8 Common Symptoms of Food Addiction
8 Common Symptoms of Food Addiction
While
someone who gets a craving or overeats occasionally probably won’t fit the
criteria for the disorder, there are at least 8 common symptoms.
Here are
8 common signs and symptoms of food addiction.
1. Getting cravings despite feeling full
It’s not
uncommon to get cravings, even after eating a fulfilling, nutritious meal.
For
example, after eating a dinner with steak, potatoes, and veggies, some people
may crave ice cream for dessert.
Cravings
and hunger aren't
the same thing.
A craving
occurs when you experience an urge to eat something, despite having already
eaten or being full.
This is
pretty common and doesn't necessarily mean that someone has food addiction.
Most people get cravings.
However,
if cravings happen often and satisfying or ignoring them becomes hard, they may
be an indicator of something else.
These
cravings are not about a need for energy or nutrients — it’s the brain calling
for something that releases dopamine, a chemical in the brain that plays a role
in how humans feel pleasure.
2. Eating
much more than intended
For some
people, there is no such thing as a bite of chocolate or single piece of cake.
One bite turns into 20, and one slice of cake turns into half a cake.
This
all-or-nothing approach is common with addiction of any kind. There is no such
thing as moderation — it simply does not work.
Telling
someone with food addiction to eat junk food in moderation is almost like
telling someone with alcoholism to drink beer in moderation. It's just not
possible.
3. Eating
until feeling excessively stuffed
When
giving in to a craving, someone with food addiction may not stop eating until
the urge is satisfied. They might then realize that they have eaten so much
that their stomach feels completely stuffed.
4. Feeling
guilty afterward but doing it again soon
Trying to
exert control over the consumption of unhealthy foods and then giving in to a
craving can lead to feelings of guilt.
A person
may feel that they are doing something wrong or even cheating themselves.
Despite
these unpleasant feelings, a person with food addiction will repeat the
pattern.
5. Making
up excuses
The brain
can be a strange thing, especially in regards to addiction. Deciding to stay
away from trigger foods can cause someone to create rules for themselves. Yet,
these rules may be hard to follow.
When
faced with a craving, someone with food addiction might find ways to reason
around the rules and give in to the craving.
This line
of thinking may resemble that of a person who is in the process of trying to quit smoking. That person might think that if
they don’t buy a pack of cigarettes themselves, they’re not a smoker. Nonetheless,
they might smoke cigarettes from a friend’s pack.
6.
Repeated failures at setting rules
When
people are struggling with self-control, they often try to set rules for
themselves.
Examples
include only sleeping in on the weekends, always doing homework right after
school, never drinking coffee after
a certain time in the afternoon. For most people, these rules almost always
fail, and rules around eating are no exception.
Examples
include having one cheat meal or cheat day per week and only eating junk food
at parties, birthdays, or holidays.
7. Hiding
eating from others
People
with a history of rule setting and repeated failures often start hiding their
consumption of junk food from others.
They may
prefer to eat alone, when no one else is home, alone in the car, or late at
night after everyone else has gone to bed.
8. Unable
to quit despite physical problems
Which
foods you choose to eat can significantly affect your health.
In the
short term, junk food can lead to weight gain, acne, bad
breath, fatigue, poor dental health, and other common problems.
A
lifetime of junk food consumption can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart
disease, Alzheimer's, dementia, and even some types of cancer.
Someone
who experiences any of these problems related to their intake of unhealthy
foods but is unable to change their habits likely needs help.
A
treatment plan that’s designed by qualified professionals is typically recommended
for overcoming eating disorders.
The
bottom line
The DSM-5
is a guide used by health professionals to diagnose mental disorders.
The
criteria for substance dependence includes many of the symptoms above. They fit
in with medical definitions of addiction. However, the DSM-5 has not
established criteria for food addiction.
If you
have repeatedly tried to quit eating or cut back on your consumption of junk
food but can’t, it could be an indicator of food addiction.
Fortunately,
certain strategies can help you overcome it.
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