7 Signs You May Be Addicted to Food

More people in the U.S. are addicted to food than any other substance including drugs or alcohol. So, let’s talk about some of the signs that you might have an addiction to food or are a food addict.

1. You set yourself up for failure even before you begin. How many times have you said, “Well, I start my diet on Monday so let’s go out and have one last big weekend and splurge!” So what you’re really saying is something like, "I’m having pizza and cake because I’m never having it again." That would be ridiculous if that’s what you’re thinking. Why make unrealistic expectations of yourself? DON’T MAKE UNREALISTIC GOALS! It’s like an alcoholic saying I’m only having one drink this weekend. Not happening.
2. You don’t eat in moderation. Food addicts, just like alcoholics and drug users, have that compulsive personality—it’s all or nothing. How many times have you taken a candy bar thinking, "I’ll just have a bite now and save it for when I need just a little something sweet." Next thing you know, you’ve eaten the whole thing. You might be one that if there’s a cake in the house, you can’t walk by it without grabbing a small piece or taking a bite.
3. You hide or sneak food. How many times have you been on a diet, stopped at a gas station and see that the donuts are on sale 3 for $1? "Hell, I'm all alone, no one will know or see me. Plus, I have a long drive ahead and I need some sugar to keep me awake." So now you’ve justified it in your own mind. Maybe you have that secret stash in a drawer at work or at home you have some candy in a bag in the freezer.
4. You eat until you’re stuffed…and then keep eating! Think about your last big Thanksgiving or Christmas meal. You eat so much. Just because there was food on your plate, you had to clean it up all. Or, right after you’ve stuffed yourself, every time you get up and walk by the food that’s sitting out, you grab another bar or cookie. We never seem to be full. You may even feel like you’re still hungry and crave more food.
5. You feel guilty about eating. You had a piece of cake or pie, maybe had a few slices of pizza, now you have guilt about eating. The problem with associating guilt with food is it can lead to binge eating, where the guilt of having something you know you probably shouldn’t have had leads you to eat all of it and leave no evidence that you ever ate it. With binge eating, usually there are other underlying factors that need to be addressed, such as depression.
6. You make excuses for failure. This one is probably the one I see used most often. You’ve gone on a brand new diet or meal plan. You’ve sworn that you’re all done with eating sugary treats, pizza or fried foods. But, that weekend everyone got together to watch the football game and you think, “Hey, it would be rude if I didn’t have some birthday cake or eat with everyone. Everyone else was having a good time and I just wanted to fit in." Blah, blah, blah. I know I swore off drinking, but everyone else was having some, so why can’t I?
7. When you’re so overweight or so obese that you don’t care. You’re willing to let yourself go rather than even try to change. This is when you’ve given up. You are no different than the drug addict who’s in the crack house willing to beg, steal and sell their soul to have another hit. They are willing to die rather than give up smoking crack. If you’re at that point where you would rather continue to keep getting bigger than even try to give up eating poorly, this means you’re willing to die instead of get healthy because that’s where you’re heading.  If you know the medical risks are there and you’re not willing to change, you’ve signed your own death sentence. Congratulations, you’re a food addict.

In addiction blog posts we’ll talk about what you can do to fight your addiction, where you can go, who to talk to and what you can do on your own before it becomes too late. Food addiction is real. I AM A FOOD ADDICT! I work everyday to control my addiction. It is possible to control. It won’t be easy, but it can be done!