I've been pondering this (brace yourselves
) and am wondering whether it is possible to be addicted to "food" or, like KD said earlier, more to the habit of turning to it in certain situations? Aside from the mild happy hormomes etc that things like chocolate can release, if you were truly addicted to the food itself presumably you'd need that particular food group quite early in the day. Yes, I'd be planning my day's treats pretty early on, and thinking about it for much of the day, but not actually
needing it just yet. This is in contrast to my smoker friends who
have to have a cigarette fairly soon after waking.
At one point I would work my way through 5000 calories per day, that's more than simply overeating a bit - food addiction possibly?
The day would go something like this:
Wake up, get ready for work. Eat a "normal" sized breakfast, think no more of it.
Mid morning - glance at the clock - ooh elevenses - toddle off to choc vending machine and promise myself I'll be "good" for rest of day.
Lunch - low cal sandwich and bag of snack-a-jacks
Mid afternoon - fancy something to get me through the afternoon even though not really hungry. Sit for 1/2 hour having mental battle of shall I shan't I. Cave in and get another choc bar and crisps.
Home from work - I've blown it so will "start again tomorrow". Start raiding kitchen picking at anything and everything. Go out to get takeway and pick up ice cream and sweets to have afterwards. Feel sick 1/2 way through binge but am "unable" to stop. Go to bed feeling disgusted with myself and vowing never, ever to do it again. Then I do it all over again the next day, and the next...
Food addiction or a series of habits/triggers?
Obviously this is only my own experience and am not saying food addiction does or doesn't exist xx