MENTAL HEALTH & FOOD ADDICTION

We have a strong psychological connection with food which can be positive or negative. And they all come with a biochemical and physical connection, affecting our mental health. So, taking care of what you eat is a big part of self-love or self-care.

The connection between stress and eating can start at childhood. And many people don’t realise the significant correlation between food and mental health…and how damaging it can be. It’s essentially a vicious cycle.

Using sugar as an example: Sugar causes diabetes and heart diseases like high blood pressure and hyperlipidaemia (high levels of fat in the blood that can ultimately block arteries.) All of these can cause strokes, heart attacks and more. It’s one of the most dangerous food substances in terms of the effect it can have on your body both mentally and physically. It has a big effect on your brain and, in turn, your mental health.

A recent investigation comparing sugar and cocaine consumption in rats revealed something remarkable:

The rats took small amounts of cocaine until they were addicted and dependent on it. They were then given a choice between carrying on with the cocaine or switching to sugar. A staggering 94% of rats opted for sugar and demonstrated a lot more interest in the sweet stuff compared to cocaine.

Dr Magalie Lenoir, leading the study, said. “Our findings clearly demonstrate that intense sweetness can surpass cocaine reward, even in drug-sensitized and -addicted individuals. In most mammals, including rats and humans, sweet receptors evolved in ancestral environments poor in sugars. The supranormal stimulation of these receptors by sugar-rich diets, such as those now widely available in modern societies, would generate a supranormal reward signal in the brain, with the potential to override self-control mechanisms and thus to lead to addiction.”

In other words, our brains still aren’t quite used to the novelty of sugar and our brains see it as a stimulant – whether we’re conscious of that or not.

The physical long-term effects of food addiction can also lead to poor mental health. Coping with diabetes, weight gain, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, reproductive problems, heart disease and gallstones will have a detrimental effect on the person’s psyche and self-esteem.

Compound this with feelings of guilt…because these medical conditions may have been as a direct result of their food addiction.

Sugar can induce a very short-term rush of dopamine, but it also means you’ll get the dreaded ‘sugar crash’ where your body tries to bring your blood glucose back to normal by triggering more insulin. This can make some of us crave even more sugar, leading to a vicious cycle of binge eating.  Your adrenal gland is also working overtime and pumping out cortisol and adrenaline at an alarming rate. These are the famous ‘stress hormones.’ Many of us turn to sugar to get this quick fix. As a result, ‘stress eating’ sugary foods can actually increase stress.

Food addiction is a one-way ticket to setting up a vicious cycle of binging, crashing, and binging again.

Studies suggest that there is a solid link between food addiction, depression and anxiety disorders and there are higher rates of depression within the food addicted group than individuals who aren’t addicted.

For example, a recent study released by Harvard Health Publishing revealed that people who follow a traditional Japanese diet or Mediterranean diet of fruit, vegetables, pulses and grains had a 25-35% lower risk of developing depression. This is because these diets have a much lower amount of processed and refined foods compared to “Western” diets, meaning they consumer lower amounts of trans fats and sugars.

Switching to a Japanese or Mediterranean diet will improve your mental health and physical health. You’ll have more energy, better mental clarity and a big boost in confidence. Natural rest and sleep patterns will return. You’ll feel a new sense of purpose. In other words; recovery will take place at every level.

Conversely, food addiction might also be the result of psychological factors, for example, emotional or sexual abuse, being a victim or survivor of a traumatic event, having an inability to healthily cope with negative situations, chronic low self-esteem, or experiencing grief or loss. Psychological factors such as these can influence an individual to use food as a coping mechanism to relieve painful emotions.

Binge eating will initially lead to feelings of relaxation and comfort, but is followed by feelings of shame, disgust and guilt. Anxiety and stress sets in and life becomes unmanageable. The person finds it harder and harder to cope with daily life, leading to them binge even more.

The signs of food addiction

Just with any addiction, there can be a lot of secrecy and dishonesty around their eating habits. Some signs may include hiding food / wrappers, stealing food and eating in secret. Feelings of self-loathing and guilt, paranoia, low self-esteem and self-confidence – are also possible signs.

Some specialists chose to treat the psychological factors first before the addictive behaviour around food and others treat the food addiction first before addressing the person’s psychological issues.

I lean towards approaching the food side of things first with a support system in place so mental health issues can be addressed; a person may just be chemically dependent on the foods of choice and thus removal of these substances and a simple but robust support system to maintain things is what is needed.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr Bunmi Aboaba is a Recovery Coach specialising in Food Addiction, helping clients to achieve a healthy relationship with food to meet long-term health goals.  Dr Bunmi’s work covers the full spectrum of disordered eating, including overeating, compulsive eating, emotional eating, addicted eating and other associated patterns. Dr Bunmi is also creator of the first Certified Food Addiction Certification to support nutritionists, personal trainers, dieticians and clinicians to help their clients achieve long-lasting results. Dr Bunmi also runs 7-day self-care retreats for clients suffering from disordered eating.

Web: thefoodaddictioncoach.co.uk
LinkedIn
Facebook

Citations:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29203444
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0000698
https://www.camh.ca/en/camh-news-and-stories/the-emerging-link-between-food-and-mental-health