Are you addicted to food? Or better said is your body desperately searching for cabs and sugar and you feel addicted? The science of food addiction is clearer now than ever before.

A powerful study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition proves that higher-sugar, higher-glycemic foods are addictive in the same way as cocaine and heroin. In the vast majority of cases, certain types of food -processed foods made of sugar, fat, and salt combined in ways kept secret by the food industry- are addictive, and we are biologically wired to crave these foods and eat as much of them as possible. It’s no wonder so many people feel trapped! 

So, how can we determine whether we’re addicted to food, or not? Kelly Brownell, PhD, while at Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, created a scientifically validated food questionnaire to help you determine whether you are a food addict. Here are a few of the questions:

• Do you consume certain foods even if you are not hungry, because of cravings?
• Do you have spent time dealing with negative feelings after overeating certain foods, instead of spending time in important activities such as time with family, friends, work, or recreation?
• Do you have withdrawal symptoms such as agitation and anxiety when you cut down on certain foods?
• Does your behaviour with respect to food and eating cause you significant distress?
• Do issues related to food and eating decrease your ability to function effectively, yet you keep eating the way you do despite these negative consequences?
• Do you need more and more of the foods you crave to experience any pleasure or to reduce negative emotions?

If you’ve answered yes to any of the above, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Millions of people in every corner of the world have fallen into the food addiction trap.

When it comes to changing eating habits, lack of willpower isn’t the problem. The important thing to remember is that food addiction is not your fault.

The real blame for our weight and health problems lies less with the individuals who’ve inadvertently become addicted to processed foods than with the food companies that designed food products with highly addictive properties in the first place.

Yes, we all have choices, and personal empowerment and responsibility play roles here, but they are not enough if we are trapped in a food coma induced by the toxic influences of sugar and processed foods.

If nearly every restaurant near you serves jumbo portions of sugar, carbs, fat and salt, if your workplace lunchroom is a toxic food dump, good luck staying healthy.

The good news is, you might be surprised to learn how quickly you can break food addiction. The key is to eat the right combination of good foods at every meal to help balance your blood sugar. 

If you believe you might be addicted to food and could use a little extra support to adjust your diet, eat healthier, and be free of your food addiction, book a free online consultation with a Vital Body weight coach today!