Food Addiction

And sooo.. the images above are some of my favourite "indulge in" food items. Truth be told... I think I am.. and in fact, many Singaporeans are food addicts. So why the sudden discussion and entry on Food Addiction?

Well, it just so happens that I watched this last portion of Oprah Winfrey where she was talking to Ruby.. you know the lady who is slimming down on national tv... ? And.. she said something like this.. "The moment you crave for food to help get you through a bad moment or to deal with some issues to perk you up, that is addiction to food. There are no excuses"... And soo... I had this "AH HA!" moment.. when I realized.. I think I am a food addict.

However, being my usual anal self, I decided to surf a little, to find out more about what food addiction means:

From: http://www.allaboutlifechallenges.org/food-addiction.htm

Food addiction is a contemporary term used to describe a pathological disorder; the compulsive, excessive craving for and consumption of food. This condition is not only manifested by the abnormal intake of food, but the intake and craving for foods that are, in themselves, harmful to the individual. While society and the medical profession have readily understood alcoholism and drug abuse, it is only in recent years that there is an equal acceptance of the fact that persons may be addicted to food in the same way. When any substance is taken into the body regardless of its potential for harm or in excess of need, that substance is said to be abused. Individuals who abuse substances in such a way are addicts; these persons become physiologically and mentally dependent upon certain substances, in this case food.

And from our famous Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsive_overeating

Compulsive overeating, also sometimes called food addiction, is characterized by an obsessive/compulsive relationship to food. Professionals address this with either a behavior-modification model or a food-addiction model. An individual suffering from compulsive overeating disorder engages in frequent episodes of uncontrolled eating, or binge eating, during which they may feel frenzied or out of control, often consuming food past the point of being comfortably full. Binging in this way is generally followed by feelings of guilt and depression.

So.. in a way, while one sounds more serious than the other (wiki mentions medical disorder and doctors that come into the picture)... this is very real. All too often, I have sat in front of the TVafter work... fairly full after dinner (a good healthy dinner), and I would feel the very strong urge to snack. I will then search high and low, until I find something savoury like cheezels or nacho chips.. stuff my face silly (every piece is the last piece) until I am too full and bloated. Of which, I would then feel extremely stuffed and suffer from stomach discomfort, cuz my body can't really digest rubbish very well... and then... just like now, I find myself so full that I cannot breath properly (or that could just be my sinus working up)...

And if I was really feeling very very upset, I would start craving for 1) Pasta... or 2) Chicken wings. It is terrible! The thought of just indulging.. it's only for one meal, would keep popping into my head until I give in... of which.. I feel TERRIBLE after cuz I can't take very oily food! So again, I would feel bloated and fat after the chix wings... and for some reason, pasta also makes me bloated and lethargic and tired, especially after lunch. But hey... after lunch is just sleepytown for me admittedly.

I am a food addict. I am glad to confess today and I sincerely hope that after today, I will be better able to control my addiction. That half eaten cheezels and layis potato chips in the fridge will remain there until somebody else finishes it, but it will not be me. The crossing over just to buy two bbq chix wings from the hawker centre shall cease. The indulging in pasta, well, that is technically a staple, so I shall continue, but no longer as a comfort food. It shall become one of my food options. I am a stronger person and I will not allow this addiction to rule me.

Are you with me?