For a healthy person, a meal serves as a fuel providing energy and nutrients necessary for proper functioning. However, some people eat large amounts of certain foods in order to feel pleasure.
Food addiction, which is sometimes treated as a disastrous way of coping with stress, was the topic of our conversation with Edyta Charzyńska, PhD, Assoc. Prof., whose main research interests include behavioural and psychoactive substance addictions, well-being, spirituality and moral virtues. As the winner of the second edition of the “Freedom of Research” call for proposals, she published an article on food addiction in the journal Nutrients.
Violetta Kulik: Let’s start with the basics. What is food addiction? What are its basis, causes and symptoms?
Edyta Charzyńska, PhD, Assoc. Prof.: Food addiction is quite difficult to define clearly and is therefore sometimes wrongly equated with eating disorders. It is usually understood as excessive consumption of foods containing high amounts of sugar, salt or fat or all of these ingredients at the same time. These foods are usually regarded as highly palatable. This includes products such as chocolate, crisps, ice cream, sugar-sweetened drinks, instant meals, pizza or chips. A person with a food addiction eats very large amounts of this type of products, losing control over it. They feel a strong mental hunger and reach for such foods to feel pleasure, which is a consequence of the release of dopamine. Over time, however, the body needs more and more of this type of food to feel the same pleasure as before. The causes of this addiction are diverse. They include both biological factors (some people are more susceptible to various addictions) as well as psychological ones, e.g. severe stress and inability to cope with unpleasant emotions or a feeling of loneliness. Let’s also remember that this type of food has addictive properties, affecting the same parts of our system responsible for feeling pleasure as alcohol or drugs. It is estimated that from several to a dozen or so percent of the population may be addicted to food. This percentage is higher in people who are overweight or obese (around 25-40%) and those with eating disorders (around 40-60%). The problem of food addiction is serious because eating large amounts of highly processed food can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. It is also associated with an increased risk of developing eating and mood disorders and reduced quality of life.
Violetta Kulik: You mentioned, among other things, severe hunger and a lack of control over the amount of food consumed. Does food addiction have similar symptoms to other addictions? Is the pattern of this addiction the same or completely different?
Edyta Charzyńska, PhD, Assoc. Prof.: We can say that the pattern of food addiction is similar to that of other addictions. Research indicates that highly processed foods affect the brain and activate the same brain regions and neuronal circuits as alcohol and drugs. A person addicted to food shows symptoms typical of other addictions, e.g. they become absorbed in thoughts about eating specific products, and when they have access to them, they consume them in larger quantities than intended. If they are unable to eat the desired food, withdrawal symptoms appear, similar to those seen in addictions to psychoactive substances (including nervousness, frustration, aggression). Such person is also unable to stop their behaviour despite noticeable negative effects on their health and functioning. All this makes food addiction similar to other addictions. This similarity is also reflected in the construction of the Yale Food Addiction Scale. This scale is the most popular tool for measuring food addiction and it adopts criteria for addiction to psychoactive substances based on the ‘Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders’ (DSM). Due to these similarities, similar models and methods of treating this addiction are proposed as in the case of other addictions.
Violetta Kulik: Are there also children among people addicted to food?
Edyta Charzyńska, PhD, Assoc. Prof.: The problem of food addiction also affects children and adolescents. Not much research in this area is available, but the data we do have suggests that it may affect from 4 to 12% of children and adolescents of normal weight, and about 20%-40% of those who are overweight or obese. It is worth emphasising that the first use of psychoactive substances such as alcohol or drugs usually occurs during adolescence or early adulthood. When consuming potentially addictive products, there is a greater risk of addiction in early childhood. As for the symptoms of food addiction in children, they are similar to those found in adults. In the case of children, however, we may face even more severe consequences of addiction to highly processed food, as their nervous systems are still developing. Let us also remember our role as models in shaping children’s eating behaviours. We know, for example, that if parents have elevated levels of food addiction, their children are also more likely to show symptoms of it. This is influenced not only by the parents’ eating habits, but also by biological susceptibility to addiction. As they say: genes load the gun, but it’s the environment that pulls the trigger. As psychologists, we pay attention primarily to environmental factors (including diet, lifestyle, eating habits in the family) that we can influence, thus helping children and adults.
Violetta Kulik: We already know what the problem of food addiction looks like in children. Now let’s talk about gender differences. Is food addiction more common in women than in men?
Edyta Charzyńska, PhD, Assoc. Prof.: Food addiction may seem to be a problem more specific to women. We imagine that it is primarily women who reach for sweets or chips to improve their mood. Previous research on gender differences in the incidence of food addiction has been inconclusive; some studies indicated a more frequent occurrence of addiction among women, some among men, and some showed no differences between the sexes. In the study conducted as part of the second edition of ‘Research Freedom’, which I carried out in cooperation with Prof. Anna Brytek-Matera from the University of Wrocław and Paweł Atroszko, PhD from the University of Gdańsk, we took a closer look at the shortened, 9-item version of the Yale Food Addiction Scale, which I mentioned earlier. The research sample consisted of 1,182 people, including 613 women and 559 men (10 people did not provide their gender). Detailed analyses of the tool have shown that its first three items may not measure food addiction, but eating behaviours that happen to most of us from time to time and which can hardly be considered pathological. An example item of this type was: ‘I sometimes eat certain foods even when I am no longer hungry’. Many of us sometimes continue to eat even though our hunger is satisfied. Thus, we see that this questionnaire item may not be the most accurate measure of food addiction. Detailed psychometric analyses and assessment of the content of the items led us to the conclusion that in order for this tool to accurately measure food addiction, the three mentioned items should be removed, creating a 6-item tool. Coming back to your question, if we analysed the 9-item scale, it would turn out that a higher level of food addiction occurs among women. However, after removing three questionable items, it turned out that there were no gender differences in food addiction, which is consistent with recent research in this area. Therefore, we have no reason to think that the problem of food addiction is specific to either gender. The results of our study also show how important it is to use appropriate measurement tools to determine the frequency of a given phenomenon. Our modified questionnaire enables accurate and quick measurement of food addiction.
