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FOr for many of us, eating particular foods can be comforting: a pick-me-up during a difficult task; a reward after a long day at work; A satisfying end to a lovely dinner.
But some people have a compulsive and uncontrollable urge to eat particular foods, especially ultra-flavorful “junk” foods. It can affect their day-to-day functioning and their ability to fulfill social, work or family roles.
People who struggle with addictive eating may have intense cravings that are not related to hunger, as well as increased tolerance levels for large amounts of food, and feelings of withdrawal.
Instead of hunger, these cravings can be triggered by low mood, mental illness (depression and anxiety), high levels of stress, or high emotions.
“Food addiction” or “addictive eating” is not yet a disorder that can be diagnosed in a clinical setting. yet often patients ask health professionals How to manage their addictive eating.
In health providers generally accept Their patients may have addictive eating behaviors but are unsure of appropriate treatment.
Food addiction is usually assessed using Yale Food Addiction Scale,
The science of addictive eating is still emerging, but researchers are increasingly paying attention to the pathways of addiction and reward in the brain. Stress, heightened emotions and mental illness Associated with the desire to overeat.
How common is this?
Many factors contribute to overeating. The abundance of fast food, advertisements for junk food, and the overly palatable content of many processed foods can lead us to overeat whether we are hungry or not.
However, some people report a lack of control over their eating beyond liking and wanting, and seeking help with this.
One in six people (15-20%) report good Addictive eating patterns or addictive behaviors around food.
While food addiction is high among people with obesity and mental health conditions, it only affects a subset of these groups.
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How can you tell if you have a problem?
Typically, food addiction occurs with foods that are highly flavored, processed, and high in energy, fat, salt, and/or sugar, while being low in nutritional value. This can include chocolate, confectionery, takeaway foods and baked products.
These foods may be associated with higher levels of reward and therefore may precipitate your thoughts. They can elevate your mood or be distracted by anxious or painful thoughts, and over time, you may need to eat more to get the same feeling of reward.
However, for others, it may be an addiction to feelings of fulfillment or a sense of reward or satisfaction.
Its going on Discussion Regarding whether it is the components of the food that are addictive or the eating behavior itself that is addictive, or a combination of both.
Given that people consume foods for a variety of reasons, and that people can form habits around particular foods, this can vary from person to person.
It often begins in childhood
through our research adults’ experiencesIn this article, we found that many people with drug addiction attribute their behavior to childhood experiences.
These events are highly varied. They range from traumatic events, to the use of dieting or restrictive eating practices, or to poor body image or body dissatisfaction.
Our latest research The addictive eating found in adolescence is associated with poor quality of life and low self-esteem, and it appears to increase in severity over time.
Children and adolescents have fewer addictive eating behaviors or symptoms than adults. NS 11 Traits NS Yale Food Addiction ScaleChildren and adolescents usually have only two or three, while adults often have six or more, which are classified as severe food addiction.
The association we observed in adolescents is also seen in adults: increased weight and poor mental health are associated with a greater number of symptoms and the prevalence of food addiction.
This highlights that some adolescents will need services for mental health, eating disorders and obesity in a combined treatment approach.
We also need to identify risk factors early to enable targeted, preventive interventions in younger age groups.
How is it treated?
The underlying causes of addictive eating are varied so treatments cannot be one-size-fits-all.
a wide range of treatments Trial is being done. This includes:
- passive approach like self help group
- drug testing such as naltrexone and bupropion, which targets hormones involved in hunger and appetite and works to reduce energy intake
- bariatric surgery To help with weight loss. The most common procedure in Australia is gastric banding, where an adjustable band is placed around the top part of the stomach to apply pressure and reduce appetite.
However, some of the available self-help groups involve the participation or input of qualified health professionals. While providing peer support, these may not be based on the best available evidence, few are evaluated for effectiveness.
Health professional input into medications and bariatric surgery is and has been has been shown to be effective Helps in reducing weight loss and symptoms of food addiction in some people.
However, these may not be suitable for some people, such as those in a healthy weight range or those with complex underlying health conditions. It is also important that people receiving medications and surgery are advised to make dietary and other lifestyle changes.
other holistic, individualized lifestyle approaches that include diet, physical activity, as well as mindfulness, show promising results, especially when co-designed with consumers and healthcare professionals.
Our Emerging Treatment Program
We are also creating new holistic approaches to managing addictive eating. we recently tested An online intervention tailored to individuals’ personalities.
Delivered by dietitians and based on behavior change research, trial participants received personalized feedback about their symptoms of addictive eating, diet, physical activity, and sleep, and prepared goals, distraction lists, and Plan of mindfulness, contributed to an overall action plan.
After three months, participants reported the program as acceptable and feasible. The next step in our research is to test the treatment for effectiveness. we are organizing a research test To determine the effectiveness of treatment on reducing the symptoms of food addiction and improving mental health.
This is the first study of its kind and if found effective, it will be converted into clinical practice.
If you think you experience an eating disorder, talk to or contact your GP Accredited Practicing Dietitian for evaluation and support.
Tracy Burroughs, Professor Nutrition and Dietetics, Newcastle University And Megan Whatnally, post-doctoral researcher in nutrition and dietetics, Newcastle University
This article is republished from Conversation Under Creative Commons license. read the original article,
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