Should Obesity be Considered a Form of Addiction?
Is Obesity a Form of Addiction?
Julia has just suffered a massive heart attack and her family is waiting in the hospital, grasping on to any bit of hope that she will make it out alive. The family is crushed and crying, thinking of all the laughs, cries, hopes and dreams they’ve shared with Julia. Suddenly, someone’s voice penetrates through the opposite end of the hallway—“She brought this upon herself. It’s hard for me to feel bad for Julia.” The family is stunned. The woman they love and care deeply for is dying, and all someone can say is that it’s Julia’s fault. Julia’s father thinks to himself, “What is the purpose of assigning blame? I just wish that this person would understand that Julia may not have had as much control over her actions as one may think.”
Julia is obese. She has led a less-than-healthy lifestyle in which she indulged in a process termed ‘binge eating’. Her heart attack was on the horizon for a while, and she had known about her accumulating artery blockages. She didn’t stop frequently and excessively over-eating
(binge eating), however. She couldn’t. Julia could barely stop eating when she ate and couldn’t stop thinking about food when she wasn’t. Doesn’t this situation remind you of another category of individuals who abuse a substance? It does. Julia is reminiscent of a drug addict. Should obesity also be considered a form of addiction?
The American Medical Association (AMA) declared obesity as a disease in June 2013
(Science Daily, 2014). However, labeling excessive over-eating as an addiction is still an openended question and doesn’t have a fair conclusion. This is the case because there are different levels of addiction and more often than not, the definition of ‘addiction’ is quite loose and can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. This grey area brings about two very polar views on obesity as a form of addiction. While one viewpoint is science-based and extensively examines the
neurology of the brain while
Julia has just suffered a massive heart attack and her family is waiting in the hospital, grasping on to any bit of hope that she will make it out alive. The family is crushed and crying, thinking of all the laughs, cries, hopes and dreams they’ve shared with Julia. Suddenly, someone’s voice penetrates through the opposite end of the hallway—“She brought this upon herself. It’s hard for me to feel bad for Julia.” The family is stunned. The woman they love and care deeply for is dying, and all someone can say is that it’s Julia’s fault. Julia’s father thinks to himself, “What is the purpose of assigning blame? I just wish that this person would understand that Julia may not have had as much control over her actions as one may think.”
Julia is obese. She has led a less-than-healthy lifestyle in which she indulged in a process termed ‘binge eating’. Her heart attack was on the horizon for a while, and she had known about her accumulating artery blockages. She didn’t stop frequently and excessively over-eating
(binge eating), however. She couldn’t. Julia could barely stop eating when she ate and couldn’t stop thinking about food when she wasn’t. Doesn’t this situation remind you of another category of individuals who abuse a substance? It does. Julia is reminiscent of a drug addict. Should obesity also be considered a form of addiction?
The American Medical Association (AMA) declared obesity as a disease in June 2013
(Science Daily, 2014). However, labeling excessive over-eating as an addiction is still an openended question and doesn’t have a fair conclusion. This is the case because there are different levels of addiction and more often than not, the definition of ‘addiction’ is quite loose and can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. This grey area brings about two very polar views on obesity as a form of addiction. While one viewpoint is science-based and extensively examines the
neurology of the brain while
References: Association for Psychological Science. (2014, January 28). Labeling obesity as a disease may have psychological costs DrFuhrman.com. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from https://www.drfuhrman.com/library/onebite.aspx ! How many people are affected by/at risk for obesity & overweight?. (2012, November 30). How many people are affected by/at risk for obesity & overweight? Johnson, C. Y. (2013, August 15). Is Obesity a Form of Addiction? - Boston.com. Boston.com. Retrieved April 4, 2014, from http://www.boston.com/news/science/blogs/science-in-mind/ 2013/08/15/obesity-form-addiction/HtKy5TcA0zFOaHAS7EPrtM/blog.htm to Peace. Retrieved April 4, 2014, from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/thin-within/ 201301/kicking-food-addiction-six-points-the-path-peace with condition think they have no control over their weight. Mail Online. Retrieved April 4, 2014, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2547768/Labelling-obesity-disease-excusenot-diet.html Retrieved April 4, 2014, from http://www.bbc.com/news/health-22336753 ! MD, G. W., Volkow, MD, N. D., Thanos, PhD, P. K., & Fowler, PhD, J. S. (2004, November 3). Walton, A. (2013, October 16). Why Oreos Are As Addictive As Cocaine To Your Brain. Forbes. Retrieved April 4, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2013/10/16/why-yourbrain-treats-oreos-like-a-drug/ ! WebMD. (n.d.). Food Addiction Treatment and Help. WebMD. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/break-your-food-addictions that food "addiction" causes obesity. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from http:// www.providencejournal.com/opinion/commentary/20130920-j.-justin-wilson-no-evidence-thatfood-addiction-causes-obesity.ece