Food addiction as an element of suppressing people's will

How many of us think about what we eat?

Or has eating turned into a mechanical, thoughtless absorption of whatever comes to hand?

How many of us understand our dependence on ready-made food sold in supermarkets?

How often do we even think about our health?

It has long been proven how cleverly industrial companies manipulate the taste preferences of the population. It's not a secret. But even with knowledge, do we have enough time to stop and think?

Awareness in a person’s life consists of many factors. Nutrition is one of them. And if we pay close attention to this important aspect of life, then not only our health and well-being will improve, but our quality of life as a whole will improve.

Sugar, salt and fat

- famous pillars of the food industry, fueling the desires of consumers. These are the ingredients that all manufacturers need to turn their products into bestsellers. Salt that is processed in dozens of ways to maximize the pleasant sensation from the first bite. Fats that produce the most calories and subtly influence people to overeat. Sugar, which stimulates brain cells.

Nowadays, such food is the basis of the diet for many. People pretend that there is nothing wrong with this. Increasingly, families are abandoning home-cooked food in favor of semi-finished and ready-made products.

Most people unconditionally believe advertising, without even thinking about what exactly ends up in their stomach. And only a few understand that product manufacturers are waging an endless struggle among themselves for the “share in the stomach,” that is, for the part of the buyer’s diet that the brand can take in the competition.

The diseases of civilization are coming.

Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, gallbladder disease, tooth decay, osteoarthritis, three types of cancer - breast, colon and uterine cavity.

Food manufacturers know well why we crave sweet, salty and fatty foods. They employ teams of sensory scientists, conduct numerous clinical studies, and apply what they learn using sugar, salt, and fat in dozens of ways. Scientists are well aware of how sugar affects the body and that it can cause a person to eat more than necessary, causing irreparable harm to health. They are well aware of the direct connection between sugar and uncontrolled overeating. Sugar instantly stimulates the pleasure centers in the brain and is addictive.

In pursuit of the attractiveness of products, everything is checked to the smallest detail. Food giants are studying brain imaging to understand how we react to certain foods at a neural level.

Psychological problem related to food

This is the main cause of food addiction. Problems in the psychology of product addicts may be as follows:

• Emotional eating. This is when a person “eats” stress and, in general, any negative emotions. Scientists also point to a direct relationship between depression and excess weight, when one causes the second and vice versa;
• Low self-esteem and problems with proactivity. For a long time, there was an opinion that obesity was the cause of low self-esteem. However, recent research shows that the relationship may be the opposite: children with low self-esteem tend to be overweight in adulthood. People whose character does not have such a quality as proactivity are more likely to be overweight;
• Violence experienced in childhood. This is not only a severe shock for the child’s psyche, but also a risk of obesity in the future.

No amount of diets, exhausting workouts or even surgical operations will help cope with food addiction if you do not first eliminate the root cause - the psychological problem.

Causes and signs of food addiction

In order for a person to understand how to cope with food addiction, it is necessary to determine the cause of its occurrence. It is important to note that food addiction caused by psychological disorders is much more common in people than caused by trauma.

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In general, the following psychological causes of food addiction are distinguished:

• the desire to get rid of physical pain through food.
• strong experiences or trauma of a psychological nature. Often in such cases, food is one of the few publicly available ways to deal with problems, feelings of loneliness or sadness.
• severe mental disorders. Food for people with mental illnesses is the only way to alleviate anxiety, panic attacks and other negative manifestations of this disorder.
• physical and mental bullying from other people. Often weak people feel aggressive manifestations from other people. As a result of such situations, food becomes an opportunity for them to block out their pain and experiences.
• dissatisfaction with one's own body. Food addiction can occur in a person due to excessive concern about his own figure or any body defects. Such an obsession forces a person to eat more food than necessary.

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There are certain behavioral symptoms that may indicate an eating disorder:

1. extremely rapid absorption of significant amounts of food;
2. inability to control the amount of food eaten;
3. the desire to eat even if the person does not feel hungry;
4. a person hides food so that he can eat it later when he is alone;
5. a person controls himself in company, but when alone he overeats;
6. meals are not distributed for breakfast, lunch or dinner; they are served indiscriminately throughout the day.

In addition, the person experiences symptoms of a psychological nature:

1. focusing on one's own shortcomings, low self-esteem;
2. while eating a large amount of food, a person may feel as if he is on autopilot; there is no meaningfulness at such a moment;
3. a feeling of shame and guilt for what has been done, self-loathing;
4. a feeling of despair and anxiety due to the fact that a vicious circle has formed from which one cannot escape.

The following groups of people are most prone to food addiction:

• those who place excessive demands on themselves in order to satisfy the needs of those around them (in medical practice this is called “excellent student syndrome”);
• children whose parents instill that he should under no circumstances let them down (this is often noted in influential and wealthy families);
• insecure and lonely people.

How do you know if you have become addicted to food?

The symptoms are quite easy to diagnose yourself; if you have one or more of the following, then you cannot hesitate to take decisive action:

• Literally all thoughts revolve around food; a person thinks about it too often;
• Whether you’re in high spirits or depressed – it doesn’t matter, in any case you want to eat your favorite treat;
• Anticipation of a meal increases the level of endorphins in the blood and causes a feeling of euphoria:
• Going out or visiting is considered inappropriate if there is no opportunity to eat there;
• Even mild hunger has a very negative impact on your emotional and physical well-being;
• After acts of “food debauchery,” feelings of guilt and shame arise;

"Food Slaves" are similar to regular slaves. They understand the horror of their situation, but cannot find the strength to start a fight and make sacrifices for the sake of victory. Over thousands of years, no universal recipe for success has emerged - fight or accept it.

