Compulsive overeating: how to overcome food addiction

Among mental disorders, eating disorders occupy a special place. Many people know about the dangers of diseases such as bulimia and anorexia, but experts rarely talk about compulsive overeating. However, this type of disorder occurs quite often in both women and men of different ages.

What is compulsive overeating? This term refers to excessive consumption of food, which is popularly called gluttony. But the reason for this behavior is not a lack of willpower, natural laziness or a person’s temperament. Psychological factors underlie overeating. That is why the problem can only be dealt with with the help of an experienced psychotherapist specializing in the correction of eating behavior.

Features of the disease

There have been times in every person's life when he ate more food than necessary. The result of such overeating: heaviness and discomfort in the stomach. But such situations happen extremely rarely, and, as a rule, during festive feasts. For a person with a psychological disorder, the process of eating almost never ends. With compulsive overeating, the patient may go on a diet at some point, but this only leads to another breakdown and even greater gluttony.

The main difference between this type of eating disorder and bulimia is that the person does not try to get rid of what he has eaten artificially (by inducing vomiting), although the feeling of shame torments him quite strongly. However, the amount of food eaten at one time should be really large. The fact is that often people suffering from eating disorders believe that they eat a lot, but the amount of food they consume does not exceed the norm. In this case, we can talk about other types of pathology.

People around you may not always understand that the person next to you has an eating disorder. The patient eats a lot only when he is alone; he can store food for future use, so that later he can indulge in gluttony.

Often the body weight of a person suffering from compulsive overeating disorder is normal. The first signs of obesity appear some time after the onset of the disease.

You can judge the presence of psychological problems by the following symptoms:

• food is consumed in quantities significantly exceeding the norm (the amount of food sufficient to satisfy the hunger of an average adult);
• the time between meals is short - it rarely reaches 2 hours;
• a person eats greedily and very quickly, from the outside it may seem that he is experiencing extreme hunger;
• the patient does not eat because he is hungry. Often the reason for the next meal is stress, a feeling of loneliness or another emotional reason;
• with compulsive overeating, a person realizes that he is unable to control his appetite and stop;
• the process of food absorption often stops only when pain appears in the stomach;
• After another bout of gluttony, a person experiences a feeling of guilt. He is upset and unhappy to the point that he may become depressed, which leads to another binge eating episode.

If the symptoms described above are present for a sufficiently long time, at least 3 months, then this may indicate the presence of serious eating disorders. You won’t be able to cope with this problem on your own with the help of diets; to achieve lasting results, you need to undergo a course of special psychotherapy.

Physical exercise

Exercise helps you lose weight without harming your health. A quick way to lose weight is to exercise and diet at the same time. Physical activity not only helps build muscle and remove excess fat, but also improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system:

1. Lunges with dumbbells are an effective way to work the pelvic and hip areas.
2. Squats. These are excellent exercises for losing weight in the fight against extra centimeters not only on the hips, but also on the waist, because... During movement, all muscle groups will be involved.
3. Strengthening the back muscles. Few people know that with the help of special exercises for the back you can lose weight. They help not only burn fat, but also build a strong muscle frame.
4. Working out the press. Abdominal exercises will help you lose excess weight and create a slimmer silhouette. You can get the desired relief in the lower abdomen by creating a load on this area of ​​the body. The popular exercises “bicycle” and “plank” do an excellent job with this task.
5. Push-ups. One of the basic exercises that is recommended to be included in every workout and performed regularly. This type of physical activity is beneficial for people at any age.

If you combine push-ups with running or intense walking (Scandinavian), you can speed up your metabolism. As a result, there will be a faster loss of extra pounds.

When selecting physical activity, it should be taken into account that in case of obesity (BMI over 30), exercise should be supervised by a specialist. This is due to the fact that with large excess weight, the load on the body increases significantly. Playing sports can cause pain in the joints and spine, and increase the risk of hypertension (hypertensive crisis), stroke, heart attack and other diseases.

A set of exercises for obese people should be selected and dosed individually. The specialist prescribes the load taking into account physical characteristics, general health, the presence of concomitant diseases, the person’s capabilities, and specific goals.

