Symptoms of Food Addiction

Since 1991, The Plourdé Institute has helped thousands of clients achieve their weight-loss goals with evidence-based, multidisciplinary interventions. In addition to individualized nutrition and exercise plans, The Plourdé Institute treats many of the psychological aspects of unwanted weight gain, including food addiction.

Food addiction occurs because sugar, salt, and fat in many foods can trigger a pleasure response in the brain similar to that caused by addictive drugs. Rather than eating for subsistence, people with a food addiction may eat to alleviate boredom, reduce stress, or fulfill a need for control. Some other signs of food addiction include:

- Cravings. The desire to eat a certain food even after a person feels full is known as a craving. Cravings are the result of the brain’s need for a dopamine rush, not the body’s need for nutrition.

- Overeating. People with food addiction often eat until they feel physically uncomfortable. Eating small portions of addictive foods, such as sweets or salty snacks, may be difficult for them.

- Guilt. After binging or overeating, people with food addiction may have negative feelings, such as guilt, regret, or shame. However, these feelings do not stop the behavior. Many people with food addiction feel that their actions are beyond their control.