Signs of Food Addiction

Yes, you can get addicted to food and if you let it direct you, you will surely suffer health problems in the coming years. Like heroin and cocaine, when you eat, the pleasure centre of the brain is triggered. You should know that there are particular foods that trigger feel-good chemicals like dopamine.

It is crucial that you know these foods so you can do something about it. You can start by avoiding palatable foods. Palatable foods are abundant with sugar, fat and salt which can trigger feel-good chemicals. Palatable foods may override the reward pathway of the brain. Once you experience the pleasure from eating certain foods, you have the urge to eat again.

Food addiction can play an important part in the development of obesity. However, normal-weight persons can also struggle with food addiction. Food addiction has negative consequences that can affect relationship and weight gain. Like other addictions, food addicts will have difficulties in averting their behaviour. It is important that they seek help if they feel they are deeply rooted.

There are many help centres here in Singapore that can provide support. You have to consider one before it is too late. Though food addiction is not widespread here in Singapore, you still need to look out for signs of food addiction so you will know one when you see one. Researchers from the Rudd Centre for Food Science & Policy of Yale University developed questionnaires to help identify people suffering from food addiction.

The questionnaires involve questions that can help define if one has food addiction. The questionnaires gave researchers ideas about the signs of food addiction. Here are the signs of food addiction that you must watch out:

• Eating more: Even if you feel full, you still want to eat more. You set restrictions but you eat more than planned.
• You go out of your way: It is normal to crave for things but sometimes if it is not available, you just let it go. This is not applicable for food addicts because they will go out of their way just to get a taste or a bite of something.
• Eat then feel ill: Gluttony is indeed a deadly sin. If you do not look after your food, it will kill you. Food addicts eat to the point that they feel ill.
• Anxiety: Food addicts are constantly worried whether they will eat a specific food or they cut down a specific type of food. They will feel restless because of their anxiety. Surely, this will affect their concentration.

If you think you are suffering from food addiction, look for support right away. Remember that too much of something is bad enough.