Food Addiction & Addiction Transfer

Hello everyone!

I am a licensed psychologist currently working for the IU Health Bariatric & Medical Weight Loss in Indianapolis, IN. I have been involved in working with people with various types of eating disorders for over 10 years now. Traci has asked that I write about a rarely talked about phenomenon called ‘Addiction Transfer’.

First off, we have to first talk about “food addiction”. Now, there is a lot of controversy about whether or not food can be addictive. This has to do with the way the brain works and how the major components of substance abuse addiction affect the body. These components consist of tolerance (becoming immune to the effects of taking in the same amount of a substance over time and therefore needing more of that substance to have the same effect) and withdrawal that then causes craving (that is, having specific effects after the substance has been metabolized through the body). Some people argue that these factors are operative with food. Others say that they are not, that food does not have these kinds of effects on the body. Let’s leave biology alone for now (not my specialty anyway!) and focus more on the psychological side of things.

We probably need to focus on the abuse of food to understand “food addiction.” The abuse of food happens when we begin to use food for reasons other than simply to keep our body’s energy supply at an appropriate level. Eating because you are depressed, reaching for food when you are bored, thinking that you need that cake to make you feel better…These are all emotional reactions that use have food abuse at the core because they use food to cope. That is the sign of food abuse: when a person depends on food to help them get through a situation. Just as with any other addiction, there is a sense of loss of control over being able to stop this behavior. Even though the individual can see their pattern is harmful, they continue the destructive behavior.

Now, the “transfer addiction” problem emerges for those, like Bariatric patients, who have had that primary means of coping taken away. However, the feelings that drove the search for food may not have been addressed before or during surgery. We all know that surgery is the tool, not the miracle cure. So, you may still have those feelings of depression or still be bored. But food is no longer an option. This is the point where a person may seek out other substances such as alcohol or drugs. Or, they may engage in new destructive behaviors, like gambling or shopping, to fill the void that food once did for them. The problem, as you can see, is that the real issue is never appropriately addressed and therefore, these destructive patterns just continue.

The first important step one must take to stop this harmful pattern is to be aware. So many Americans engage in “mindless eating”; that is, reaching for food without thinking why they are doing so. In fact, eating because one is appropriately hungry seems to be one of the least used motivators for eating these days. And in these situations, we make poor choices, we eat too much and we aren’t aware of all of the qualities of the food we are eating (for instance, not noticing the texture, the smell, and sometimes, even the taste). So, the next time you reach for food, or alcohol, or your purse to go shopping, ask yourself “what am I hungry for?”. Seriously. Simply stopping and asking this question makes you consider what you are doing in that moment. And that is the moment that you can choose to assess what you are doing. Then once you have figured out that “hey, I’m just bored” you can choose to act in a different way. Maybe you aren’t hungry, just bored. Well, then you can choose to do something else (take a walk, call someone, crochet (my favorite!).)

Awareness, assessment action. These are the keys to change.

If you find that you are unable to stop this on your own, please consider talking a professional about this. Addictive behaviors are harmful to you, your relationships and ultimately your health.

Best wishes to all of you in your journey to better health!

~Kim Gorman Ph.D HSPP
Licensed Psychologist

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