There has been a lot of talk about “food addiction” lately, so I thought I’d put on my “curious” hat and go hunting for what’s around on this topic. I’m not a specialist in addictions, but I have worked with many, many people who have a difficult relationship with food and have most likely asked themselves (and me!) this very question at some point.
So why do people seem so interested? Researchers are interested because they’ve found that the particular chemicals and area of the brain that are activated by substance use also seem to be stimulated by overeating. (Bear in mind that research is very much in its infancy and therefore all findings should be taken with a healthy dose of “hmmmm?”) People in general seem to be fascinated by the subject. It makes me wonder if the idea of “food addiction” (or more specifically the very fashionable “sugar addiction”) is, for some people, a bit more interesting (and perhaps acceptable?) than a “disorder” and therefore gives people a way to “treat” the behaviour (by cutting the food out) rather than looking for the reasons for the behaviour. This is not necessarily a bad thing: it might mean people will seek the support they need to overcome a poor relationship with food. But one needs to ask: is it healthy to see food as “addictive” and, most importantly, is it helpful in the long-term?
This is an excerpt from an article by Fiona Sutherland in the August/September issue of Dance Australia… out soon!
