What is a food addiction?
Food addiction is a condition where you feel an intense urge to consume specific foods, particularly those high in fat, sugar or salt. This often leads to a cycle of cravings and overeating, which mirrors substance addiction and can cause physical, emotional, and social challenges. While food is essential for your health, the addictive nature of certain foods can create dependencies that closely resemble those of substance abuse.
The condition affects around 14% of adults globally. This highlights the importance of recognising and addressing the issue through professional support.Food addiction varies in severity. Left untreated, it can result in significant health risks, such as obesity, diabetes, anxiety and depression. Early intervention and support are vital in preventing long-term physical and psychological harm.
Recovery is possible with the right help. Early intervention and professional assistance are crucial in reducing the long-term effects of food addiction and restoring a balanced, healthy lifestyle. If you or someone you know is struggling, seeking help is a positive step towards lasting well-being.
12% of adolescents experience food addiction
Ultra-processed food addiction affects at least 14% of adults
Binge eating disorder affects approximately 1 in 50 people in the UK
What causes it?
Certain foods, especially those rich in sugars, fats and salts, can trigger the brain’s pleasure centres, creating cravings that mimic those associated with addictive substances. This is not simply a matter of willpower—there are genuine biological processes that drive food addiction.
Stress, trauma and significant life events often contribute to food addiction. Food can become a coping mechanism, offering temporary relief from emotional pain, which can turn into a harmful cycle of dependency.
Cultural pressures around body image, combined with the constant availability of ‘highly palatable’ foods, further fuel food addiction. Social settings that normalise overeating or unhealthy habits can exacerbate these cravings.
Anyone can develop food addiction, but those with a genetic predisposition to addiction, high stress levels, or a history of trauma may be at greater risk. Food addiction spans across all demographics, emphasising its widespread impact.
What does a food addiction look like?
Text: Describe the different ways a food addiction can present, what are the typical signs, how does it make a person feel or act. Explain how it can impact a person’s work and personal life, as well as relationships with family and friends. Detail some of the long term physical and mental health consequences.
If you have a food addiction, you may eat compulsively, even when you’re not hungry, and feel unable to stop once you’ve started. This behaviour can lead to a sense of being out of control, with food dominating your thoughts and actions. Understanding these impacts is the first step towards finding a path to recovery.
Obsession with Food
You may find yourself constantly thinking about food and planning your next meal.
Secretive Binge Eating
You may try to hide your food addiction by eating large amounts of food in private.
Impact on Professional and Personal Life
Food addiction can affect your work and relationships. You may find it hard to concentrate at work due to food preoccupations, leading to reduced productivity, frequent absences, and stress. Personally, you may withdraw from social activities to hide your eating habits or avoid situations where food is present, impacting your relationships with loved ones.
Long-Term Health Consequences
Left unchecked, food addiction can lead to serious physical complications. Consuming more calories than needed can lead to obesity, and a high sugar intake increases the risk of Type 2 Diabetes. A poor diet overall and excessive weight gain also puts people with a food addiction at greater risk of heart disease.
Mental Health
The impact of your food addiction can result in feelings of guilt and shame after eating. Combined with a negative self perception this can lead to low self esteem.vDepression and anxiety are also often tied to body image concerns and emotional distress. You may begin to isolate yourself socially, withdrawing from interactions due to embarrassment about your eating habits.
How can someone recover from a food addiction?
Talking Therapies
Talking therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or solution-focused hypnotherapy are valuable for reshaping how you think and feel about food. These therapies tackle the emotional and psychological roots of addiction, providing a structured path towards recovery.
Rehab Units
For severe cases, rehab units offer a specialised environment where you can focus on recovery. These facilities provide medical supervision, nutritional counselling and therapy in a supportive setting. While a significant commitment, rehab can be an essential step for those needing intensive help.
Support Groups
Support groups like Overeaters Anonymous provide valuable peer encouragement and a safe space to share experiences. They complement other treatments and offer ongoing support to help maintain recovery.
Ineffective ApproachesPeople may have tried ineffective methods such as crash diets or extreme restrictions, which can trigger a cycle of bingeing and further harm. Some may avoid help due to shame or hoping the addiction will resolve on its own, but this can actually worsen symptoms.
Professional Medical Advice
If food addiction is affecting your health or happiness, it’s time to seek medical advice. Constant preoccupation with food, difficulty controlling your eating, or physical and emotional distress are signs that professional help is needed. Early intervention can make a substantial difference.
How can hypnotherapy help?
Solution-focused hypnotherapy works with your subconscious mind, where automatic habits and responses to food are stored. By guiding you into a deeply relaxed state, hypnotherapy for food addiction can reframe your relationship with food, breaking the cycle of addiction and addressing the root triggers.
Each hypnotherapy session is tailored to your individual needs, helping you develop strategies to replace unhealthy eating habits with positive alternatives. The hypnotherapist works closely with you to address the underlying causes and reinforce healthier behaviours.
Hypnotherapy for food addiction doesn’t end with the sessions. Ongoing support from your hypnotherapist helps maintain progress, ensuring that your positive changes are sustained over time. Follow-up sessions may be recommended to address any new challenges and reinforce your long-term recovery.
Hypnotherapy offers benefits beyond food addiction, contributing to personal growth and improving your overall outlook on life. Many clients report feeling more balanced and positive in various aspects of their daily routine.
Solution-focused hypnotherapy offers a personalised, effective approach to overcoming food addiction. It helps you break negative patterns, understand your triggers, and create positive changes, leading to a healthier, more fulfilling life.
Our Food Addiction Specialists
Carmen Harrington
Market Harborough
Caroline Prout
Thrapston
Chris Johannes
Spalding
Claire Noyelle
Maidstone East
Dawn Ibbetson
Chelmsford
Gary Johannes
Peterborough
Jill Whitehouse
Newcastle upon Tyne
Keeley Smith
Southend-on-Sea
Kerry Seymour
Weston-super-Mare
Peter Ely
Islington
Victoria Anderson
Sunderland
Why Choose Inspired To Change
Our solution focused hypnotherapists empower you to better understand your brain, helping to guide you towards solutions and achieve the outcomes you want. We have a team of fully trained hypnotherapists, giving you the choice of who to work with and how you want to work with them. Solution focused hypnotherapy is just as effective in-person or online in the comfort of your own home, so you can find the ideal therapist to help you reach your goals.
Every one of our hypnotherapists is recognised by governing bodies like the National Council for Hypnotherapy, the UK’s leading not-for-profit hypnotherapy professional association. They have all trained with Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy Training, one of the leading hypnotherapy schools in the UK.