Violetta Kulik: So, we can say that, contrary to popular belief, men become addicted to food as often as women. Are the risk factors for food addiction the same or different for women and men?
Edyta Charzyńska, PhD, Assoc. Prof.: We also asked ourselves this question as part of our study. We found that some risk factors for food addiction are common to both genders; these were: higher levels of extraversion, narcissism and social anxiety. What’s more interesting, however, was that there were also differences between the sexes. In women, food addiction was associated with lower levels of agreeableness, conscientiousness and self-esteem, and higher levels of loneliness. We can speculate that those women who have social difficulties resulting in part from low agreeableness, a tendency to argue, and low conscientiousness may seek comfort and relaxation in foods high in sugar, salt, and fat. In the case of men, a lower level of effectiveness turned out to be a correlate of food addiction. Men can therefore reach for products of this type to cope with the feeling of powerlessness and lack of effectiveness in various areas of their lives. Gender differences in the risk factors of food addiction are a very interesting direction for further research, which may help in the preparation of interventions aimed at counteracting the development of food addiction, taking into account its specificity in women and men.
Violetta Kulik: There are people who eat not because they are hungry, but because they have to. Who are compulsive eaters?
Edyta Charzyńska, PhD, Assoc. Prof.: There are many common features between food addiction and binge eating disorder (BED). In both cases, we are dealing with limited control over the amount and manner of eating, continuing the behaviour despite significant negative consequences, and repeated unsuccessful attempts to reduce the amount of food consumed. However, food addiction is not the same as BED. People addicted to food experience a constant, strong, even annoying hunger for specific products that are assessed as exceptionally tasty and therefore desirable, causing pleasure, while people with BED eat a lot during binge episodes even though they do not feel subjective hunger – they are indifferent to the taste, smell or visual qualities of food, the most important thing is to eat a lot – so that it helps reduce mental tension. In short, we could say that a person with food addiction eats a lot of certain foods because they give them pleasure, while a person with BED eats a lot of whatever they have at their disposal, to feel better, even if only for a moment. In addition, it is very difficult to motivate people with food addiction to give up or even avoid the products they desire, while people with BED would like to be able to avoid binge eating episodes. Despite these differences, it is worth keeping in mind that food addiction and BED often co-occur. For example, it is estimated that among obese people seeking treatment for BED, approximately 40-60% also exhibit symptoms of food addiction. These are not the same phenomena, but they often occur together.
Violetta Kulik: Where can such people seek help?
Edyta Charzyńska, PhD, Assoc. Prof.: People with a problem of compulsive overeating can seek help in Overeaters Anonymous groups, which operate on similar principles to other self-help groups of this type, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Drug Addicts Anonymous. These groups are based on the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions programme, which take into account physical, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of functioning. Members of the community attend meetings where they share their experiences, difficulties and hopes. Another important element is having a so-called sponsor, i.e. a person with long-term experience in the community who helps in implementing the recovery programme. Both people addicted to food and those experiencing binge eating can seek help from a psychotherapist. The sessions are devoted to finding the causes of excessive consumption of specific products, indicating the role they play in the functioning of clients, educating clients about the consequences of excessive eating, as well as attempts to develop more constructive strategies for coping with stress and finding alternative sources of pleasure that could replace products high in sugar, salt and fat. In the case of food addiction, it may be necessary to completely refrain from consuming foods that trigger compulsive eating. Additionally, in some cases it may be necessary to see a psychiatrist and start pharmacological treatment, especially if food addiction is accompanied by eating disorders, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder or other addictions. It may also be helpful to work on recognising and managing your emotions, learning to eat and relax more consciously. However, it must be remembered that these are additional, auxiliary forms of dealing with the problem that do not replace contact with a specialist.
Violetta Kulik: Our conversation concerns an important topic. Some people, however, downplay this type of addiction, considering it an excuse for those who like to eat too much sweets or fast food. Still others believe it is a manifestation of weak will and disinhibition.
Edyta Charzyńska, PhD, Assoc. Prof.: I will quote here the words of the Persian poet, Saadi Shirazi: “The best way to maintain health is not to eat when you do not feel like it, and to stop eating while you still feel like eating”. This is an ideal we can try to strive for. At the same time, let us remember that some food products have an addictive effect on our body, causing reactions similar to those resulting from alcohol abuse or drug use. Knowledge protects us from treating food addiction as trivial, an excuse, an expression of weak will or emotional immaturity. Increasing social awareness is also needed for people showing symptoms of this addiction – so that they are aware of the problem, but at the same time do not feel stigmatised and are ready to seek professional help.
Violetta Kulik: Thank you very much for the interview.
Edyta Charzyńska, PhD, Assoc. Prof.: Thank you.
The article in the journal Nutrients presenting research on food addiction, mentioned by Edyta Charzyńska, PhD, Assoc. Prof., can be found at https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/19/4041.
