Unlike alcohol or cigarettes, food is something that everyone has access to, and is expected to take part in. While developing an addiction to food is incredibly easy, understanding that you have an addiction to food can be incredibly difficult. At what point does a helping of ice cream turn into a lifetime of hoarding sweets? When do we blur the distinction between eating because we are physically hungry, and eating because we are emotionally unfulfilled? Whenever it happens, and for whatever reason, food addiction is real, and the only way to deal with it is to start understanding why you eat the way you do, and how you can start eating in a more healthy way.
Of course, different people respond to food in different ways, and the underlying motivators of addiction vary from person to person. Ask yourself this question: if you’re sad, is your first response to eat something? How about if you’re stressed out, or angry, or tired? If you generally eat in these circumstances, you’re probably addicted to food.
Simply put, you are using food to deal with your emotions. Addiction starts in the brain and manifests in our behaviors. We begin to associate food with a form of emotional relief that is unhealthy for our bodies. Food becomes something else entirely. You become divorced from hunger and instead become attuned to satisfying a seemingly unending craving.
Do you often think about your next meal, even while you are in the midst of eating? This is a classic sign of addiction. You are supposedly satisfying the cravings you’ve been having all day, and yet all you can think about is when and where you will eat next. This is a strong indication that you have a problem with how you perceive food.
Do you hoard food, or hide food purchases from your family or loved ones? Again, this desire to somehow safeguard’ your food supply is a sign that you have an unhealthy relationship with food. Food is generally something that we share with other people. It’s a social bonding tool, not something to be ashamed of. However, we often are more aware of our behaviors than we care to admit. Hiding food or hoarding food is a sign that you feel shame about what you are doing. Ask yourself why you feel ashamed: is it because you know that eating this food is unhealthy? If so, you have a food addiction.
While being overweight is often a symptom of food addiction, some people also develop other eating disorders, such as bulimia, that mask the addiction from others. Don’t wait for something dire to happen: get help now. There are a variety of ways to stop food addiction before it gets out of control.
Addiction is as much about learning how to overcome behavior as stopping physical cravings. Live the life you’ve always wanted. Separate your emotions from the way you relate to food. You’ll be healthier, happier, and able to truly satisfy your hunger.