Signs

First of all, addiction to junk food manifests itself in the absorption of it in unlimited quantities at any time of the day or night and the inability to stop. This is the main sign of food addiction. However, there are a number of additional markers that help distinguish it from ordinary overeating:

• a frequent desire to eat turns into a real craving;
• hunger forces you to get up at night and have snacks;
• independent attempts to take control of the size of portions eaten and the diet of meals turn out to be useless;
• excess weight begins to be taken for granted and justified in every possible way: “I have such a constitution,” “It’s hereditary,” “It’s just that the metabolism is disturbed,” “There should be a lot of good people,” etc.;
• lack of a meal plan;
• every cafe you meet along the road evokes an irresistible desire to go in and eat, even if there is no hunger;
• an empty refrigerator or a lack of a favorite product in the store can cause anxiety and even panic;
• the vast majority of drugs in the medicine cabinet are for heartburn, abdominal discomfort, for better absorption of food, to stimulate the digestive process, etc.;
• inability to refuse an invitation to eat from others (colleagues, girlfriends, parents);
• attending all events associated with a rich feast;
• Just the anticipation of food creates a feeling of euphoria, but in the process of eating it dulls, and the person begins to look for new tastes in order to stimulate the pleasure center of the brain.

These are clear signs of food addiction that a person himself can notice, although he often does not admit it to himself. However, for psychotherapists there are a number of other markers that help differentiate the diagnosis from ordinary overeating:

1. Constant increase in food intake.
2. In the absence of the required product, withdrawal symptoms occur (irritability, anger, and a sharp deterioration in mood).
3. Lack of a plan. This applies not only to the mode of eating, but also to the amount of food. We only came in for a cup of coffee and ended up eating 3 cheesecakes and 2 pastries.
4. Obsession with food. The addict begins to watch programs about her, collect recipes, try new tastes, join thematic communities, and constantly talk about it.
5. Loss of hobbies, interests, refusal of social and political activity, loss of interest in career or family. All free time is devoted to food.
6. Having health problems caused by being overweight.
7. Eating food not because of hunger, but to eliminate emotional discomfort and stress, just to get pleasure.

Someone refuses to acknowledge the existence of a problem and justifies their behavior: “I am a free person - I eat what I want and when I want. I can afford it. And being overweight is my dignity.” They do nothing to overcome the disease because they do not consider themselves sick. Their destiny in the end is obesity with all the ensuing consequences.

Others understand that they have become a victim of the modern food industry and are heavily addicted to fast food (other harmful products). Someone tries to overcome food addiction on their own (makes promises to themselves or loved ones, makes a meal schedule, goes on a diet, avoids cafes and restaurants), but lacks willpower, breaks down and suffers from a constant feeling of guilt.

Food addiction is a specific condition due to which a person cannot control the quality and quantity of food he consumes. This is a harmful addiction, which in 90 cases out of 100 occurs when a suffering person needs to drown out negative emotions, relieve stress, nervous tension, and anxious feelings.

There are several types of food addiction:

1. Overeating is a mild stage of addiction that occurs when a person tries to “eat” a bad mood and stress. Is the initial form of bulimia;
2. Bulimia is a serious mental disorder, which is characterized by the fact that a person has absolutely no control over himself and consumes food in huge quantities;
3. Anorexia is a mental disorder that is accompanied by an unhealthy desire to achieve ideal thinness and a sincere aversion to any food.

In this article we will consider in detail the first type of food addiction, because, unlike bulimia and anorexia, you can get rid of it without the help of specialists.

✎with the help of a favorite treat, a person tries to drown out bad emotions and cheer himself up;

✎a person who knows that he will soon be able to eat deliciously improves his mood and has a feeling of euphoria;

✎ It is difficult for a food addict to resist starting a meal before others. While all the guests are just taking their seats, such a person is already holding a fork in his hands and eating with might and main;

✎ as soon as purchases at the supermarket are paid for, a person with addiction begins to eat without leaving the cash register;

✎ slight hunger causes discomfort and can cause real panic;

✎ a person addicted to food chooses hobbies that are closely related to his unhealthy addiction;

✎ when communicating with friends, sooner or later a person with an addiction begins to ask questions about what they ate for lunch, what they were treated to at a party, what they usually order in a cafe, what kind of pizza they prefer, etc.;

✎ such a person has his favorite dish, for which he is ready to kill;

✎ the addict is afraid of being left without food, so very often when visiting, he bites off all the pieces, and then puts them back on the common plate so that no one else can take them;

✎ a person with addiction constantly increases portions and cannot stop;

✎ after a heavy meal, the addict feels shame and promises himself that this will never happen again, although he knows that he will not keep these promises;

✎ such a person periodically tries to quit gluttony and start leading a healthy lifestyle, but he does not have enough willpower to just take it and do it.

Types of food addictions

There are several types of food addiction: compulsive addiction, anorexia, bulimia and orthorexia. Let's talk about each in order.

Compulsive eating addiction

Manifested by repeated episodes of overeating. A person consumes an amount of food that is several times higher than the required norm. People with compulsive food addiction eat until they reach a state of complete overeating, a bloated stomach, nausea, when they can no longer literally reach for food.

