Food Addiction: Causes and Treatment

 

For some time the term food addiction has been gaining relevance within the general population. In fact, many people tend to perceive themselves as food addicts, unable to control the urge to eat certain types of foods.

Although the term was first proposed in 1956, it hadn't garnered much interest until about two decades ago. According to a review published in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, until 2008 only up to five articles were published per year on the Web of Science, a number that has now increased to more than 70.

The idea stems from the difficulty that many people have to resist certain "appetizing" foods, usually highly caloric and highly processed. In this sense, the act of overeating is considered to have addictive potential. Below, the nutrition specialists from The Meadowglade, a rehabilitation facility for clients with mental health & eating disorders, explain some of the main causes for food addiction, and propose some great treatments.

What is Food Addiction?

Food addiction is a disorder characterized by an uncontrollable desire to eat foods that are high in fat and sugar. This dependence is due in part to the fact that these foods activate the brain's reward system in a similar way to drugs. This generates the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and oxytocin, which triggers a need to repeat the behavior.

Causes of Food Addiction

The causes of food addiction have been linked to neurobiological mechanisms. The reward systems of the central nervous system are controlled by neurotransmitters responsible for learned behaviors and responsible for responding to pleasant or unpleasant factors. There are certain addictive substances that produce an effect on the limbic system, producing an artificial association of pleasure. If these substances or foods are consumed regularly, they directly affect the limbic system, thereby producing the beginning of the addiction process. Some foods that can affect this system are sugars or fats. Addictive behaviors affect brain circuits, such as the dopaminergic, opioid, serotonergic and glutamate systems, giving rise to pleasant sensations.

On the other hand, explain from The Meadowglade, it should be noted that anxiety plays a fundamental role in the causes of food addiction. When the person is stressed or anxious, their consumption increases and they prefer foods that contain many sugars, high content of fat or salt. This set of foods produce a feeling of well-being since their action is similar to that of endorphins. When this feeling of well-being diminishes, the anxiety appears again due to the guilt of the binge and the person has the need to eat again, thereby creating a vicious cycle. Therefore, the causes of food addiction are:

·         Manage anxiety through food.

·         The effect of consuming these foods on the brain's reward system.

·         The feelings of guilt.

Consequences of food addiction

The consequences of food addiction are diverse and can be differentiated into psychological consequences and physical consequences.

As for the consequences of physical food addiction, the main disease that can be derived from binge eating is obesity. Food addiction and obesity can lead to heart problems, the onset of type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases and certain respiratory disorders can appear.

On the other hand, the consequences of psychological food addiction are various. In addition to generating high peaks in stress, anxiety, and guilt, food addiction has been linked to the onset of mood disorders, such as depressive and bipolar disorders, anxiety disorders, and the onset of substance use.

How to Overcome Food Addiction: Treatment

The treatment of food addiction must be carried out from its complete approach. As we have previously established, food addiction is not based solely on biological factors, but there is a great implication of psychological factors associated with eating behavior. Therefore, its treatment cannot be stipulated solely on a diet to limit behavior and improve lifestyle.

In the first place, the treatment of food addiction must be adapted to the individual needs and characteristics of each person, collecting the necessary information to help us understand the root of the addiction and what are the factors that are currently maintaining said behavior. Once the focus of the problem has been identified, different types of psychotherapy can be used to address it, such as EMDR therapy, mindfulness or cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques, among others.

Treatment for food addiction at The Meadowglade, a rehab center in Moorpark, California,  strives to give you the courage and the sense of security to talk about the issues and be honest about your eating habits, what you are eating, how much of it you’re eating and when you’re eating it.

How to overcome food addiction? If anxiety and stress are predisposing factors to these behaviors of food abuse, these two factors should be worked on. To do this, it will be necessary to establish the causes that generate said anxiety and stress, work on them and provide the person with strategies to manage these emotions with healthier alternatives, such as physical exercise, relaxation or breathing exercises.

Learning to manage anxiety and stress is very relevant because they can trigger psychological disorders such as mood disorders or anxiety disorders. In addition, compulsive behaviors with food generate great feelings of guilt and shame, which must be addressed to work on the person's self-esteem during the treatment of food addiction.

On the other hand, in addition to the psychological problems triggered by food addiction, major physical complications can appear, so it is essential to draw up a dietary diet, with dietary and nutritional aspects, carried out by a professional. The goal of this part of food addiction treatment is to teach the person healthy habits, addictive foods to avoid (such as carbohydrates) and to combine the diet with dopamine and serotonin precursor foods and supplements. It will be necessary to carry out a psychoeducational process regarding food, teaching the person to differentiate between the sensations of "hunger" and "appetite" and foods whose content has addictive principles.

Finally, it should be noted that the therapies that are carried out for the remission of the behavior can be carried out at the individual level and very commonly it is usually treated in group therapy, which contributes to the sharing of experiences and thereby reduces shame and guilt in the face of the problem.