Mark Gold, chief of addiction medicine at the McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Florida, defines a food addiction to "USA Today" as eating despite the consequences, being preoccupied with food, feeling guilty about your eating habits and overeating in the face of various health concerns. Unlike a drug addict you cannot simply avoid your drug of choice: you must eat to live. That's why talking to your doctor and finding support is the only way to change your views on food and eating for a healthier outlook on diet.
Step 1
Admit that you have a problem. Simply admitting to yourself that you're a food addict is a big first step. You know you're a food addict when you meet the addict criteria for other addictions, like being preoccupied with your addiction, indulging your addiction even when you know it's unsafe and hiding your addiction from others. Admitting this to yourself and to others can give you the motivation to get better, notes the book "Anatomy of a Food Addiction: The Brain Chemistry of Overeating" by nutritionist Anne Katherine.
Step 2
Tell your friends and your family that you have a problem. Not only will this give them the knowledge they need to avoid tempting you and feeding your habit, it will also give you added motivation since you're now accountable to more than just yourself. Without telling your friends and family, they may encourage you to eat more, enable your food addiction or misunderstand your preoccupation with food.
Step 3
Join a support group like Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous. There, you'll meet others from various walks of life, in various sizes and weights, who have food addictions. You'll learn coping mechanisms and be able to discuss your addiction with those who understand. Food Addicts Anonymous offers a 12-step program, not unlike Alcoholics Anonymous, that can help you overcome your addictions for a healthier relationship with food.
Step 4
Allow yourself to eat foods that you love without deprivation. When you quit your favorite foods cold turkey, you may be more likely to break down and binge on your favorites later. Learn the art of indulging in small amounts to teach yourself to enjoy food without binging or adopting unhealthy eating habits.
Step 5
Schedule an appointment with your doctor to discuss your health. If your food addiction is severe, you may be referred to a psychologist who can help you work through your food issues. Together, you can identify why you use food to replace certain emotions and relationships in your life so that you can finally see food as fuel for your body, instead of a way to fill certain voids in your life. Continue seeing your doctor or psychologist until you feel ready to face food in a responsible and healthy manner.
References
- "USA Today": Does Food Addiction Explain Explosion of Obesity?
- Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous: What is FA?
- "Anatomy of a Food Addiction: The Brain Chemistry of Overeating: An Effective Program to Overcome Compulsive Eating": Anne Katherine; 1996
