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.

Find More Arizona Addiction Treatment Program Articles

by colros

Question by : How do you go from a binge eater to anorexic?
So I have a binge eatting disorder and a “food addiction”. I was wondering how I could go from that to anorexia to lose some weight. I know I’m asking how to go from one eating disorder to another on complete opposite sides of the spectrum but I really want this to work. Thanks

Best answer:

Answer by ClickMaster
Sorry. You don’t get to choose you mental illness.

• Anorexia is the most deadly mental illness.
• A study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reported that 5 – 10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease; 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years and only 30 – 40% ever fully recover
• About 8 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder (does not include over eaters)
• 0.5% of American women suffers from anorexia.
• 2.5% of American women suffers from bulimia.
• 1.1% – 4.2% of females suffer from bulimia nervosa in their lifetime.
• About 10% of college women suffer from a clinical or nearly clinical eating disorder, including 5.1% who suffer from bulimia nervosa.
• Studies indicate that by their first year of college, 4.5 to 18% of women and 0.4% of men have a history of bulimia.

Here are some links you may find useful. The websites have loads of information for you.
• NEDA Helpline 1-800-931-2237 (9-5 Eastern Time Weekdays only)
• NEDA Website –> http://www.edap.org/
• NEDA Video –> http://vimeo.com/2567743
• ANAD –> http://www.anad.org/
• Nemours on ED –> http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/problems/eat_disorder.html
• Obsessed with dieting? –> http://kidshealth.org/teen/expert/body/diet_query.html
• What is BDD? –> http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/body_image/body_image_problem.html
• Take an ED Quiz –> http://eatingdisorder.org/about_eating_disorders/resources/quiz.php
• Where to get help –> http://www.edreferral.com/
• More ED Videos –> http://vimeo.com/user638254/videos/sort:newest/format:detail
• Mayo Clinic on ED –> http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/eating-disorders/DS00294

Good luck and good health!!

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Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

by colros

Question by Sarah: How do you go from a binge eater to anorexic?
So I have a binge eatting disorder and a “food addiction”. I was wondering how I could go from that to anorexia to lose some weight. I know I’m asking how to go from one eating disorder to another on complete opposite sides of the spectrum but I really want this to work. Thanks

Best answer:

Answer by ClickMaster
Sorry. You don’t get to choose you mental illness.

• Anorexia is the most deadly mental illness.
• A study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reported that 5 – 10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease; 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years and only 30 – 40% ever fully recover
• About 8 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder (does not include over eaters)
• 0.5% of American women suffers from anorexia.
• 2.5% of American women suffers from bulimia.
• 1.1% – 4.2% of females suffer from bulimia nervosa in their lifetime.
• About 10% of college women suffer from a clinical or nearly clinical eating disorder, including 5.1% who suffer from bulimia nervosa.
• Studies indicate that by their first year of college, 4.5 to 18% of women and 0.4% of men have a history of bulimia.

Here are some links you may find useful. The websites have loads of information for you.
• NEDA Helpline 1-800-931-2237 (9-5 Eastern Time Weekdays only)
• NEDA Website –> http://www.edap.org/
• NEDA Video –> http://vimeo.com/2567743
• ANAD –> http://www.anad.org/
• Nemours on ED –> http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/problems/eat_disorder.html
• Obsessed with dieting? –> http://kidshealth.org/teen/expert/body/diet_query.html
• What is BDD? –> http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/body_image/body_image_problem.html
• Take an ED Quiz –> http://eatingdisorder.org/about_eating_disorders/resources/quiz.php
• Where to get help –> http://www.edreferral.com/
• More ED Videos –> http://vimeo.com/user638254/videos/sort:newest/format:detail
• Mayo Clinic on ED –> http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/eating-disorders/DS00294

Good luck and good health!!

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