Does Your Child Have a Food Addiction?

Have you ever given any thought to food addictions? Although there are many different types of addiction such as drugs or alcohol addictions, food can be an addiction as well.

Symptoms of food addiction

Have you ever asked yourself, “Am I addicted to food?” Or have you observed your children and asked, “ Is my child addicted to food?' Although food can be soothing and comforting, it can also be addictive.

1. Comfort Food

Comfort food can be great. If you think about it for a moment, you may realize that comfort foods are foods that you really like; foods that seemingly make you feel really good at the time. What exactly is your comfort food? One of my comfort foods is tacos. I recall the first taco that I had. I did not realize what it was as a young girl. I found myself picking the meat out of the white soft shell, until someone explained that I should eat the entire thing including the white soft shell. The problem with comfort food is when it or any other food becomes an addiction.

2. Stress

If you are stressed, it is possible that you may be using food as a stress reliever. That is not healthy, especially if you are over obsessing with food. According to Joseph Goldberg, MD. , foods can trigger that feel-good feeling because it increases pleasure associated with the Dopamine transmission experienced in the brain. They further stated people keep eating to get that good feeling and sometimes even eat when they are not hungry. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

In my article 3 Signs You or Your Children May be Addicted to Food,  I talked about eating behind closed doors.

3.  Your Home

When you are eating in the comfort of your own home, this also may be incentive for you to continue this addictive behavior and not be accountable to anyone. You may even justify your addiction by lying to yourself saying, “I deserve this.”

As I watched a movie, I felt sorry for the woman that appeared to be over 300 pounds. She could not get out of bed. She would order her adult children to clean her and feed her. I imagine the adult children thought it was easier to do this and continue to enable their mother, rather than seek help for all of them.

Remember there are limits for everything. You want to have balance in your life.

Did you know that eating just one spoonful of ice cream lights up the brain? That would explain why you and your children may love ice cream.  I am guilty too.  I like ice cream.   The video below discusses how neuroscientists have discovered this.

4.  Eating Secretly

Do you find your child eating secretly or gorging food down secretly? According to
Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC, one possible sign of a food addiction is eating in secret or isolation. They further add that purchasing specific foods with the intention of binge eating may be another sign. These are a few tips about food addiction. Do you know anyone that has a food addiction?

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