme behavior. Body-oriented and dynamic therapy is actively involved in order to better contact, feel and understand the image of the body, as well as its needs.

Group therapy has proven very positive in the treatment of any type of addiction, where it is possible to get support and come closer to accepting one's own problem as existing, which is the starting point for rehabilitation. In addition, actively involved family therapy, because the eating behavior takes its roots in the family system, always closely borders the sphere interpersonal relationships and is one of the markers of trouble in the family.

The content of the article:

For people who have not experienced this problem, it is difficult to believe that ordinary food causes addiction in some people. Daily food is necessary for people to survive, but it also brings great pleasure. If a person consumes it in large quantities, then this can cause a pathological addiction.

Food addiction - what is it?

If people have a great passion for food, then it is boldly called a disease. According to experts in this field, this disease can be compared with drug or alcohol addiction. This process is almost impossible to control, because a forced ban, on the contrary, can lead to a surge of negative emotions.

A person suffering from this disease consumes so much food that it outweighs the usual norm. And so a lot of overeating happens, which can lead to diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, gastrointestinal problems.

One of the main causes of addiction is unpredictable stressful situations. And, unfortunately, not many people manage to cope with them, because they begin to get nervous, worry, which leads to a great desire to eat.

Causes of food addiction

• As mentioned earlier, stress is main reason food addiction. After all, there are a lot of people who "jam" any slight excitement. Food for them becomes the only “joy” that brings them out of feelings of depression and loneliness.
• Food also serves as a similar way of "cure" for people with mental illness. Eating different foods calms them down, helps to get rid of negative emotions and generally improves their condition.
• Often the disease occurs in those people who have some defects in appearance. They are so worried about this that eating becomes an uncontrolled process for them.
• There are times when people eat a lot of food to reduce physical pain. On the mental level they believe that it is food that makes them feel much better.

Symptoms that define the disease

1. For a long time, people constantly try to increase their food intake. And compared to previous years, meals are noticeably different.
2. Tolerance is one of the symptoms of the disease. It manifests itself when a person already realizes that he actually consumes a lot of food.
3. Anxiety comes when a person feels hungry. Scientists have proven that when you feel hungry human body feels discomfort. Also, against the background of hunger, many people experience anxiety and panic, which is a direct sign of food addiction.
4. anxiety symptoms. They appear when a person who is already addicted to food spends a lot of his time on purchases. food products. And the daily necessary things take much less time than it used to be done before. And therefore, people often forget about important things, because their thoughts are occupied with food.
5. Many attempts to cope with the disease on their own were unsuccessful. People who have experienced a very strong addiction eat with the help of various diets to get rid of it. But, for many, instead of switching to diet food, the opposite happens, there is a stronger appetite.
6. It is difficult for a person to give up his habit even after serious complications have arisen in his health. For example, overuse food (to a large extent the consumption of large amounts of sugar) can lead to diseases such as diabetes, as well as obesity. This symptom almost always indicates a person's food addiction.

How to get rid of food addiction?

Food addiction is a disease that needs to be treated. To get rid of it, you need to follow some rules:

1. In order to try to get rid of addiction, you must adhere to an appropriate diet. It is necessary to completely eliminate sugar and flour products from the diet. This can be done at least for a while, until control begins to be regained.
2. Another huge step towards recovery is the elimination of irritants. To do this, you need to try to remove from the house all those products that become a threat to humans. It is also very important that all family members be in solidarity with the dependent person and support him.
3. Those people who are addicted are used to eating irregularly, arranging for themselves, frequent snacks, eating in different time. You need to develop for yourself your own regime, which includes three main meals and two light snacks.
4. And it is also very important that dependent people found like-minded people in this problem. Because it is with such people that it will be easier to find mutual language, since you are united by the same problem, and it will be easier to look for ways to solve it faster.
5. People suffering from this disease need to learn how to manage their emotions. If they control their emotions, it will be easier to find the causes that affect the appearance of stress.
6. Everyone knows that physical exercise always have a positive effect on human well-being. And in this case, they will be very useful, because with the help of different exercises you can get rid of not only excess weight and you can also increase self-control over food intake. Also, thanks to this, people become more resistant to stressful situations.
7. Thanks to the advice and advice of specialists, people managed to get rid of the disease and make their lives more manageable. But, first you need to make sure that the dependence has completely disappeared. A person needs some time to be extremely careful. And when everything gets better, you can return to the old way of life.
8. Since the main reason for eating habits is various stressful situations, keeping a special journal will help get rid of this disease. In this journal, you need to write down your negative emotions, and how much and how often you eat food. Experts say that this method makes a person understand that the emotional background greatly affects the increase in food intake.
9. As soon as a person has a desire to eat, he goes to the kitchen in search of "prey", as a result, everything ends with severe overeating. In this case, experts recommend taking your hands to other things, because in this way you can be distracted and control the amount of food eaten. For example, you can do a regular hand massage, because it will also be good for the skin of the hands. Try doing exercises with a wrist spanner. Such a procedure will not only help get rid of the thought of eating, but will also be very useful for muscles and joints. And the simplest "distraction" is a regular manicure. Just put your nails in order, and you will get rid of the next "attack" of hunger.
10. If you find it difficult to refuse the next portion of goodies, try to deceive your body. To do this, you need to cook low-calorie meals that will bring you more benefits. For example, replace your favorite salads with mayonnaise with non-fat sour cream or non-sweet yogurt. Also choose those salads that are prepared with the addition of olive oil. Avoid fried foods as well, instead steam your foods. If you find it difficult to give up chocolate, eat only natural black, not white or milk.

