Addiction To Food And Your Health

Addiction To Food And Your Health
When things like addiction to food and health are brought
up, most people simply work with concepts like healthy
eating habits and exercise, but often, it goes beyond that.

Food addiction is a serious issue that merits discussion in
its own right. It is a problem that affects not only the
person who has it, but also their friends and family.

Essentially, the problem of food addiction is one that
combines a food craving with a food allergy. When a person
has this condition, they are drawn to a certain food and
when they are unable to have it, they experience symptoms
that are not unlike withdrawal.

Food addiction can be indicated by a number of different
things. One of the most notable symptoms of having a food
addiction is having a constant craving for a certain type
of food and no matter how often that food is consumed,
always wanting more.

Whether the food is ice cream or potatoes, the food
addiction results in a craving that turns out to be quite
harmful. This disorder affects an estimated one-third of
Americans, and is coming to be seen as the pervasive,
damaging issue that it is.

While the cravings are the first sign that a food addiction
may be present, there are several other hints that this
disorder may be at work.

Symptoms of food addiction include migraines, arthritis,
fatigue and various mental issues. Because nutrition so
closely affects the workings of the brain, there are a host
of problems, from mood swings to schizophrenia. Because
food addiction can lead to uncontrolled binging on specific
foods, it can also lead to obesity.

An untreated food addiction can have many different
consequences, none of them positive.

Besides experiencing the health issues mentioned above,
people who have a food addiction often feel guilty and
ashamed about their condition. They feel as if they should
have better control of themselves and that by succumbing to
something that they think of as a whim, they are proving
themselves weak.

Moreover, society has many stereotypes and misconceptions
about the obese, stereotypes that those suffering from food
addiction might buy into; they may feel sloppy, lazy and
undedicated, unaware that there is a physical, chemical
component to something that they dismiss as a psychological
weakness.

Moreover, there are the effects that food addiction can
have on the sufferer's family. Because people who suffer
from a food addiction that is coupled with a food allergy
are often subject to things like mood swings and migraines,
it can make living with them difficult.

During a withdrawal phase, the sufferer might be
irrationally angry and temperamental with the people that
they love.

Another thing to remember is that food addiction can have a
genetic component. If you have a food addiction, there is
a chance that you might pass it on to your children, either
in terms of the cravings you experience or the behaviors
that you fall into.

Addiction to food and health and everything that it entails
is an important topic to think about; issues like these
need to be dealt with as soon as you are aware of them!

----------------------------------------------------
Concerned, about a loved one or maybe even yourself? Join
us at the authors web site:
http://healthfood-guide.com/addictionfoodhealth.aspx where
we continue the discussion, throw out some answers and shed
some light on this ever increasing problem.