Being addicted to food seems an unlikely condition considering the role food plays in sustaining all forms of life, let alone human life. Whether a person’s daily intake consists of fine dining entrees or junk/fast foods, there comes a point where food can start to drive a person’s motivations and outlook. When meals become the high points of the day instead of the re-fueling stops of the day, the beginnings of food addiction may be at work.
Unlike many other types of addiction, food addiction is readily treatable. Various types of facilities and treatment professionals specialize in providing food addiction help. Once a person can acknowledge a problem exists, finding food addiction help is just a matter of determining which types of treatment will best address his or her needs and preferences.
Refined Food Addictions
Refined foods, such as soda, pastries, pastas, cured meats and cheese contain high calorie amounts with little to no nutritional value content. These types of foods (and others) contain any number of additives and preservatives that make the digestive system work harder and add excess pounds on the body. Not surprisingly, these foods play a big role in the rising obesity rates within the United States. Tasty though they may be research findings show these foods trigger cravings that actually originate in the brain rather than in the taste buds.
According to the University of Florida News, refined foods may carry addictive properties similar to those found in alcohol and drugs. People addicted to refined foods have been shown to display the same symptoms as those characteristic of drug addiction. Ultimately, it’s the loss of control over how much a person eats that’s the defining factor. So, in essence, food addiction help has as much to do with breaking a psychological addiction as it does a physical addiction.
Types of Treatment
As any type of addiction develops over time, breaking an addiction becomes a process rather than a quick fix. Food addiction help entails learning new behaviors and attitudes regarding food and its intended purpose in a person’s daily life. The types of treatment used to address these issues can vary in intensity, duration and focus. The severity of a person’s addiction may very well determine which types of treatment will work best.
Types of treatment for food addiction help include:
Food Addiction Treatment Professionals
Nutritional counselors and therapists provide food addiction help within a variety of treatment settings. Actual food addiction treatment programs include counseling and therapy work as part of an overall treatment recovery plan. Treatment professionals may also work as part of a medical group or in private practice. In general, a person’s individual preference in treatment setting can help in determining where to look for food addiction help.
Food addiction treatment programs offer a more structured environment where participants can concentrate their time and effort on breaking poor eating habits. Treatment programs may work best for someone who’s really struggling with food addiction to the point where his or her health is in jeopardy. Working one-on-one with a food addiction treatment professional may work best for someone who wants to take action before health problems do become an issue.