How to Overcome Food Addiction

Updated by: Julia Zakrzewski

Food addiction is highly individualized, and certain trigger foods may prompt excess eating.

Trigger foods tend to include highly palatable items, including heavily processed foods that are high in sugar, salt, or fat. After overeating, you may feel intense guilt and shame. 

You may feel like it’s impossible to break free from the cycle of food addiction, but it can be managed in a healthy way.

Continue reading to learn how to get over food addiction.

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What Is Food Addiction? 

You may be experiencing food addiction if you feel out of control around certain foods and have a pattern of consuming excessive amounts of highly palatable foods in a dysfunctional way. 

The concept of food addiction is somewhat of a controversial topic in the medical community.

Addictions are a form of mental illness, however, food addiction is not recognized as a diagnosis in the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Health (DSM-5)—a resource physicians use to diagnose mental disorders. 

Food addiction is considered to be a form of “disordered eating,” meaning it is an abnormal eating pattern that does not meet the criteria for an eating disorder. 

The Science Behind Food Addiction

Some scientists feel there’s insufficient evidence to classify food addiction as a true addiction due to the lack of human studies on the subject. 

However, other researchers argue that food addiction has many traits in common with substance abuse disorders.

Animal studies have shown such an increase in dopamine in the brain after eating highly palatable foods, similar to what is seen in substance addiction. 

Regardless of whether or not food addiction is a clinical diagnosis, many people feel addicted to food and want to change their behaviors.

Food Addiction Signs & Symptoms

The Yale Food Addiction Scale is a validated tool to assess food addiction symptoms.

It was developed using similar criteria that are used to diagnose substance dependence disorders. 

You may have a food addiction If you’re experiencing numerous symptoms from this list:

• Eating more than planned.
• Having negative feelings from overeating.
• Needing to eat larger quantities of food to ‘get the positive feeling.’
• Withdrawal symptoms when cutting out trigger foods (feeling upset, anxious, etc.)
• Feeling upset about eating habits.
• Eating habits are significantly impacting daily function.

Again, food addiction is very difficult to diagnose, but being aware of these signs can help you better understand your eating patterns. 

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How to Overcome Food Addiction

If you’ve identified any of the above signs of food addiction, there are actionable steps you can take to overcome your food addiction. 

Identify Your Triggers

Making a list of your trigger foods and situations is a great starting point for managing your food addiction. 

• Are you drawn to sugar, fast food, or crunchy, salty foods? 
• Do certain situations lead to more overeating, such as a stressful day at work or not getting enough sleep? 
• Do specific settings trigger your food addiction, like being out with friends. 

Whatever your triggers are, being aware of them is the first step to moving forward.

Next, you can start making some changes to minimize your exposure to these triggers, and eventually decrease the impact they have on you. 

For example, attending a virtual yoga class after a stressful workday can help you relax and start your evening with a calm mind.

With practice, this can replace the behavior of going straight to the pantry once you get home. 

Ditch the Diets 

It can be tempting to go on a restrictive diet to manage your food addiction, but gentle changes may be a better place to start. When we identify trigger foods as being “bad” or “off limits,” they have more power over us. 

For example, if you decide to eliminate sugar from your diet, you may feel stronger cravings and want to eat sweet foods more now that they’re off-limits.

When you do encounter a situation where sugar is available, you may find it challenging to moderate your intake because you don’t know when you’ll be “allowed” to eat it again. 

Thinking of your trigger foods as neutral (rather than “good” or “bad”) and eating them in a mindful way will help prevent this all-or-nothing cycle.

You can develop this approach by embracing intuitive eating.

Don’t be discouraged at first—it can take a lot of practice to reframe the way you think about food. 

Eat Mindfully

Mindful eating can be a powerful tool for managing food addiction.

We’ve all had the experience of eating popcorn at the movie theater—before we know it, the popcorn is gone. We likely didn’t notice or enjoy the experience of eating it, which led to us going to refill that container.  

Practice eating your trigger foods in a calm, neutral environment.

Limit distractions, such as eating in front of the TV and eating while working or driving. This allows you to be present and aware of your eating, which leads to better physical and emotional satisfaction from the food. 

Consider taking a few deep breaths or practicing a short guided meditation before eating.

These tools can help center yourself as you begin eating. 

The key here (at least in the short term) is to avoid eating your trigger foods when you are in a rush, feeling overly hungry, or in a high-stress environment.

These situations can set you up for mindless eating and overconsumption. 

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Make a Balanced Meal Plan

One of the core signs of food addiction is impulsive eating.

This can happen when you don’t have a plan for what you’re going to eat in a day, and it’s much easier to give in to impulses. 

For example, if you had a stressful day at work and didn’t know what you were going to make for dinner—you might see your favorite fast food restaurant on your way home and be more inclined to grab takeout. 

On the contrary, if you’re driving home to a well-stocked fridge, you’re more likely to make dinner at home instead of stopping for a quick bite. 

The takeaway is that you don’t need to make a restrictive diet plan to move past food addiction behavior.

A balanced meal plan that meets your nutrition needs is sustainable and more enjoyable. 

Enlist Friends and Family to Help 

Let your family and friends know that you’re trying to modify your food behaviors, and let them help.

Ask your spouse to help you make a weekly meal plan, or perhaps a friend can sit with you to practice mindful eating. 

Hiding your food addiction will only make it harder to overcome.

You are not alone in this, and leaning on your support system can make a world of difference. 

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Create a Plan

1. Start by identifying your food triggers through journaling. 
2. Challenge your food addiction by eating one food trigger at a time. Only do this step when you feel calm and can eat in a stress-free environment. 
3. Lean on friends and family for support as you make diet changes. 
4. Practice mindful eating and savor your food. Try to pick out the flavors and textures you enjoy. 
5. Work with a registered dietitian specializing in disordered eating for accountability. 

When to Seek Help

If you’ve tried all these tips and feel your food addiction is not improving, it may be time to consider professional support.

Ask your doctor to be formally assessed or referred to a mental health specialist.

Food Addiction vs Eating Disorders

Sometimes, people who feel addicted to food may have an undiagnosed eating disorder. 

Food addiction doesn’t have clear diagnostic criteria, but you must meet specific criteria to be diagnosed with an eating disorder.

It is possible to have an eating disorder while also experiencing symptoms of food addiction.

If you’re experiencing recurrent binge eating episodes (defined as eating large amounts of food quickly until uncomfortably full and feeling guilty and distressed after eating), you may be dealing with binge eating disorder.

It’s essential that you seek treatment if you are experiencing an eating disorder or if you are concerned about disordered eating.

How a Dietitian Can Help

At Nourish, our eating disorder registered dietitians are experts in eating disorders and disordered eating.

We can help you overcome your food addiction by working with you to identify triggers, create a care plan, and learn mindful eating strategies. 

Find a dietitian near you that accepts insurance through Nourish.

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