Those suffering from this type of addiction often eat on the sly, when no one sees. Such food consumption causes a person to feel embarrassed, disgusted, depressed, and guilty after eating the amount of food, which, again, provokes repeated episodes of overeating. It turns out to be a vicious circle: you overeat, you get upset about it, and you overeat again.

Bulimia

This is a condition when a person consumes an unlimited amount of food, and after eating he uses a procedure for artificial emptying of the stomach (enemas, an attempt to artificially induce vomiting, taking laxatives, diuretics).

If with compulsive overeating there is a high risk of gaining weight quickly, then with bulimia the likelihood of gaining weight is much less. However, the likelihood of spoiling digestion and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract increases. This leads to deterioration of the condition of the teeth and a violation of the acidity of the body.

Anorexia

This is a refusal to eat, a refusal to accept food as such, a dislike for food.

A person suffering from anorexia perceives food as something hostile. He refuses to eat, in principle, the body becomes depleted and can go to a stage (this is more of a clinical disorder) when he really sees himself as fat. We see skin and bones, but in the mirror he sees himself as voluminous and thick.

Studies have been conducted where people with anorexia were given the task of showing themselves in centimeters. A person shows with his hands how much he thinks his chest, waist, buttocks, and legs are. As a rule, people with anorexia show 2 - 3 times more than they actually are.

Consequences of anorexia: digestive disorders, when food cannot fully pass through the digestive tract, digest and assimilate.

Orthorexia

This is a violation where the emphasis is on the correctness and completeness of food. In other words, this is a “healthy lifestyle” in an aggravated state.

Such people look very carefully at the ingredients of products; for them, eating grains that have been processed the wrong way or eating nuts that are fried rather than raw is terrible.

With orthorexia, very strict restrictions on food are established, not only in quantity, but also in the quality of food. This deviation in eating behavior is fraught with frequent sudden breakdowns.

This type of food addiction is often found among raw foodists and vegans. When a person strictly limits himself, then breaks down, eats too much, and then returns to strict limits again - a kind of vicious circle.

As a rule, with orthorexia, people react acutely to new information regarding nutrition; they begin to very concernedly monitor the quality and composition of products, with a sincere fear of eating something that is not in accordance with a healthy lifestyle. This can lead to a more stable mental disorder and develop, for example, into bulimia.

Causes of food addiction

Psychological comfort from food

In everyday life, a person strives for psychological comfort. But this is not always possible. Due to a lack of psychological peace, a person artificially tries to create it. This is how addictions and bad habits are born.

Food can become a source of positive emotions, or a way of adaptation under some unfavorable social conditions or psychological distress. With food, a person tries to fill those areas of life that are currently in dysfunction.

It has been proven that from early childhood, food is associated with positive emotions and a sense of security. When mother's hands touch the child, hugging him, he feels protected. When breastfeeding, a signal is given, like Pavlov's dog: the bell rings, saliva is produced, and the baby simultaneously receives nutrition, affection, warmth and care. And in the future, when we lack these factors, we can try to fill them with food.

Food is a reward

Another reason for food addiction is related to the methods of rewards and rewards. Standard holidays, when the most long-awaited dish is a cake, or during the candy-bouquet period girls are given sweets, or “if you clean your room, I’ll buy ice cream” - all this gives a person pleasant emotions and sends a projection to the brain that food is a reward .

Socio-cultural reasons for overeating

This is when society sets fashion standards. Socio-cultural imposition causes a person to dissonance with himself. A person cannot positively or adequately perceive himself as he is, and this gives rise to stress and the desire to “eat up” this stress.

How to get rid of bakery addiction

Choose foods with a low glycemic index (GI). Frequent cravings for buns may be due to an imbalance in blood sugar. Low GI foods will help release energy more slowly, preventing energy spikes. These foods include brown rice and oats.

Eat foods high in chromium. A lack of this substance also leads to cravings for starchy foods.

The diet should include:

•  apples;
•  asparagus;
•  mushrooms;
•  broccoli;
•  grain, etc.

Focus on the downsides of eating sugar. Find reasons not to eat flour. The main motive for refusing such food is the reluctance to gain excess weight, spoil the quality of your skin, look older than your age, become short of breath, and much more.

Surround yourself with the scent of vanilla. Researchers have proven that vanilla perfume reduces cravings for sweet foods. You can also purchase vanilla candles and air freshener.

Have an interesting time. It has been proven that more often people break down and overeat in the afternoon. To avoid this, you need to be distracted and have a good time.

Try not to eat sweets in company. To resist, you can eat a sweet salad of fruits and berries, whole grain baked goods, some dairy products with tasty berries, etc.

Increase your serotonin levels. The hormone of pleasure can relieve sadness and melancholy. It is often obtained from sweets. Therefore, replace the buns with pleasant activities - hug your other half, ride a bike, dance, etc.

FAT

Like sugar, some types of fats provide one of the main requirements for ready-made food: the ability to not spoil for many days and even months while lying on a store shelf. Fat gives volume and firmness to the liver. The fat replaces the water, keeping the crackers tender and flavorful. Fat improves the rubbery texture of hot dogs and hamburgers, enhancing their color.

