Food addiction and eating disorders are extremely serious problems with severe health consequences and even though many people with an eating disorder may have relatively manageable lives or may not be in physical danger, food addiction is still a disease that is progressive and potentially fatal.

Eating disorders, ranging from compulsive overeating to problems like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are conditions that will worsen over time to a point where those with a food addiction will need help as their lives and bodies begin to fall apart.

Common eating disorders

Many people who suffer from a food addiction have unhealthy eating behaviours, like compulsive overeating disorder. Compulsive overeating is an inability to control consumption of food despite the consequences.

Compulsive overeaters are generally morbidly obese and have major health problems due to the excess weight. Secretive behaviour around food and eating, such as stealing food, lying about eating habits and severe weight gain, are key symptoms.

Bulimia Nervosa is a disorder in which the sufferer will binge on food, and follow this binge with some kind of compensatory behaviour to avoid weight gain. This behaviour usually takes the form induced vomiting, use of laxatives, excessive exercise and fasting.

While most addictive behaviours involve habitual overindulgence in a particular activity, anorexia nervosa manifests itself in obsessive avoidance of food. Anorexics have an obsession with avoiding weight gain, owing to an unhealthy self-image.

Pretending to eat and hiding food, excessive exercising in secret, lying about weight loss and eating habits, wearing baggy clothing to disguise a thin body, distorted body image and excessive obsession with food and calories are all habitual tendencies of an anorexic.

Treatment for food addiction

Food addiction and eating disorders like anorexia, overeating disorder or bulimia, need to be treated by professionals.

People suffering from food disorders need the benefit of one-on-one counselling and group therapy. A qualified therapist can help a patient to work through obsessions and compulsions and to directly address the psychological problems underlying these behaviours.

Counselling is designed to deal with self-esteem issues, low self-confidence, body image issues, depression, and any other events in the patient’s past that may have contributed to compulsive behaviours.

As with other addictions, a 12 step recovery programme may be incorporated into the treatment regimen. This can be especially helpful with the self-esteem issues that are at the core of many eating disorders.

A holistic treatment regime for food addiction that includes exercise and other steps contributing to a generally balanced lifestyle can help patients to work through the treatment process. Holistic activities, such as yoga or meditation, have been found helpful in attaining balance and getting the most out of treatment.

Through treatment in a nurturing environment, it is possible for people suffering from a food addiction or eating disorder to become empowered to make healthy lifestyle choices in being able to manage their addiction and to live a healthy and productive life.

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