Is Food Addictive? With Abbie Attwood
Have you ever felt addicted to food? Like food just calls to you?
Or have you had the experience of being afraid to start eating something, like an M&M or a potato chip, because you'll probably eat the entire bag?
Have you gone through the process of completely cutting sugar out of your life because you feel that that's the only way to not feel so controlled by it?
These are all very common experiences that so many of us have had. And they all bring up the same concept: food addiction. And they all beg the question, is food addictive?
You've probably heard that research has shown that yes, food absolutely is addictive. When I was working with bariatric surgery patients, I read a lot of that research. And I believed it.
That research seemed to show, unequivocally, that food--especially sugar--is addictive. It was generally performed on rats and looked at how hard they worked to get water laced with sugar. And often, they worked just as hard--if not harder--to get to water laced with sugar than they did to get water laced with cocaine.
That's powerful stuff.
The problem is, though, that the research doesn't unequivocally show that food is addictive. At least not physically. You know those rat studies I mentioned a minute ago? Well, the fact is, the rats hadn't eaten before they were let loose on the sugar water. So of course they behaved as though they were addicted to it.
The second problem with that research is that rats aren't people...so......
I can totally understand believing that you're addicted to food, especially sugar. There's a very powerful narrative that sugar is addictive in our culture, and people very often feel as though their behavior suggests addiction.
But the research doesn't support a physical addiction. Having said that, though, there's a difference between a physical addiction to food and an emotional one.
Whether or not food is physically addicting is what we're talking about on this week's podcast.
In this episode, I am so excited to be joined by Abbie Attwood, an anti-diet, weight-inclusive nutritionist with a masters in nutrition. Abbie works with clients around the globe, supporting them in healing from disordered eating, chronic dieting, and compulsive exercising, and relearning how to have a compassionate relationship with food and their body. She is the host of the Full Plate Podcast, and she owns a private practice that provides virtual nutrition therapy and body image coaching.
Abbie is extremely knowledgeable about the topic of food addiction, and I couldn't wait for her to come onto the podcast to discuss it. In the episode, she spells out a few key points that refute the idea that sugar is addictive:
The research on food addiction never controls for dieting, meaning that the rats and/or people they're studying have very often been deprived of food prior to having access to it, which obviously impacts their behavior
The research has never found a compound in food this is actually addictive to people
With a true addiction, people need more and more of a substance in order to maintain the addiction--this is not the case with food
Food is a necessary substance for life, as opposed to drugs and alcohol
Abbie also shares her own story that involves the collision of competitive running, anxiety and OCD, and autoimmune diseases, all of which gave rise to an eating disorder earlier in her life. She's been through a lot and now devotes her time and energy to making sure others don't have to suffer through the same.
I absolutely loved having Abbie on the show, and the information that she shares is invaluable. Head here to check it out, or find it on iTunes or Spotify. I also had the honor of being on her podcast as well--check it out here!
If you've ever felt addicted to food, this one's for you. And next week, we'll continue the discussion with emotional addiction.
And if you're feeling as though food is your "drug of choice," join me in my Food and Body Freedom Group and change that dynamic! Head here for all of the details!
Unsure what leads you to–or away from–food? Let’s get to know your eating parts! Check out my FREE Eating Parts Cheat Sheets to start understanding what (or should I say who?) leads you to food!
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