The most pleasant addition is that the fat saves the manufacturer money. In addition, fat provides a lot of culinary possibilities due to another outstanding quality. It can mask or enhance other tastes, and at the same time. And the main feature is that fat does not “explode” in the mouth like sugar; he acts on the sly. Fat determines the appearance and texture of the product. That is why it has become a powerful tool for manufacturers. It is invisible and attacks us without the trumpet sounds of battle that are characteristic of sugar and salt.

Scientists have concluded that most of the sweets in our diet are not pure sugar. There's definitely fat there. Together they achieve a level of attraction that they could never achieve alone. The result is that manufacturers can use fat to enhance the attractiveness of their products without fear of customer reaction.

Due to the high energy value of fat - it has 2 times more calories than sugar - the brain considers fat to be the body's best friend. The more fat in food, the more fuel the body can store for further processing into body fat. Indeed, the body stores fat so eagerly that it slows down the mechanism that helps us avoid overeating (the signal our brain sends to let us know we've already eaten enough). Moreover, such signals cope quite well with sweet foods. But the bliss point for fat is much further away, if it exists at all. But there is something even more powerful than fat—fat with added sugar. Faced with this combination, the brain stops recognizing fat altogether. It becomes even less noticeable in food, and our brakes fail.

Manufacturers use a lot of sugar, salt and fat not only to enhance the attractiveness of food. This also helps keep it safe for consumption weeks and even months after production.

The limbic system of the brain loves sugar, salt and fat - substances that are scarce and high in calories. Therefore, products with a high content of them are created. Sometimes cheap ingredients are added to increase profitability. Next are advertising and PR campaigns. Unfortunately, manufacturers are often guided by the principle of “produce whatever sells.” As a result, the rise of the industry of ready-made food, semi-finished products, canned food, very often with a high content of sugar, salt, fat and other harmful substances.

Getting rid of food addiction - step-by-step technology

In order not to destroy your body and not undermine your health, you need to take a number of measures:

1. Get your head in order. You need to honestly and frankly admit to yourself what the true cause of this problem is. Possible options have been listed above. Being completely honest is the hardest thing;
2. Set yourself a very specific and quantifiable goal. This could be reducing food costs by giving up unhealthy foods or returning to your normal weight;
3. Learn to plan. It's not just about creating a healthy diet and eating regimen, but also about planning all areas of your life;
4. Find a new hobby. It should be really interesting and take your mind off food. If you have long dreamed of learning to play the ukulele, now is the right time;
5. Drink more water. Not green tea, not decaffeinated coffee, or even freshly squeezed juice, but pure water;
6. Be physically active. You don’t have to go to the gym starting next Monday and work out until exhaustion; you can start by walking in the morning.

Without completing all these steps, it is not recommended to resort to the use of medications.

Diagnostics

The condition requires differential diagnosis. In practice, it is easy to confuse it with ordinary overeating. And in the theoretical literature you can often see that food addiction includes anorexia, orthorexia, and bulimia. This is not entirely correct, since all of the above are equally mental disorders (eating disorders/eating disorders).

To make a diagnosis, you need to see a psychotherapist. He conducts an initial interview, during which he finds out the patient’s eating habits, assesses the psycho-emotional state, the presence of psychological trauma, and also organizes psychological testing. After this, a referral is given to more specialized specialists to identify health problems. This could be an endocrinologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist.

Based on the results of the initial interview, psychological testing and medical examination, a conclusion is made as to what exactly the patient suffers from - food addiction or a mental eating disorder. A diagnosis is made and treatment is prescribed.

If you have doubts whether you suffer from such an addiction, you can take a simple psychological test yourself. The results may be an impetus for you to seek help from a psychotherapist.

Instructions. Read each paragraph carefully. Answer the question posed honestly. Check the empty fields in the table.

Calculation of results:

• Answer “Yes, always” - 50-100%

All the signs of advanced food addiction are evident. Urgent contact with a specialized specialist is required. It is hardly possible to cope with such a problem on your own.

• The answer is “Sometimes it happens” – up to 60%

Mild to moderate food addiction. Everything is fixable, and there is every chance to remove the bondage from food on your own, without turning to a specialist.

• The answer is “No, never” - about 80%

You are not a slave to your stomach, you don’t have to worry about it.

Coding for food addiction: reviews

The experiences of people who have gone through the coding process can be grouped into several categories:

• It helped, but the weight returned under the influence of external stimuli: stress and anxiety due to moving, changing jobs, etc.;
• There was a result, but it did not last long and in the end the weight became the same;
• There were absolutely no changes, neither positive nor negative - money down the drain;
• The goal was achieved, but with side effects in the form of deterioration of health;
• The effect of coding exceeded all expectations and caused complete aversion to food, anorexia and forced psychiatric treatment;
• Coding from certain foods (flour, sweets) led to the fact that I only wanted to eat these foods.

On

this

and on

this

On the website you can read real reviews from people who have tried this method.

If we draw analogies with alcoholism, we see that a huge number of clinics and private coding specialists do not in any way reduce the level of alcohol consumption in the country. Judging by the reviews, food addiction is also rarely treatable through coding.

Features of the disease

Food addiction can occur in different ways. Some people eat everything, while others have irresistible cravings for specific foods. The most widespread addiction is to table salt and salty foods (chips, crackers, nuts and other foods containing large amounts of salt).

Sugar evokes no less affection. Sweet foods (cakes, pastries, buns, candies, ice cream) very often become objects of addiction. Abuse of sweets is very common among women.

