What is food addiction?    

 The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, 5th edition was just released and included a new diagnostic category, binge eating disorder BED. BED is defined as recurrent episodes of binge eating in which binge eating is defined as "eating in a discreet amount of time, (i.e. within a 2 hour time period) an amount of food that is definitely larger than what most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances" and "A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (i.e. feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating)."  

Some individuals endorse symptoms similar to substance use disorders such as strong craving and patterns of compulsive use. The challenge with food in this equation is we cannot go without it.

Using the term of food addiction is kind of a loose term and the term food addiction is not classified in the diagnostic disorder manual as a disease. However, it is often described as compulsive overeating and none the less feels overwhelming for anyone who is experiencing problems with food. A person experiencing this often overeats food to a point of being uncomfortably full and then feels guilty afterwards. There is a sense of lack of control over the episodes. During binges, a person may consume excessively high kcalories in food in a temporary relief of some mental stress they may be having. Consuming certain types of foods can even lead to a release of a neurotransmitter, serotonin, which does lead to an improved mood.

There are a couple of different approaches to treating the excessive eating of foods, one is from a food addiction model and the other is from a counseling/disordered eating approach. It is important if you think you are struggling with any of the above to speak to a professional who is skilled in eating disorders to find the best approach for you. One of the key things to think about is how you can learn to live your life in a healthy manner, striving to take care of yourself both mentally and physically.