The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet is a weight loss program created by biologist Richard Heller and research psychologist Rachael Heller. It aims at managing a condition the Hellers call hyperinsulinemia, in which eating carbohydrates triggers...
According to an article in the journal Nutrition Research and Practice from February 2010, diet quality was worst among teens when they're on the Internet. Irregular bedtimes and the use of alcohol and tobacco were higher among this demographic...
The easiest way to deal with a sugar addiction is to cut out sugar from your diet. Depending on your personality and how strong your addition is, you might need to cut back slowly rather than suddenly. Sugar activates the brain reward centers,...
If you've lost interest in normally pleasurable activities, find yourself crying for no apparent reason or struggle with appetite changes, sleep problems or lethargy, you're not alone. While most people experience occasional depressive symptoms,...
Smoking is widely considered to be a health risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 433,000 Americans die each year from smoking-related causes. Heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease and reproductive problems have...
The idea that morbid obesity may be a disease characterized by excessive and compulsive overeating may be somewhat controversial, but not too far-fetched. That is the conclusion of two major studies examining the response of dopamine, a...
A food addiction is similar to an addiction to drugs or alcohol, in that the person is unable to control his consumption. That lack of control can take several forms, including eating when you are depressed, eating secretly, hiding unhealthy...
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...
Consuming large amounts of sugar is linked to high blood pressure, high insulin resistance and other disorders. Sugar has become a part of the everyday diet, sometimes sneaking in through unexpected foods. In her book, "Sugar Shock," Connie...
You've seen people that act addicted to food. You might notice the same patterns in yourself -- obsessing about food, sneaking to the refrigerator after supper, gobbling down heaping portions, feeling ashamed for overeating while feeling no...
Food addiction is a mental and physical condition in which you to lose control of your eating habits and become compulsive or obsessive about food. Similar to drug or alcohol addicts, food addicts can become preoccupied with the thought of food...
Food addiction can be fairly compared to drug and alcohol addictions. Addicts feel the need to eat as a form of comfort or enjoyment. In return, the excess food causes weight gain and lowered self-esteem, which make you feel worse. This can lead...
For many, reaching for sweet treats and consuming sugar-laden processed food is so much a part of their routine that they miss their daily sugar intake if they're suddenly deprived. That's not surprising since sugar is believed to stimulate the...
Depression, poor body image and low self-confidence go hand-in-hand with food addiction. Many people turn to food for comfort in stressful or unpleasant situations, which can lead to major risks to their physical and emotional health. Physicians,...
At one time, overeating was considered an eating disorder stemming from emotional problems. It was treated through psychotherapy or counseling. These days, though, true food addiction is recognized as a biochemical condition, one that creates a...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that obesity is common, costly and serious, often leading to other medical conditions. Sugar cravings can present an obstacle for even the most disciplined dieter. Giving in to sugar cravings...
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in our brain that plays a role movement control, emotional response and the perception of pain and pleasure. Certain substances, such as drugs and nicotine, affect the dopamine systems in our brain. Scientists think...
A 2011 study from Yale University's Rudd Center for Obesity Research and Policy showed that food addiction is real. In fact, certain people have the same brain reaction to food that drugs addicts have to drugs. If you find yourself eating for...
If bagels, donuts and french fries are your weakness, you don't have to sabotage your diet and give in to your cravings. Instead, take control of your eating habits and focus on eating healthy carbohydrates, not starchy or sugary treats. Talk to...
Binge eating can destroy plans to eat healthy. In fact, many people who binge have binge eating disorder, which is characterized by eating large amounts of food in a short period of time, feeling that eating habits are out of control and feeling...
Often associated with eating disorders, exercise addiction is characterized by a compulsive need to exercise that causes physical, social, occupational or educational problems. Risk factors for developing an exercise addiction include underlying...
Bulimia is an eating disorder that causes sufferers to have a distorted sense of body image and a strong desire to be thin. Bulimic individuals have compulsions to eat large quantities of food and then often attempt to purge calories by...
Weight loss is hard enough, but when cravings for certain types--or any--food are involved, it can be tortuous. Food cravings can be a huge detriment to the weight loss process, particularly if you are constantly suffering from them or--worse...
Thge thought of giving up sugar may seem impossible to you. If you can't imagine going a day without a soda, cookie or ice cream, but you're tired of the mood and energy swings you experience when you eat refined sugar, you're not alone. It is...
An addiction is similar to an obsession because it involves the preoccupation with something. Addictions have mental and often physical effects. They are also characterized by dependencies and a perceived inability to give up something you rely...
Dealing with an addiction is never easy, but when you're addicted to something you can't live without -- food -- your plight may seem virtually impossible to overcome. Since you can't abstain from all food forever, the foodaholics -- or food...
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is a disorder that begins in childhood but can remain well into adulthood. A comorbid disorder means that along with the diagnosis of ADHD, you have another mental health disorder. Having a comorbid...
While seemingly controversial, evidence exists that foods high in fat and sugar have an opiate-like effect on the body and brain that ultimately leads to dependence on fat and sugar, according to Bart Hoebel, Professor of Psychology at Princeton...
Diet pills come in many forms. They may be over the counter medication or prescription medication. While you may not have heard it before, it is possible to become addicted to diet pills. Addiction to diet pills can be because of physical reasons,...
