Overeaters Anonymous

I made a realization the other day (thanks to a very interesting encounter) about the idea of addiction to food. Many people suffer from food addiction just like people suffer from addictions to smoking, drugs, and alcohol. Those prone to addictions are affected by their "drug" hormonally, making it very difficult to escape.
However, in my opinion, a food addiction is much more complex than even the worst drug addiction. Here's why - the kicker........you can be abstinent from drugs or alcohol........but you can NEVER stop eating.

When the issue was presented to me like this, it blew my mind. I had never thought of it that way. An alcoholic can avoid alcohol during recovery. They can keep it out of their home, avoid public establishments having alcohol, etc. But, imagine if your drug was food.

You have to have food in the house, you have to go to the grocery, you have to get gas at the gas station, you have to go to work, you have to drive down the road, you have to see billboards. The never ending barrage of food that we encounter all day, every day is unavoidable.

I am not an addiction expert, but for those suffering from any kind of food disorder, whether its under-eating or overeating, the world is a torturous place.

The book I mentioned a few month's back, "Woman, Food, and God" by Geneen Roth dives into the world of food addiction. Those with any kind of food addiction said that it provided wonderful insight into this world of suffering.

Usually, people deal with their addiction by abstaining from their "drug." This is not an option for food addicts. Therefore, so much more counseling and education has to go into recovery from this issue. Its an interesting topic overall - I just wanted to share my eye-opening realization.

Overeaters Anonymous Website

Find a meeting near YOU!