When we talk about food addiction, you don’t hear many people referencing spinach or green beans. Instead, it’s the highly-processed, extra-palatable foods we find our bodies craving more and more of. This is the type of food we eat because it’s “delicious” and because it’s rich with flavor that leaves us begging for more.
In our most recent blog post, we gave you the research basics behind food addiction so you could understand how and why it occurs. To recap, eating certain pleasure foods releases a chemical in our brain called dopamine. The release of dopamine makes us happy and unlocks our brain’s pleasure centers, thus giving us a “high” that is similar to what you get from other kinds of addictions such as alcohol, drugs, sex or gambling.
In this post, we lay down some of the most common foods that people develop addictions to. We also list some of the most-reported symptoms of food addiction and offer you examples of what to avoid if this is something you’re concerned about.
Common Foods that Trigger Addiction:
- Foods high in hidden sugar – Sugar is in almost everything, especially if it’s processed. You’ll want to watch for foods with ingredients like syrup or corn syrup and those ending in “ose” such such fructose, glucose and sucrose.
- Beverages that are also high in sugar – Food isn’t the only thing that can become addictive! Drinks such as sodas, fruit juices, energy drinks, sports drinks, teas and even coffee can be very high in sugar and can promote addiction if taken on a regular basis.
- Foods high in carbohydrates – Foods such as cereals, rice, pasta, breads, and others rich in complex carbohydrates can lead to food addiction when eaten excessively. This is because, just like sugar, carbohydrates break down into glucose.
- Junk Foods – These are your cookies, bags of chips, ice cream and vending machine foods. They’re high in sugar, fat and salt – or highly addictive properties that make it easy to binge on.
Understanding the Symptoms:
Determining if you or someone else is suffering from food addiction isn’t always easy. Body weight may or may not be an indicator, and many people with disrupted eating patterns may also meet the criteria. In some individuals, genetics may play a role although this is not always the case. We must also look to the environment because repeated exposure to certain kinds of food encourages addiction to those substances.
Common symptoms of food addiction include:
- Using more (or using for a longer time) then intended
- Excessive time dedicated to getting food, using it or recovering from it
- Eating food regardless of consequences
- Social or work consequences due to eating
- Tolerance
- Intention to, or failed attempts to limit or quit
- Feelings of powerlessness or helplessness
Although the science and research behind food addiction is still up and coming, it’s a serious problem for those who suffer from it. The social and economic environment in which we live makes it easy for us to acquire food, and even easier to acquire food that is addictive such as processed snacks, sugary desserts and junk meals. That’s why it’s important to understand how food addiction develops and how to recognize the signs!
Still Have More Questions?
If you’re wondering more about food addiction, you can direct your questions to mstep@obesityaction.org or write them in the comments below!
You can also read the full article about addictive foods from Your Weight Matters Magazine by clicking here.
For a link to part 1 of the “Understanding Food Addiction” blog series, click here.
