While food addiction is not listed as a disorder, it typically involves binge eating behaviours, cravings, and a lack of control around food. While someone who gets a craving or overeats occasionally probably won’t fit the criteria for the disorder, there are at least 8 common symptoms.
1. Getting cravings despite feeling full
It’s not uncommon to get cravings, even after eating a fulfilling, nutritious meal. For example, after eating a dinner with steak, potatoes, and veggies, some people may crave ice cream for dessert.
Cravings and hunger aren’t the same thing. A craving occurs when you experience an urge to eat something, despite having already eaten or being full. This is pretty common and doesn’t necessarily mean that someone has food addiction. Most people get cravings.
However, if cravings happen often and satisfying or ignoring them becomes hard, they may be an indicator of something else. These cravings are not about a need for energy or nutrients — it’s the brain calling for something that releases dopamine, a chemical in the brain that plays a role in how humans feel pleasure.
2. Eating much more than intended
For some people, there is no such thing as a bite of chocolate or single piece of cake. One bite turns into 20, and one slice of cake turns into half a cake. This all-or-nothing approach is common with addiction of any kind. There is no such thing as moderation — it simply does not work.
Telling someone with food addiction to eat junk food in moderation is almost like telling someone with alcoholism to drink beer in moderation. It’s just not possible.
3. Eating until feeling excessively stuffed
When giving in to a craving, someone with food addiction may not stop eating until the urge is satisfied. They might then realize that they have eaten so much that their stomach feels completely stuffed.
4. Feeling guilty afterward but doing it again soon
Trying to exert control over the consumption of unhealthy foods and then giving in to a craving can lead to feelings of guilt. A person may feel that they are doing something wrong or even cheating themselves. Despite these unpleasant feelings, a person with food addiction will repeat the pattern.
5. Making up excuses
The brain can be a strange thing, especially in regards to addiction. Deciding to stay away from trigger foods can cause someone to create rules for themselves. Yet, these rules may be hard to follow. When faced with a craving, someone with food addiction might find ways to reason around the rules and give in to the craving.
This line of thinking may resemble that of a person who is in the process of trying to quit smoking. That person might think that if they don’t buy a pack of cigarettes themselves, they’re not a smoker. Nonetheless, they might smoke cigarettes from a friend’s pack.
6. Repeated failures at setting rules
When people are struggling with self-control, they often try to set rules for themselves. Examples include only sleeping in on the weekends, always doing homework right after school, never drinking coffee after a certain time in the afternoon.
For most people, these rules almost always fail, and rules around eating are no exception. Examples include having one cheat meal or cheat day per week and only eating junk food at parties, birthdays, or holidays.
7. Hiding eating from others
People with a history of rule setting and repeated failures often start hiding their consumption of junk food from others. They may prefer to eat alone, when no one else is home, alone in the car, or late at night after everyone else has gone to bed.
8. Unable to quit despite physical problems
Which foods you choose to eat can significantly affect your health. In the short term, junk food can lead to weight gain, acne, bad breath, fatigue, poor dental health, and other common problems.
A lifetime of junk food consumption can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and even some types of cancer. Someone who experiences any of these problems related to their intake of unhealthy foods but is unable to change their habits likely needs help.
A treatment plan that’s designed by qualified professionals is typically recommended for overcoming eating disorders.
Julio Gutierrez is the founder and Head Coach of Hurricane Fitness. His love for the deadlift is almost as big as his love of pop culture.