Food Addiction

When we think of addiction, we often think of drugs: alcohol, heroin, perhaps even coffee or cigarettes. But what we are perhaps less likely to think about is a food addiction. Many illegal substances trigger specific chemical changes in our brains. This can also happen when we are engaging with other things, such as food. Food, on a biochemical level, can be addictive. A particularly sweet and sugary sweet can activate specific neurotransmitter receptors in our brains. The same can occur when we eat salty foods or foods high in fat content. But food addiction is multifaceted.

In addition to being physiologically situated, our relationships with food can be tightly interwoven with our emotions. This makes food addiction a complex meeting point between physical cravings and psychological health. When food addiction spirals, it can lead to genuine distress. But when should you identify as a food addict? What are the causes, and what forms of food addiction help are available?

Can food be an addiction?

Food addiction occurs when an individual develops a physical and psychological dependence on certain foods, generally foods rich in sugar, fat, and salt.’ Currently, food addiction is a contentious diagnosis. This is because it is not explicitly clear if the disorder ‘should be classified with behavioural addictions or substance use disorders’ due to the dual neurobiological and emotional aspects of the condition’s presentation.

Whilst food addiction is often related to overeating (consuming, specifically, ‘highly palatable foods (i.e., foods high in salt, fat, and sugar) in quantities beyond homeostatic energy requirements’), not everyone who overeats – or, indeed, is overweight – is considered to have a food addiction. Whilst there is a correlation between concern with increased weight and food addiction, it is possible to have a food addiction at any weight. This is because addiction is associated more with obsession, fixation and emotional connection to food rather than the physical effects the eating practices have on our bodies. Changes in weight and physical health are an effect of a food addiction rather than a causality.

In some circumstances, we may consider food addiction as a type of disordered eating due to the specific behavioural and emotional symptoms of the dependency.

In some circumstances, we may consider a food addiction as a type of disordered eating, due to the specific behavioural and emotional symptoms of the dependency.

Some signs that you may be addicted to food include:

• Finding it difficult to stop eating
• Constantly thinking about food
• Constantly thinking about weight
• Cycling through diets
• Bingeing and purging cycles
• Eating in private
• Changing how you eat in front of others
• Eating when you are not hungry
• Eating when you are experiencing difficult feelings
• Eating large quantities of food at once
• Constant ‘grazing’ through the day
• Stealing or hiding food
• Excessive exercise as a weight management tool
• Obsessive calorie counting
• Monitoring steps or calories burnt

One key sign of a food addiction is experiencing a lot of conflicting feelings about food and eating behaviours. Some people may exhibit eating practices that appear to be ‘outside of the norm’ in their culture – but that does not mean that they have a food addiction. [8] A food addiction is solidified when there is a loss of control – and therefore, a plethora of complex feelings that surround our thoughts about food. These feelings can often include:

• Shame
• Guilt
• Embarrassment
• Disgust
• Obsession
• Fear of being caught
• Anxiety or panic in food-related situations

In this sense, we can understand food addictions as existing in between ‘substance use disorders and emotional eating.

Why am I addicted to food?

Causes of food addiction

Food addiction has been theorised as functioning in a manner like a substance use disorder, but it has also been conceptualised as a behavioural condition. This means that there is potentially an interactionist element at play here, with food addiction playing out on both physiological and psychological levels. On top of this, we can also consider the potential role of social factors in the development of an eating disorder.

Neurobiological explanations

In a society full of ‘ultra processed’ and convenience foods, it is often easier to access food with low nutritional value. The issue with eating these types of foods consistently is that they do have addictive qualities. Foods with increased levels of high-refined fats, salts and sugars have been shown to have palpable effects on our nervous systems.These types of foods stimulate several aspects of the brain’s reward pathways, including:

• Dopaminergic
• GABAergic
• Opioid
• and serotonergic neural pathways.

These are all neural circuits that are frequently associated with the physiology of substance addiction. Other, more nutrient-dense foods are not known to stimulate these circuits in quite the same way. This indicates that the ‘unhealthy’ food habits associated with some disordered eating practices are potentially linked with dependency rather than choice.

Psychological explanations

In the case of some therapies, ‘irrational beliefs are believed to be a prime cause of psychopathologies including problem eating and addictive behaviour’ This suggests that the complex thoughts and feelings around food can come from personal understandings of eating and its associated meanings. For example, an individual who believes that ‘eating more than others around me makes me a bad person’ may be more likely to fall into habits reminiscent of a food addiction.

This is because these types of beliefs are often associated with perfectionism, low self-esteem and anxiety. This type of pressure can paradoxically lead to losing control of food and subsequently establishing problematic eating behaviours.

Social explanations

In a cost-of-living crisis, reliance on food banks has increased across the UK, with 98% of people accessing a foodbank for the first time. This suggests widespread food insecurity across the nation. In times of reduced income, convenience or prepackaged food is often more readily accessible than more health-focused choices. This suggests that the cost of a nutritionally balanced diet is unattainable for some, which can sometimes deepen this connection to specific food types.

Common dual diagnosis

Food addiction and disordered eating can often be associated with preexisting mental health conditions, such as:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Emotional eating (EE)
• Binge-eating disorder (BED)
• Bulimia nervosa
• Night eating syndrome (NES)

This suggests that food addictions can develop out of a reliance on food as a coping mechanism during periods of poor mental health.

Food addiction treatment: what does it look like?

At Banbury lodge, we offer fully bespoke rehab treatment. As specialists in substance and behavioural addictions, we know that food addiction is a heavy weight to carry, but you do not need to bear it alone. Food addiction treatment at Banbury Lodge may include a mix of:

• Art therapy
• Cognitive behavioural therapy
• Dialectical behavioural therapy
• Group therapy
• Individual therapy
• Family therapy
• Trauma therapy
• Sound therapy
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Pharmaceutical support
• Dual diagnosis-focused treatment

Seek support

Here at Banbury Lodge, we can help you to take the steps towards an addiction-free future.  Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation with a member of our team. We are here to lend a listening, non-judgmental ear and guide you through potential options for specialist, holistic addiction and mental health support. We are available to talk you through the bespoke rehab packages we offer to help you find the most appropriate treatment for your current needs.

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