We often think of food when we think of food addiction.  We see the poor choices in the type of food and the quantity of food we eat, so we assume food addiction is a food problem!

Although the food itself is partly to blame (so much of the food we eat is highly processed and contains highly addictive ingredients like sugar), it is NOT the only reason we become addicted to it.  

In fact, the root cause of food addiction is much deeper than that and it all starts with how we think, and how we perceive the world around us.  

The Psychology Behind Food Addiction

In a recent study by Nolan et al. in 2019, they found that irrational thoughts were the biggest predecessor of food addiction.

Irrational thoughts?  What the hell is that?  

Let’s dive deeper into it…

What are irrational thoughts?

The way you think about a situation, not just the situation itself, affects how you feel about it.  

For example, imagine your boss gets upset with you over a small mistake at work. If your reaction is to think: "I’m terrible at my job, I’ll definitely get fired, and no one will ever hire me again!"—you’ll probably feel really anxious and stressed. 

However, picture the same scenario, but this time your reaction is to think: “I’m human and every once in a while I will make a mistake and that is normal.  The odds of me getting fired over this are very low.”-- you’ll probably feel more balanced and less overwhelmed.  

How is this related to food addiction?

A psychologist named Ellis found that people who often see things in an extreme or irrational way tend to struggle with anxiety or depression. And when people feel emotionally overwhelmed, they try to cope. Some people choose healthy coping strategies, like exercising or problem-solving, while others choose unhealthy ones —like eating unhealthy foods.

Basically, your mindset plays a big role in how you handle stress, and some people turn to food to deal with tough emotions.

Some people have thoughts that aren't totally true (irrational beliefs), like thinking they must be perfect all the time. These kinds of thoughts can make them feel more anxious, and lead them to eat more or choose unhealthy food more often.

So, in other words, irrational beliefs can increase anxiety which, in turn, can increase emotional eating, which finally can lead to a higher number of food addiction symptoms.

Are we screwed?

No.  This means, a good way to address food addiction is to target irrational thoughts and learn to manage stress!    

Irrational thoughts are something we all struggle with, but it’s worse for some than others. 

If you don’t know how to decrease your irrational thoughts of their impact on your emotions and food intake, don’t feel bad.  It’s not something that is easy to do.  But it’s not impossible. 

Some people go to therapy, which is a good option, but it can sometimes be pricey and difficult to access. 

I have prepared something that is much easier to access: the 5-Minute Blueprint to STOP Snacking at Night!  Click here to Grab Your FREE Copy!  

Julie Richard, 

Occupational Therapist| Certified Health Coach| Founder of Ulikeyou Weight Loss| Creator of The Evolve Method

REFERENCES:

Nolan LJ, Jenkins SM. Food Addiction Is Associated with Irrational Beliefs via Trait Anxiety and Emotional Eating. Nutrients. 2019 Jul 25;11(8):1711. doi: 10.3390/nu11081711. PMID: 31349564; PMCID: PMC6724001.