Also remember, you should never comfort a child with sweets, because many adults do this with children. In addition, you do not need to encourage the baby with food, because you may pay dearly for it in the future.

For more information on how to get rid of food addiction, see this video:

Food addiction is one of the most common. As a rule, women are more susceptible to this. Up to 80% of the fairer sex are familiar with this phenomenon firsthand.

You can cope with this problem subject to the main condition: to be honest with yourself and ready to make some effort.

Forms of food addiction

Food addiction manifests itself in different forms. Consider different types its manifestations:

Diet professional

Paradox, but in a manic pursuit different diets food addiction too! At the same time, the “ever losing weight” himself is sure that this is just a desire to be in shape.

unconscious eater

This person consumes food without a system. Due to frequent snacks on the go, he can simply forget about lunch. As a rule, in the evening an attack of hunger overtakes him and then he simply cannot stop. He himself is inclined to believe that he is absolutely indifferent to "delicious", but it is precisely because of his disorderly consumption of food that he absorbs much more than is necessary.

Gourmet

A subtle connoisseur of gastronomic delights is at risk - receiving special pleasure from food, he becomes dependent on plentiful feasts.

Emotional Eater

It differs from other types in that it tries to cope with emotions with the help of food. If the first three representatives can solve their problem by adjusting the diet and style of nutrition, then in this case one cannot do without global psychological preparation.

How does it usually happen? In moments of inner discomfort or loneliness, a person is visited by a “saving thought” about something delicious stored in the depths of the refrigerator. After all, it can help lift your spirits! One piece of cake gives a feeling of peace, as if problems are receding. The next portion follows the first and so on until everything is destroyed.

And then the terrible mood returns, aggravated by guilt for his intemperance. Added to everything overweight and centimeters. Even the consciousness that food has become like a drug cannot stop the process that has begun. Nutritionists say that the loss of control over the desire to snack and the subsequent feeling of guilt is the first sign of the onset of a food addiction. At this stage, the mechanism of self-deception is activated, when a person tries to push the problems that have arisen into the background with the help of food.

Get rid of food addiction

Realizing your dependence on food, you should not fall into despair, because you need to get rid of it! How to do it?

1. Evaluate only physiological hunger and never eat food mechanically!

Instead of “grabbing” something on the go, try to rate the actual feeling of hunger on a five-point scale, where 1 is “very hungry” and 5 is “completely full”. If you can rate yourself a 4 or 5, never snack.

2. If problems make you look into the refrigerator, deal with them.

Trust the advice of psychologists: put the problems on paper. Dividing the sheet into two columns, in one, indicate the causes of your worries and anxieties, and in the other, ways to eliminate them. Even with negative results, do not give up and return to the list again.

3. Come up with something to do when negative emotions arise.

A good alternative would be a walk or any distraction: needlework, drawing, calling your parents or girlfriend, reading interesting book. Sitting in front of the TV is not very welcome, as it can be tempting to "snack" while watching a movie.

4. Keep a food diary.

By writing down in it what and when you eat, determine the time of day when you are most often overtaken by hunger and by this time stock up on low-calorie foods.

5. Full sleep- required condition.

Hunger very often occurs against the background of a sleep disorder. This happens due to a decrease in blood levels of leptin, a hormone that regulates appetite and signals the brain about satiety.

Food is one of the main sources of pleasure, but do not forget that it should be a friend and ally, and not dictate the rules of behavior.