Are we really "addicted" to food?

In a 2014 study, sober (formerly meth-addicted) AND “normie” mice were given a sugar/butter mixture along with their normal healthy chow.

The sober mice gained more weight than “normie” mice. 

The sober mice did NOT eat more sugar and butter than “normie” mice.

They ate more food overall.

As people who are overeating in recovery, we often jump to the conclusion that if we are finding something problematic, we are addicted to it (as we were with drugs and alcohol). For example, sugar or flour. Carbs. 

These highly-palatable foods were challenging for ALL mice to moderate! But they weren’t HARDER for the sober mice to moderate. 

It was just harder for them to not keep feeding themselves. 

Now, we don’t know much about mice feelings, yet. But this is provocative in that - what if we release the idea that we are addicted to food, and just got to see – oh hey, we are still trying to numb! We are still trying to find comfort in an external substance! We still have some work to do on that confidence, that self-esteem, that ability to be uncomfortable!

Cool.

Let’s get to work on THAT and the urgency to numb with any food will start to soften.