It bothers me that there is tons of information to be found for those with a drug or alcohol, or even gambling addiction, but as far as food addiction goes, not much is to be found. The fact is that addiction to food is on the same level as addiction to drugs. It is because of the very fact of lack of information, that someone who has tried over and over to lose weight by dieting, but consistently fails, folds in despair and self-recrimination.
In my recent research, a personal trainer was trying to find out why a certain client who actually faced death in the face of her obesity, could not successfully lose weight by dieting. In the answers that were provided, it was clear that not one person had a remote understanding as to why this obese woman could not lose weight successfully by dieting, even though she was headed towards certain death.
The types of explanations provided (and these were all made by other personal trainers), were some of the following:
One said the following: "I think they just get overwhelmed over all the changes they need to make, such as going to purchase more nutritious food, getting rid of "calorie dense" foods, becoming organized about their meals, cooking their own meals instead of buying fast foods, paying attention to serving sizes and portions, exercise, stop watching so much television, etc."
Another said, "Unless they're ready to change, there isn't a whole lot you can do to change people.
If you get someone that is obese and adamant about not making lifestyle changes, your client is a lost cause. "
And yet another said, "Bottom line is that they (obese people) are lazy."
Might I remind you that these are qualified personal trainers, dealing with overweight people on a daily basis! As someone who is addicted to food, you will know that even though there are some elements of truth in their explanations, they are far, far from the truth.
The truth is that obese people - if not obese for medical causes or medication - are in the same position as the individual who is addicted to drugs, or alcohol or gambling. We certainly know enough about those addictions that we still our mouths from spewing judgment upon their heads, but all we do for those who are obese is label and judge them harshly, calling them lazy and unwilling to change.
It makes me think of my training as a crisis counselor many years ago - we were taught that when a baby is being abused, we cry hell's fury over the abuser, but the abuser is more than likely one who was in the very same predicament as the abused baby. Except that baby never received help and became an abuser. He was taught to abuse, even though he more than likely never planned to. But now, being an adult, we just don't empathize - because he is no longer a baby. But the psychology behind it is complex. If we have never been in that position ourselves, who are we to judge?
And so it is with the person who overeats because they are addicted to food.
For years I was overweight. For years I struggled to lose weight permanently and just couldn't. More than anything, I tried to lose weight. I went on strict detox programs. I went to gym faithfully. But I could just never get over that hurdle, because I never knew that food had become my source of fulfillment. For years I sat in a pool of guilt and sorrow, thinking that I simply lacked the "willpower" - isn't that what the professionals call it? A lack of willpower. How utterly ignorant.
Until I came to the understanding that I was in the same position as a drug addict. I was an addict. It didn't matter that I was addicted to food and not to drugs, the reason for my addiction was the same.
When I was four years old, my father began an affair with a girl. As a result, he started rejecting his family. As a sensitive child, and previously very close to my father, I turned to food for comfort. Later on it became a habit, but I didn't know how to let it go.
Why do people become addicted to drugs? And why do they become addicted to food? The reasons are identical:
Initial Reason
Those who take to substance abuse, or food addiction, are those who have not learnt to deal with their feelings in a healthy way. They have instead turned to something outside themselves to numb the feelings they do not want to experience.
Positive Pleasure
Narcotic drugs create good feelings. So does food. For the food addict, there is nothing quite as pleasurable as digging into good food, or salty or sugar laden snacks.
Reward Center
When the food addict indulges, he or she feels rewarded. Food is the greatest reward for someone addicted to food.
Protection
Food addiction is associated with a psychological need for protection against some sort of personal issue deemed unmanageable. Food is typically used to manage intense emotions, as well as the anxiety that develops alongside these emotions. Food becomes the food addict's protection and nurturer. It numbs the pain.
Anxieties
Food offers release for anxiety. It becomes the addict's greatest stress reliever.
Compulsion
Compulsive eating is the reliance on food to fulfill an emptiness, no matter the consequences.
In conclusion, food addiction or overeating is not simply about dieting. You wouldn't tell a drug addict to simply "stop taking drugs"! In the same way, although the food addict may understand that he or she has a problem, they have no way of knowing how to deal with it. It makes it harder when so-called professionals have no ounce of understanding about the psychology of obesity either. Who does the overeater or food addict go to for help?
If you suspect you are addicted to food, or you overeat, or you are obese but don't understand why, or how to deal with your problem in order to lose weight permanently, please go to http://www.get-thin-for-good.com. This site will help you to change the way you relate to food, which is the core reason of non-medical related obesity.
The site also offers a free "Get Thin for Good" program that you can subscribe to which takes you through the steps necessary to overcome your food addiction or overeating problem.
Or check out lots of interesting stuff and resources on this blog: http://www.get-thin-for-good.com/wordpress.
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