Food Addiction and Obesity: the Relationship
| It's time for YOU to overcome your worst cravings. Discover the powerful secrets that allow you to conquer and overcome any kind of dangerous craving! Get our no-fluff, 16-page report "How To Understand And Conquer Your Worst Cravings". Click here to see more information. |
Scientists are seeing similarities between food addiction and obesity and are now considering that obesity can be caused by food addiction. The same symptoms that accompany food addictions are observed in cases of obesity. At the core of food addiction and obesity is an unhealthy relationship with food.
A Complex Relationship with Food
Food addiction symptoms that occur with obesity relate to how a food is used, why it is used and how the food behavior makes the person feel. Food addicts have deep feelings that are involved in their relationship with food, have a problem controlling the amount of food eaten and have a love-hate relationship with food.
The types of feelings that accompany obesity and food addiction are guilt, self-loathing, secrecy about eating and depression.
Food intake is out of control for the obese food addict. Even if the person is full, they will continue eating because the food is there, they may eat faster so that they can eat more food and just eating can start a food binge for the obese food addict.
As part of the love-hate relationship, the obese food addict will use food for comfort, crave unhealthy food or their favorite food, lie about the amount of food being eaten and may even view food as dangerous because of the effects it has on the person.
Other Factors Compounding the Problem
The combination of food addiction and obesity is a complex situation because there can be different causes and factors that influence the situation. Problems that can compound food addiction and obesity include the fact that the food types and amount of food being consumed are unhealthy, there is little to no exercise, stress and genetic vulnerability.
When an obese food addict craves unhealthy foods, this ensures that the person will continue to gain weight, unlike if the person craved raw carrots and lettuce. When the food craving involves fast food, candy, chips and pop, it is easy to see why weight gain would be inevitable.
A lack of exercise will compound the weight problem because there is overeating yet the calories are not being worked off. Since many food addicts use food for comfort or eat while stressed as a way of soothing themselves, a stressful life creates many situations for overeating. Some people may be genetically vulnerable to obesity if obesity runs in their family.
When obesity and food addiction is present, bad health can result from the effects of the overeating and lack of exercise. It is important that the underlying causes for food addiction and obesity be addressed effectively.