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Food Addiction & Obesity Q&A

5 experts · 20+ questions answered

Latest Q&As

Mar 3, 2014

Why Am I a Food Addict?

No matter how old we are, it is never too late to find out more about ourselves, address the critical problems that trouble us, and improve our lives. Forty-one is the perfect age to set out on that journey. You have described several key issues that must be addressed if you are to find peace and he

Answered by William Anderson

Dec 16, 2013

How do I get rid of sugar cravings

There are lots of us who have become used to eating way too much sugar, and too much of the things that can quickly be converted to sugar in the body. Much of our food is converted into simple sugars and it is able to pass through the stomach wall and have an immediate effect on our energy levels. I

Answered by Jill Edwards

Jul 21, 2013

The Probelm Is Not Food In the Food Addctions

No. It will probably cause cravings for sugar. You need to get a support system for treating food addiction. It''s like asking "If I am an alcoholic and I stop drinking will that cure my alcoholism?" You need to treat the addiction and not be on a diet. You need to have a food plan also eliminating

Answered by Dr. Arthur Trotzky

Jun 28, 2013

Am I a food addict?

Yes, you have a food addiction. Yes, it is related to stress. Yes, you have a stress problem that leads to food for coping. Yes, it is important to learn more about it. Your big problem, that "Whenever I try to diet I get really irritable and stressed out and when I am stressed I always can’t contro

Answered by William Anderson

Jun 5, 2013

Do I have bad eating habits or an addiction?

The "snacking on vegetables" idea never worked for me either. After munching on carrots and celery, I felt like I really needed something good, and deserved it too, after putting up with the rabbit food. An addiction is like a habit that controls you, instead of you controlling it. In fact, some tre

Answered by William Anderson

Apr 4, 2013

Healthy midnight feasts

I have a bad habit of snacking at night. I am overweight and I want to lose weight. When I try to cut out the snacks I just crave them all the time and eventually I get so tired of fighting my hunger for snacks I just give in and its almost like I eat even more because I am so worn down by fighting

Answered by Jill Edwards

Mar 18, 2013

Can 9-year old child have a binge eating disorder?

There are a number of disorders that can result in strange behavior in children, and it is always a mistake when parents neglect to take their children to the doctor when something is not right, either physically, emotionally, mentally or behaviorally. While I am not suggesting the child has Prader-

Answered by William Anderson

Mar 5, 2013

Who is Responsible?

Thank you. You’ve asked a great question but you are asking for opinion, not fact. Also, I do not consider myself a food expert. First, two questions for you: Where do kids get the money to purchase all this junk food that’s being marketed to them? Do you think their parents are the ones who should

Answered by Lita Perna

Dec 18, 2012

Help! I found out I'm a food addict! What do I do?

You have just cleared the first hurdle in solving your problem! Most food addicts, like most other addicts, struggle with denying they have an addiction problem that needs to be fixed, i.e., stopped. It's hard to let go of habits that are near and dear, so they often struggle for years trying to fin

Answered by William Anderson

Dec 5, 2012

Diet Pills

Over the counter medications for weight loss are primarily caffeine pills. The use of any stimulant tends to reduce appetite and speed up metabolism. The fact that you're eating compulsively suggests that you're using food to cope with your emotions. If you're going to stop using food then you're go

Answered by Jim LaPierre

Nov 28, 2012

Kids and Choices

I applaud you for wanting to help your daughter without shaming her or making her overly self conscious. I'd suggest getting on the same page with grandma and expressing your concerns. I'd suggest not allowing your daughter to choose her own portions and ensuring that what is available to her is hea

Answered by Jim LaPierre

Oct 30, 2012

Weight Loss Surgery vs. Lifestyle Changes

I'm not a medical professional so I don't know what the age requirements are for weight loss surgery. I don't believe doctors like to do elective surgery on minors and prefer to wait until the patient is an adult. I do understand how hard it is to be different and to not fit in. Diets don't work. Li

Answered by Jill Palmer

Sep 15, 2012

Filling a Hole in Your Heart

To feel satiated is to feel full - to be content or perhaps stuffed. For those of us who go to unhealthy extremes there is an emptiness we are trying to fill. Food is an easy filler. I wonder what else you hunger for (long for). When we stuff our emotions...it takes a toll. Sooner or later we need t

Answered by Jim LaPierre

Sep 11, 2012

Dieting Yo-Yo

It sounds like the dieting yo-yo has been very frustrating for you and now you understand why diets don't work. We end up feeling deprived and then over eat in response. I think the biggest problem with dieting is we think about food all of the time. We think about what we can eat, what we can't eat

Answered by Jill Palmer

Jul 13, 2012

Am I a food addict if I am not fat?

Can I be a food addict even if I am at a healthy weight? I obsess about food constantly and sometimes I eat until i get sick but because of my very physical job and a lot of exercising I have so far avoided getting fat. Just listening to you, I am pretty sure that you know that there is a problem he

Answered by Jill Edwards

Jun 29, 2012

Starving Yourself as a New Eating Plan

No. This will most likely have a rebound effect in which you will feel deprived, be hungry and eat more, or eat unhealthy. Your body has a 'thermostat' which is a set point it strives to achieve and maintain. Starving yourself is never a good idea, and it does not work. You will be struggling agains

Answered by Lita Perna

Jun 22, 2012

Where do I find out how to deal with food addiction?

Food addiction is real and it sounds like you might have it. Just "making up your mind" and trying to use "will power" doesn't work. Chances are that your doctor has no idea what you are up against and is clueless about what to do to beat it. You need to learn more about food addiction. Read all my

Answered by William Anderson

Jun 11, 2012

Am I Addicted to Food?

Is binge eating an addiction? Yes and no. The term “process addiction” is used to create a category of addictions that are different from substance addictions. Process addiction is compulsive behavior which is related to a process, while substance addiction requires the ingestion of a particular sub

Answered by Lita Perna

Jun 7, 2012

How can I stop myself from night eating?

While someone may be telling you that controlling your eating should be easy, for people with your problem, it is anything but easy. It's not that what you have is like an addiction, it is an addiction, and it may be the most difficult of all the addictions to get under control. What you have is des

Answered by William Anderson

May 4, 2012

Will Weight Loss Surgery Cure Food Addiction?

Many overweight Americans are food addicts. What you are describing sounds like food addiction. Read my answer to another's question about sugar addiction ( http://www.choosehelp.com/experts/eating-disorders/eating-disorders-william-anderson/is-there-really-such-a-thing-as-food-addiction ), and then

Answered by William Anderson

Apr 17, 2012

I'm a stress eater. How do I stop?

While you may have believed that eating too much or snacking should be easy to stop, I have news for you and for anyone else who thinks it is easy: Compulsive overeating, which you are describing, is arguably the most difficult of the addictive behaviors to get control of -- more difficult than alco

Answered by William Anderson

Mar 25, 2012

Help! I'm using fast food like it's a drug! I'm addicted!

Don't fret. You have a common eating disorder that can be successfully treated. You needn't be embarrassed when you talk about this to someone who knows all about it, an eating disorders specialist. They work with this all the time, and what you are doing is not out of the ordinary to real professio

Answered by William Anderson