Looks like there's major egg on The Fitness Nerd's face today. For years, I've advised people that there's no such thing as "food addiction." It's all a question of willpower.
Well, according to Dr. David Kessler's new book, The End of Overeating, I'm completely full of saturated-fat-filled baloney.
Kessler, who used to head up the FDA, claims that people can become "conditioned overeaters." As reported by the AP:
While I'm usually little annoyed when there's another "condition" that people can lean on instead of just taking ownership of their issues, I think this one is great. It puts a face on a serious problem, so that we can address the issue and try to fix it.
I was surprised to learn that you used to think it was just a matter of willpower in the past. I'm glad they are doing more research in these kinds of areas, though. I've struggled with an eating disorder, emotional eating, binge eating, etc. for years now. It can be so frustrating on the Beachbody forums sometimes, because many people think it's just a matter of having "willpower" and once in a while give you hard time for not being more "disciplined." Don't get me wrong, I love the community and constantly sing its praises, but I'm glad to see more research is being done. I hope it educates others to the complexity of diet and fitness and the role the brain plays.
ReplyDeleteLuckily, therapists can help. I'm on my second round with a psychologist and it's helped a lot. We've looked at my history, my childhood, my current issues- and we have made solid progress. For far too long, help of this kind has been stigmatized, and I make it my mission to tell others how much sessions like these can help a person to reach his/her health goals. For some lucky people, working out and eating healthy is a simple, albeit challenging, endeavor, but for some, it's more than that- and you may need help beyond the gym, the workout dvd, the coach, or the nutritionist. Sometimes you need help with the mental aspect as well!
Let me clarify a little.
ReplyDeleteI do believe there are eating disorders, serious ones. And I think the people suffering them need serious treatment. But I also believe that people are sometimes prone to put fancy titles on their weaknesses and use those titles as crutches.
Also, for me, willpower is a powerful term. Much stronger than just "buck up, camper." Even though this condition now has a name and a way of being treated, 99% of what's going to make a difference to sufferers is their force of will. Yes, I agree that mental aspects often need to be addressed with the help of a qualified therapist, but you have to want to succeed and you need to know that you're the one drawing the line. That's where positive change begins.