Eating disorders often develop in adolescents, especially girls. However, they most often experience not bulimia (overeating), but anorexia (refusing food for fear of gaining excess weight). Such girls are constantly on diets, starving themselves. They also often take pills to relieve hunger. Naturally, all this spoils the physical and mental state.

Symptoms

The number of people suffering from various food addictions is increasing every year at a catastrophic rate. The problem is of great importance among medical professionals around the world.

To recognize the disease in the first stages of its appearance, it is enough to take a close look at the behavior of your family and friends. Some of the first signs of eating disorders include:

• decreased criticality of one’s own weight – patients do not recognize their excessive thinness or obesity;
• food cravings are truly uncontrollable - they can get up to have a snack, even at night;
• increased nervousness, anxiety if there is no certain supply of food or favorite products in the house;
• refusal to visit public places where food is served - restaurants, cafes, canteens;
• absorption of dishes occurs quickly, and if food is served slowly, they may flare up;
• suffering from feelings of guilt after overeating;
• extremely low self-esteem;
• the presence in the body of various pathologies, one way or another, interrelated with digestive disorders;
• long hours of sports - exhausting your own body to give it perfection;
• searching for more and more excuses for his behavior, for example, a person claims that he has depression after breaking up with a loved one, which forces him to seek solace in food.

In some cases, a person exhausts himself with various diets and uncontrolled use of medications, for example, laxatives and diuretics, so much so that he requires emergency hospitalization. In this case, doctors will decide how to overcome food addiction.

Treatment

Psychotherapeutic treatment of food addiction faces serious challenges.

Everyone knows the scheme of psychotherapy for other addictions (alcoholism, drug addiction, smoking, etc.). A person realizes the problem, works on himself, imagines the consequences in the future if he does not get rid of addiction. Along the way, he is isolated from the subject of addiction (alcohol, drugs, cigarettes).

There is no such way to get rid of food addiction, since food is a vital component. A person will still have to eat to maintain the normal functioning of the body. And every time the desire to eat something forbidden and increase the portion will intensify. There is only one way out - outside help, when someone at home controls the amount of food eaten and the eating schedule, preventing a breakdown. However, this is quite a difficult task. The problem is that the addict is ready to do anything to satisfy his need for food.

Therefore, the main task of psychotherapy is to work with the client’s subconscious and identify other psychologically comfortable actions that could equally replace the pleasure of eating.

The most effective methods:

• hypnosis – remains a leader in the treatment of any addiction, including food addiction;
• psychoanalysis – works with psychotraumas as the root causes of diagnosis;
• art therapy - allows you to escape and find a new source of joy and pleasure;
• cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy – destroys incorrectly formed behavior patterns and creates new ones (eat according to the clock, eat only healthy foods, monitor portion sizes);
• body-oriented therapy – teaches you to control attacks of hunger and appetite;
• family psychotherapy – involves loved ones and relatives in treatment and identifies psychological problems at this level.

In the most advanced cases, the psychotherapist sends the patient for additional consultations with an endocrinologist and nutritionist. It is possible to prescribe special medications that block appetite. They affect precisely those brain centers that are responsible for hunger and satiety. If attacks are most often provoked by stressful situations, as with compulsive overeating, antidepressants, nootropics and sedatives help.

Naturally, without normalizing the lifestyle and nutrition system, treatment is useless. Therefore, a person dependent on food must consult a specialized specialist on these issues.

Most often, obesity and related diseases are treated simultaneously with psychotherapy.

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Eating disorders and food addiction

Differences with eating disorders

First of all, it is necessary to distinguish between two concepts: “food dependence (addiction)” and “eating disorders.” The latter include anorexia nervosa and bulimia, which have a different etiology from food addiction. For these are other psychopathological phenomena than food addiction.

The basis of anorexia nervosa

most often lie dysmorphophobic experiences, which are characterized by dissatisfaction with one’s own figure and appearance in general, and overweight in particular. According to a person suffering from anorexia nervosa, his external imperfection is so obvious that it “cuts the gaze” of those around him, who try to clearly point out his ugliness and disgust. Therefore, it is necessary to get rid of excess weight, most often through voluntary fasting.

In one case, the ultimate goal of fasting is to lose weight on your own in any way, including the most bizarre options. One of the dominant psychological motives in this case is the desire for physical changes. An indomitable desire to look your best, so that everyone gasps with delight and envy at the same time. Moreover, the definition of this very “better”, the standard to which one must strive, lives exclusively in the head of the person himself.

In another version, the defining and most significant trigger is the desire to independently set a difficult task and experience a feeling of deep satisfaction and pride from its implementation. In the process of such fasting, gradually, signs of physical exhaustion begin to appear more and more noticeably, and it becomes more and more difficult to control what is happening. Any attempts on the part of relatives and friends to influence the situation are doomed to failure. People suffering from anorexia live in their own reality, understandable only to them. The aversion to food becomes so strong that even chewing gum or toothpaste in the mouth is perceived by them as quite a sufficient amount of food.

Bulimia nervosa

– another extremely dangerous eating disorder. The main feature of bulimia is systematically repeated attacks of uncontrolled consumption of excessive amounts of food in a short period of time (about two hours), followed by cleansing the body in various ways, against the backdrop of a difficult feeling of shame and remorse for what has been done.