Causes of compulsive overeating

No one can name the exact cause of the development of eating disorders. Today there is an opinion that the disorder occurs as a response of the body to a stressful situation. The following factors can give impetus to the onset of psychogenic overeating:

1. Uncontrollable hunger can be caused by problems with the hypothalamus. This part of the brain is responsible for the feeling of fullness - when it stops sending signals, a person experiences constant hunger. Among other biological causes of overeating, experts call a decrease in serotonin levels.
2. Often the reasons for overeating are the characteristics of the cultural and social environment. From birth, the child gets used to the idea that food can serve as a reward. Or the norms accepted in society can lead to the development of nervous disorders in people who do not comply with them. A compulsive eater feels his inadequacy, and against this background he develops secondary depression, leading to another attack of gluttony.
3. Overeating can also have psychological reasons. The relationship between uncontrolled eating and depression has been identified by researchers for quite some time. People with low self-esteem, suffering from loneliness and misunderstanding are prone to gluttony.

In addition, it was noted that the tendency to psychogenic overeating may be hereditary.

Do not create pressure

This knowledge has long been known in psychology and pedagogy: pressure creates counterpressure, and therefore often has the opposite effect. This also applies to losing weight. With rigid resolutions containing words like “never again,” “always,” or “from today,” you put yourself under pressure.

For example, for a total chocolate lover, the resolution “never eat another chocolate bar” simply cannot be met. In just a few days you will not be able to resist and eat your favorite treat. Most likely, after the restriction, the limit will be greatly exceeded. This excess often leads to the destruction of everything. Good intentions crumble (“Now it doesn’t matter, I ate the candy, I’ll eat the box”), and failure becomes very real.

What are the dangers of psychogenic overeating?

Some people may think that gluttony is not the worst psychological disorder. But problems with excess weight, which arise as a result of eating a huge amount of varied food, is the most harmless consequence of this pathology. A sick person is more often than others in a state of depression; he is constantly tormented by feelings of anxiety, worry and fear. In some cases, people resort to alcohol or drugs in an attempt to cope with binge eating, but this only makes the situation worse.

Obesity can also lead to physical health problems. Most often, obese people suffer from diabetes; their risk of cancer is several times higher, their heart rhythm is disturbed and hypertension develops. Other problems include joint diseases, snoring, thyroid pathologies, and various diseases of the digestive and intestinal organs.

Contraindications for surgery

Restrictions on surgical treatment depend on the type of operation. Typically the following conditions are contraindications:

• mental illness;
• age under 16 years;
• pregnancy;
• breast-feeding;
• addiction to alcohol, drugs;
• chronic infectious diseases;
• severe pathologies of the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems;
• malignant neoplasms;
• blood coagulation disorder;
• pathologies of the digestive organs.

Choosing surgery for weight loss is a complex and responsible task. Like any surgical intervention, it carries certain risks, so bariatric surgery is used according to strict indications.

The main principle of safe weight loss is maintaining energy balance throughout your life. It is useless to “sit” once a month on water or another diet. You need to change your taste habits forever and learn to eat exactly as much food as your body needs to function properly. And then the problem of excess weight will disappear forever.

Recognizing overeating due to psychogenic causes

Diagnosis, as well as treatment of this type of eating disorder, requires the participation of several specialists. The examination is carried out on both psychological and somatic profiles. Doctors will conduct a general examination of the patient and study his entire medical history. Predisposing factors are identified, such as stress, hormonal imbalances, psychogenic disorders, and a period of prolonged fasting (voluntary or forced).

Instrumental studies are also needed. In the laboratory, cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels are determined, and gastric secretion is examined. Using special equipment, the stomach, intestines and other organs involved in the process of digesting food are examined.

The diagnosis will be made if there are persistent symptoms of overeating and other types of diseases that can lead to loss of appetite control are excluded.

The effectiveness of bariatric surgery

Bariatric surgery today is the most effective way to lose extra pounds with a body mass index over 30. Weight loss is observed within 1-2 years. The operation helps people who cannot limit themselves in food and exercise for a long time in the gym to find a new life.

A positive result after surgery is observed in everyone without exception. The fear of eating disorders disappears, people become more confident in their abilities and get rid of their complexes. The effectiveness of weight loss depends not only on the operation, but also on the patient. After surgery, you must strictly adhere to all doctor's recommendations. Ideally, take vitamin supplements and follow a diet, eating only healthy foods. To stay fit, exercise regularly.

Surgical intervention helps not only to lose weight, but also to restore health: metabolism improves, blood pressure and blood sugar levels are normalized.

Therapy

If a patient has been diagnosed with psychogenic overeating, then drug treatment is unlikely to help. Some medications may be prescribed to relieve symptoms or treat concomitant diseases, but to eliminate the underlying problem, it is necessary to use various methods of psychocorrection.

Treatment for such a psychological disorder is quite long. Some patients achieved success within a year of working with a psychotherapist, others needed more time.

The main task of specialists treating compulsive overeating disorder is to convey to the patient the idea that food can become an assistant in the process of getting rid of the pathology. To solve the problem, you do not need to completely give up food. You should learn to control your daily diet; it should be based on nutritious and healthy foods.

