26. Overeating is a widespread addiction pattern  

By Tom O'Connell

Several years ago, many experts speaking at addiction and wellness conferences predicted that eating disorders would escalate during the 1990s. And it's obvious to even the most casual observer that overeating is now very common among all age groups.

In this highly stressful era, it seems that vast numbers of people deal with their emotional problems by "eating their feelings." Uncomfortable? Get a snack. Feel tired? Grab some chocolate. At the thought of chocolate my mouth begins to fill with saliva. And when I discuss chocolate in a lecture a whole room full of people start salivating.

Do you like chocolate? Think about it for a moment. Notice the response of your body. There is an instant mind-body connection between brain, mouth, and digestive tract.  The sound of a food word, or one sniff of a delectable aroma, can set us off.

But is food the overeater's problem? No more than alcohol is the cause of an alcoholic's problem. The problem is not the substance; it's our relationship to it.

Dr. Stanley Gitlow, an alcoholism pioneer, once believed addicts were doing something bizarre when they kept damaging their lives with their favorite anesthetic. But as the years passed he began to see the situation differently. He realized they were drinking to cope with life. And he concluded that addiction is any technique we use to cope with the problems of life other than interpersonal relating.

This definition may not appeal to rigidly scientific, analytical people, but for those of us who view addiction as a relationship problem, Dr. Gitlow's approach helps explain how and why people choose the addictive way of life.

The following questions may help you understand your own relationship to food:

* Do you feel anxious when you reduce your food consumption?

* Do you think about food often during the day?

* Do you eat quickly, and sometimes go out of control?

* Do you eat to deal with rejection or loneliness?

* Do you judge social gatherings by the amount of available food?

* Do you tend to diet, fail, and then return to heavy eating?

* Do you use food as a reward or as an antidote for depressed feelings?

* Do you think you may not be able to stop once you start eating? 

* Do you find bending over a problem?

* Do you get short of breath when walking or climbing stairs?

* Are you more than 10 percent over your ideal weight?

* Do you eat even when you're not hungry?

The more questions you've answered yes to, the more likely it is that you qualify as an overeater. Most overeaters are caught in addictive patterns of behavior. And many people are expanding because of the side effects of prescription drugs they're using to cope with life. But with courage and persistence we can change our unhealthy behaviors.

Help for overeaters is available through health professionals, therapists, clinics, and support groups such as Overeaters Anonymous. Changing from an addictive relationship with food is not easy, but it can be done. And there's a great payoff in self-esteem.

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