Most often, cleansing the body is done through self-induced vomiting, or taking large amounts of laxatives and diuretics, or using enemas. Another option for burning calories is extremely intense physical activity, often leading to injury, or exhausting diets. This behavior overlaps with the behavior of individuals suffering from anorexia, and often both disorders coexist.

Causes

To this day, the reasons that can cause bulimia have not been clearly established, but research shows that there are certain factors that contribute to its development. They include certain personality traits (proneness to depression and low self-esteem). As well as an unfavorable family history (bulimics often come from dysfunctional families in which rules are chaotic or non-existent, alcohol or substance abuse is common, and too much emphasis is placed on appearance).

Many bulimic patients say that they were deprived of parental affection as children. And one of the psychological causes of bouts of gluttony may be physical attempts to satisfy emotional hunger. Get rid of feelings of loneliness and feelings of inferiority. Often the inability to control eating behavior is a manifestation of a lack of control in other areas of life. Which is expressed in alcohol abuse, spending money or compulsive theft.

The mortality rate for eating disorders, including anorexia, can be as high as 20 percent, including deaths from heart and intestinal injuries and suicide.

The consequences of bulimia are extremely severe. In addition to a general decrease in vitality, these are diseases of the esophagus and damage to tooth enamel (from vomiting). Violation of water and electrolyte balance due to the use of potent diuretics leads to heart and kidney diseases. In rare cases, a binge eating episode can cause a rupture of the stomach or esophagus. Which in turn can cause internal bleeding. Overuse of laxatives can cause problems in the digestive system and intestines.

In addition, bulimia can manifest itself as a psychopathological symptom in various mental disorders. Organic diseases of the brain, mental retardation, schizophrenia, etc.

Food addiction, definition:

The key difference between food addiction and eating disorders is that it, as well as the formation of any addiction in general, is based on the principle of positive emotional reinforcement (conditioning), when as a result of one’s activity (in this case, overeating or starvation), a person experiences physical pleasure and a surge of positive emotions.

An addict suffering from food addiction cannot independently stop systematically overeating, even despite the negative consequences of this behavior that are obvious to him and those around him.

One can argue for a long time whether food addictions are true addictions or not, but the mechanism of formation and symptoms in both cases are practically the same, and it is difficult to deny this. A number of studies have shown that foods high in sugar, salt, fat, refined carbohydrates and sweeteners can be addictive, in the same way as alcohol - by stimulating the pleasure centers of the brain and triggering the release of “happy hormones” (dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, etc.), causing a strong feeling of pleasure and satisfaction.

Food addicts tend to eat quickly and feverishly, overeating to the point of physical discomfort. In some cases, instead of one-time overeating, systematic “snacks” take place throughout the day, but the total amount of food consumed also significantly exceeds the daily norm necessary for the normal functioning of the body. Food addiction can lead to obesity, but not everyone who is overweight or obese also suffers from food addiction.

Just like any other addiction, food addiction can trigger cravings, build tolerance, and cause withdrawal symptoms. For example, studies using high-tech brain scanning techniques that compared the reactions of a healthy person and a food addict to seeing a milkshake showed that the addict's reaction was exactly the same as the reaction of an alcoholic who was shown a steamy glass of vodka.

Who can become addicted to food

People systematically overeat and become obese for many reasons. Those who occasionally drink alcohol because they like its taste and effects are not yet alcoholics, just as people who occasionally smoke marijuana are not yet drug addicts. Recent studies have attempted to determine what distinguishes a food addict from someone who overeats. These differences are important because they directly relate to approaches to treating food addiction.

For example, when addiction is the main cause of obesity, traditional treatment consisting of diet, where willpower and personal responsibility of the individual are of great importance, will be completely ineffective. Since food stimulates the pleasure center of the brain, many experts rightly believe that the same approaches and methods should be applied in this case as in the treatment of any other addiction. A simple change in lifestyle and diet, or even gastric bypass, will have minimal effect, since the cause of obesity is food addiction.

Food addiction: signs and symptoms

First of all, these are symptoms characteristic of any type of addiction, and it is their presence that distinguishes true food addiction from episodic overeating and ordinary intemperance in nutrition. Most food addicts answer with a resounding “yes” to all of the points below.

1. Tolerance. A person needs to constantly increase the amount of food consumed to achieve the desired psychological effect or sensation.
2. Cancel. When the required food or its quantity is not available, physiological and/or psychological withdrawal symptoms (stress, anger, depression) occur. A person tries to get what he wants in any way, regardless of the consequences, in order to relieve withdrawal symptoms or alleviate them.
3. Unplanned, spontaneous abuse. The person consumes more food, or takes it over a longer period of time, than originally intended.
4. Persistent attempts to solve the problem on their own fail, despite understanding the gravity of the situation.
5. Obsession with food. A lot of time is spent on preparing food and on rituals associated with its consumption.
6. Reducing or completely abandoning social, professional or recreational activities, and devoting the freed time to activities related to food in one way or another.
7. Food abuse continues despite persistent or recurrent physical and/or psychological problems associated with it and constantly getting worse.
8. After incidents of overeating, a feeling of guilt or remorse for what they have done arises; promises are made to oneself and loved ones not to repeat this in the future.
9. Eating food even in the complete absence of hunger, or using it to lift your mood, eliminate symptoms of depression, irritability, or depression.