Among the methods of psychotherapy in the treatment of eating disorders, the most effective are cognitive and behavioral psychotherapy, as well as suggestion and hypnosis. However, this should be done by an experienced doctor specializing in the treatment of psychogenic overeating, since this type of disorder often goes unnoticed by doctors of other specializations.

Often people suffering from compulsive overeating are offered gastric reduction surgery. But in cases where gluttony is caused by psychological reasons, the effect of resection will be minimal, since the patient is not able to control the attacks.

How to deal with the problem yourself

If the disorder is in the early stages of development, you can try to overcome it yourself. This will be the first step on the road to recovery. If alarming symptoms appear, you should:

• ask for help. This is not about visiting a psychotherapist. Tell a loved one about your problem. In some cases, speaking out about a problem allows you to find ways out of it. In addition, the support of loved ones gives us strength and confidence in success, relieves us of feelings of insecurity and loneliness;
• Don't stigmatize yourself. The negative labels that sick people place on themselves interfere with recovery. Even if you eat too much food, you do not become bad. Overeating is not a crime, but a disease that requires treatment;
• There is no need to classify all foods as good or bad. It is important to understand that you can eat everything, but in small quantities. If you adhere to this rule, then you can allow yourself some French fries or a piece of cream cake;
• try to pause while eating. Take a break and evaluate your feelings. If a person uses food as a sedative, he may miss the satiety signal sent from the brain;
• change habits or environment. What surrounds us has a great influence on our lifestyle and food culture. A compulsive eater should try to eat in company as often as possible. Go to a cafe or invite friends over;
• give yourself the right to be weak. Many people who suffer from gluttony and excess weight make a list of prohibited foods. This should not be done, because it is unlikely that you will be able to cope with the temptation. And after a while of abstinence, you will again indulge in gluttony. If you want something, then eat it now, but just a little. In this case, there will be no feeling of guilt, which is the key trigger for compulsive overeating;
• a person suffering from this psychogenic disorder can have only one prohibition - dieting. It is necessary to forget about dietary restrictions once and for all, since they only lead to additional stress. It would be better to create a balanced diet. If you can’t do this on your own, you can seek help from a nutritionist.

These methods of getting rid of eating disorders are quite effective. But only in rare cases can sick people cope with bouts of gluttony on their own. In severe forms of the disorder, the help of specialists is simply necessary. Only with a combination of psychotherapy and self-control can sustainable results be achieved.

Safe rules and techniques for losing weight

To lose weight safely and effectively, you need to follow certain rules. By strictly following them, it is very easy to say goodbye to excess weight. All you need is:

1. Lose weight slowly. Every day the human body needs to replenish the energy that is required for its normal functioning. If it stops flowing, the coordinated functioning of internal organs and systems is disrupted, which can lead to various pathologies. The norm is a loss of 1-2 kg per month, no more. Such safe weight loss will not affect your health in any way.
2. Include healthy fats (unsaturated) in your diet: fish oil, olive oil, nuts, avocados, etc. They participate in the secretion of hormones and promote rapid satiety, improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
3. Count calories. You can get rid of extra pounds without compromising your personal gastronomic preferences. Counting the calorie content of foods will help you lose weight correctly. Many people reject this technique due to its complexity. However, it is through reasonable calorie restriction that you can balance your diet and lose weight.
4. Speed ​​up metabolism. Over the years, the metabolic rate in the body decreases; it does not burn calories as actively as before. To speed it up and thereby safely lose weight, you need to: always get enough sleep, avoid fasting, exercise, and be sure to have breakfast with food rich in complex carbohydrates. It is also necessary to quit smoking and give up any type of alcohol.
5. Maintain drinking regime. To start the process of losing weight without harm to health, you need to drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day. It has the ability to speed up metabolism and break down fats, as well as reduce appetite. Any methods of losing weight imply a ban on drinking carbonated and other sweet drinks.
6. Reduce your sugar intake. Avoiding this product will help you lose weight quickly, because... 90% of food includes it. But you shouldn’t get rid of it completely. The body needs natural sugar (from fruits, berries), but refined sugar is harmful to health.

Nutritionists advise replacing black tea with green tea. Research has proven that this drink contains many antioxidants that help burn fat and speed up metabolism.

To lose weight safely, you should give up a strict diet. Strict restrictions on food consumption negatively affect the functioning of the entire body. In addition, after a strict diet, all the lost kilograms will return in record time. If you eat properly and balanced, weight loss will be effective and safe.