Food Addiction

"I love food and feel that it is something that should be enjoyed. I eat whatever I want. I just don't overeat."

This is the thinking of today's youngsters. Today, people live for the taste. They don't think about their health. The only thing they want is taste. For the taste they even don't consider what and how much they are eating? The result of this cause a new danger called "Food Addiction."

What is Food Addiction?

Food Addiction also called Compulsive Overeating, is a term used to describe the person who is compulsive overeater. A food addict generally engages in frequent episodes of uncontrolled eating even pass the point of being comfortably full. They become so obsessed that they spend excessive amount of time to eat, they always think about food. To release any anxiety or worry they start eating. They usually try to eat alone and after eating they feel guilty also. Overeaters typically eat when they are not hungry. They eat sweets, fast food or any other food which they find easily but usually they eat that have little or no nutritional value.

Signs and Symptoms of Food Addiction

• Eating uncontrollably even when not physically hungry.

• Feeling of guilt due to overeating.

• Less time gape between two meals.

• Eating alone due to shame and embarrassment.

• Depression or mood swings.

• so much weight gain which decrease the mobility.

• Withdrawal from activities or public/professional organizations due to the embarrassment about weight.

• Start eating or chewing anything when feel anxiety or fear.

• Weight fluctuation.

• History of many different unsuccessful diets.

• Its understandable that eating pattern is abnormal.

Effects of Food Addiction

The effects of food addiction is not less harmful in comparison to drug addiction. This affects the addict physically as well as mentally.

• Weight gain increase the chances of heart attack, stroke or other dangerous diseases.

• Due to increase in weight a negative body image crates which decrease the self esteem.

• Strained relations with friends, colleague, family members.

• Many food addicts face the mood swings.

• A severe addicts may even struggle with suicide tendency.

• Addict suffers from depression.

• Chronic pain and limited mobility may occur.

• Obesity and/or over weight demotivates and make a person to feel humiliation.

Management/Recovery

Counseling and therapies are there to help or to treat the food addicts. Researches show that approximate 80% food addicts who seek any counseling or other professional help recover or experience significant decrease in their symptoms. According to psychiatrists some times food addiction results due to the lack of emotional support or due to some emotional conflicts. So these must be checked out and by resolving these psychological and/or emotional problems one can get rid from the food addiction.

There are many twelve steps programs to treat this bad habit. One of these programs is Food Addicts Anonymous (FA).

Food Addicts Anonymous is a twelve step program, based on the principal of Alcoholics Anonymous. This program was founded in 1987 in West Palm Beach, Florida. It is still based there. As of 2006, the organize consists of approx 300 groups which arrange meetings around the world. These meeting may be face to face, telephonic or online.

According to this program, some time alcohol addiction results as the food addiction so they treat alcohol addiction also. They treat with food plan which calls for abstinence from sugar, flour and wheat.They don't treat for weight loss.

All in all, if you are suffering from food addiction, don't feel shy or demotivated. Join any group to get rid of this bad habit. Build your motivation positive and high and believe your will power. A mixture of all these will surely help you to get rid from this food addiction.