Most people suffering from food addiction do not realize this, and general practitioners sometimes do not have sufficient special knowledge to recognize this problem in a patient. As a result, a person can unsuccessfully fight obesity for many years under the guidance of nutritionists, trying to get rid of the symptoms, instead of eliminating their cause - food addiction. During this treatment, many continue to overeat to avoid the psychological discomfort caused by various diets that lead to withdrawal symptoms. Often a person tries to eat “just a little bit of what he shouldn’t,” but the problem is that even a small amount can trigger uncontrollable overeating.

Causes of food addiction

Like any addiction, food addiction has many causes, and it is impossible to single out just one, the main one.

Emotions and stress

People who become addicted to food may eat to increase positive and decrease negative emotions. For example, you might eat pizza to “reward yourself” for an accomplishment. But you can also eat pizza because something bad happened to you and you suffered mentally, which means you need to feel sorry for yourself. This is a classic dependence formation scheme.

Brain Chemistry

Foods rich in fat and sugar can have a stimulating effect on the reward centers of the brain in much the same way as drugs and alcohol. Experiments conducted on rats showed that animals trained to self-inject heroin and cocaine using the appropriate lever stopped using it if they were offered natural sugar. Thus, it was found that rats prefer the pleasure of consuming “natural” sugar to the high of drugs. This study shows that sugar may indeed affect the brain's reward system even more than these drugs.

Genetics

Another reason for a person to develop food addiction may be a genetic predisposition to it. A 2002 study found that women who grew up in households where an adult drank alcohol heavily were 49% more likely to be obese compared to others. Although not everyone who is obese also suffers from food addiction. Nevertheless, this fact suggests that there may be a positive correlation between alcohol dependence of parents or relatives in childhood and the development of food addiction in adulthood.

Psychological trauma

Research has shown that among women with the most symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the prevalence of food addiction is more than twice the average. The earlier the trauma was suffered, the greater the likelihood of developing an addiction. This suggests that women who experienced a serious traumatic situation in childhood are much more likely to develop food addiction compared to others.

Consequences of food addiction

Over time, food addiction can cause serious physical and psychological problems. People who suffer from food addiction for a long time gradually learn to hide their problem from loved ones. They begin to hide food and eat at night, while simultaneously suffering from depression and decreased self-esteem. This is made worse by the fact that most do not even realize that they are addicted to food, but simply consider themselves weak-willed and undisciplined.

Among the most quickly manifested negative physical consequences of food addiction are: upset stomach, heartburn, severe nausea, and vomiting. All this is familiar to those who have seriously overeated at least once in their lives. But there are also psychological consequences that are noted by many food addicts. People describe these feelings as intense emotional distress, using words such as “ashamed,” “guilty,” and “disgusted.” Trying to get rid of these negative experiences can cause people to eat even more.

The most important and severe long-term consequence of food addiction is obesity. With constant overeating and eating foods rich in sugar, weight gain is inevitable. For many people (especially women, who are most susceptible to food addiction for a variety of reasons), awareness of their own unattractiveness and physical imperfection becomes a real tragedy and mental suffering.

Depression and food addiction

Research shows that there is a strong link between food addiction and negative emotional states, including depression and anxiety. Adults with food addiction have a higher prevalence of major depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse than those without food addiction. Obese people also have higher rates of depression. But the most alarming factor is the link between suicidal ideation and binge eating. More than half of patients with food addiction and those suffering from bouts of gluttony have thought about suicide at least once. This suggests that episodes of uncontrolled overeating lead to severe emotional distress.

In addition to psychological consequences, very common companions of obesity and food addiction are type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, depression, arthrosis, reproductive problems, gallstones, and stroke. If food addiction is not treated, it will inevitably progress over time.

Treatment of food addiction

Unfortunately, there is no easy solution to addiction recovery. There is no cure, no magic spell, no magic wand. If for some it is enough to simply learn to control the consumption of certain foods, then for others it will be necessary to completely abandon them, forever, for the rest of their lives. It won't work any other way. If you suspect you have a food addiction, the best solution is to seek professional help.

There is an opinion that getting rid of food addiction is even more difficult than, for example, alcohol addiction. After all, an alcoholic can eliminate alcoholic beverages from his diet. Thus, you protect yourself from a possible relapse, and a food addict is not able to completely abstain from eating. This means that they will always be at risk of relapse.

Comprehensive food addiction treatment typically combines behavioral therapy, nutritional counseling with a dietitian, changes in eating habits, and social support. If food addiction is the result of an emotional disorder such as anxiety or depression, then in this case it is necessary to get rid of the causes first, where psychological help can at least mitigate the negative cravings for food.

If you suffer from food addiction and want to break the vicious cycle of compulsive overeating, we would be happy to help you.

As we wrap up, let's return to the present.

To this day, both specialists and ordinary people suffering from harmful relationships with food are somewhat confused: how to distinguish typical gluttony from addiction? When is the cause simply a lack of willpower? Who can be called a food addict - a person with anorexia or bulimia, or maybe both?

This confusion is widespread and, in all likelihood, will persist for some time, because the symptoms and manifestations of various conditions are superimposed on each other like bricks, and most specialists are in no hurry to admit that the problem really exists (in fact, it has been for a long time and shouts loudly about himself).

As soon as we systematize all the acquired knowledge and observations, building a stately edifice called “Food Addiction” from the awkward flow of information, the fight against this problem will be more effective.

However, the experience accumulated over decades continues to help us successfully pull people out of the abyss of food madness. After all, the main thing in this difficult work is the patient’s irresistible desire to return to normal life, freed from constant thoughts about food.

Deliverance technique

If the situation is not so advanced, you have the desire and willpower, you can try to get rid of food addiction on your own, without the involvement of psychotherapists. Step-by-step technology to help.

Recognize the problem. Take the test and accept the results confirming this fact. Talk to loved ones who know better from the outside. Tell yourself: “I’m addicted to food.”

Find motivation to solve the problem. It will be separate for everyone. You can read about the consequences of food addiction or watch thematic videos to understand what it will lead to in the end (illness and death). You can set a goal to lose weight in order to dress beautifully or improve your personal life.

Normalize the nutrition system. First of all, eat strictly according to the clock, no snacks between main meals. Secondly, limiting daily calories and portion sizes. Thirdly, eliminate all harmful foods. From now on, PP (proper nutrition) is your companion.

Join a healthy lifestyle. Get rid of bad habits. Increase physical activity. Exercise. Drink more water. Walk outdoors more often.

Learn to control your psycho-emotional state. Avoid stress and anxiety. Find positive aspects in everything. Think positively. Work on increasing your self-esteem.

Finding a hobby, a hobby that will give you joy, will fill your life with new colors.

If you still cannot remove the problem on your own, think about psychotherapeutic treatment in a timely manner.

How to get rid of food addiction and eat less - overcoming a psychological problem

Many consider obesity and excess weight to be one of the global problems of humanity.

However, if you look at it, these unpleasant factors are just a consequence, and the cause of their occurrence is something completely different - thoughtless and immeasurable consumption of junk food, which is greatly aggravated during periods of psychological stress and breakdowns, strong emotional experiences. But how to get rid of food addiction so that the problem never again causes inconvenience and does not contribute to abnormal and unhealthy weight gain.

A complex psychological problem - how to get rid of food addiction

Any child can answer the question why the body needs food.

After all, to ensure the vital functions of all its parts, high-quality and balanced nutrition is required, containing a set of microelements, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fats, which provide energy and strength.

But for people suffering from addiction, food is primarily a method of coping with stress and finding pleasure when other options are unavailable or undesirable.

Effective measures to overcome gluttony

First, you should give up harmful products, but under no circumstances leave their “place” empty.” Everything that is unhealthy must be replaced with something healthy and bringing real benefits.

You will have to give up (you can gradually) from simple carbohydrates (cakes, pastries, sugar, candies), fatty and fried foods (chips, French fries, spicy and fried foods), semi-finished products with an unclear composition, fast food stuffed with flavor enhancers, such as monosodium glutamate.

• Get rid of the stock of junk food at home and try to avoid stores and cafes where they are easily accessible.
• Adopt an eating routine that will allow you to avoid extreme hunger at any time. It is best to eat small meals, always having a light healthy snack on hand.
• When fighting addictions, it is important not to cancel stress relief with “sweets”, but to replace it with something else, otherwise you will hardly be able to withstand it. What you used to binge on can now be taken for a walk: go to the cinema, take up your favorite hobby, and so on.
• Refuse to communicate with people who do not approve or accept your new lifestyle. They will constantly pull you back by their example. You will have to go through this, even if these are close relatives, otherwise you will never find a way out of the vicious circle.

The last piece of advice has already been voiced, but I want to repeat it – keep notes. This will help you understand the problem and face it firsthand. Only by recognizing the “enemy” by sight can you defeat him.

Consequences

If you do not fight food addiction, in the future it will lead to problems no less serious than all other bad habits. It causes various somatic changes:

• the walls of the stomach are pathologically stretched;
• the production of digestive enzymes for breaking down food increases, but most often they still do not have time to cope with the load;
• The liver and pancreas are working hard in emergency mode.

Food addiction can trigger a hereditary program of predisposition to obesity. Even if there were no overweight relatives before, you risk passing this pathology on to your children.

And, of course, the most dangerous consequences are diseases caused by excess weight, which worsen the quality of life and shorten life expectancy:

• atherosclerosis, varicose veins, hypertension, heart attack, ischemic heart disease;
• Alzheimer's disease;
• hirsutism, NOMC in women;
• thyrotoxicosis;
• fatty hepatosis;
• pancreatitis;
• metabolic and hormonal disorders;
• dyspnea;
• diabetes;
• oncology;
• sexual dysfunction, infertility;
• mental disorders;
• risk of sudden death.

Despite the fact that modern psychotherapy has quite effective methods of combating food addiction, more and more people are falling into its trap. This is due to the cult of food, which is being propagated today by manufacturers of fast food and semi-finished products. In pursuit of profit, they use addictive taste enhancers;

Is it possible to overcome food addiction on your own?

If you are determined to overcome your passion for excessive consumption of food, do not rush to rush to extremes: take pills, encode, go to magicians and conspirators. These are not the best methods for dealing with food addiction. Before paying for dubious help, try to mobilize your own strength.

First, remind yourself that the main cause of death among modern people is not alcohol abuse or drug overdose, but banal overeating and physical inactivity. The International Health Organization (WHO) ranks first in the ranking of factors leading to premature death to cardiovascular and chronic diseases, stroke, and diabetes. And they are caused by nothing more than poor nutrition: an excess of fatty, sweet, quickly digesting foods. Let this knowledge become an additional motivator on the path to getting rid of addiction. You don’t want to join the list of people who have independently destroyed their bodies?