The following information deals with various measures that need to be taken while treating food addiction. Also, the right kind of approach should prove to be more useful in dealing with this addiction.
An important part of the treatment of food addiction is to make proper choices about the diet. Choosing the right kind of diet helps eliminate those foods, which can trigger an addictive response. Here are few points which need to be considered in the treatment on a long-term basis.
Treatment Options
Accepting the fact that one suffers from food addiction is the first step to initiate the recovery process. Most of the patients are not willing to accept that such a problem exists. Acceptance should motivate the person in question, to take necessary steps for the treatment.
There are certain foods that cause cravings to a great extent. It is the intake of these foods that one should try to minimize.
Professional help should prove to be useful in treating this eating disorder in a systematic manner. A doctor, nutritionist, psychologist, or eating disorder specialist can help the patient overcome this problem.
Daily exercise helps in regulating body metabolism and indirectly controlling the binge eating disorder. The addiction is greatly associated with stress and depression. However, regular exercise helps in keeping stress and depression at bay. One should therefore, find it easy to overcome food addiction with the help of a good exercise routine.
The psychological dependency on food needs to be addressed in order to deal with the addiction. Rather than just focusing on the body and its ailments, one should take into account, the health of the mind, spirit, and the body. Yoga, meditation, Tai-chi, and other practices need to be incorporated in the regular schedule.
Inpatient treatment programs have been far more successful than the outpatient ones. This is because, the patient can be monitored continuously in an inpatient program. Moreover, psychological and medical support can be provided to the patient on a regular basis. Also, the inpatient programs are much more structured than the outpatient program.
Fast Food Addiction
Addiction to fast food is another aspect of this health problem. This type of food is highly addictive and its consumption can have even more disastrous consequences. Very less nutrition is obtained from such foods.
A 40-day test conducted on animals showed dopamine-receptor changes in their bodies. These animals started exhibiting food cravings just like human beings. Fast food addiction is therefore, dangerous from the point of physical as well as mental health.
Treatment Centers
The treatment centers engage in a holistic process. Psychological aspects of food addiction are also taken into account, to conduct the treatment. These centers deal with specific symptoms of addiction associated with the person in question.
Based on this and related information about the patient, an individual and/or group therapy is initiated. Even the family members are allowed to take part in the treatment program; inputs received from family members prove to be crucial in understanding the root cause of the problem.
Finally, the most important thing about the treatment of food addiction is, to differentiate between emotional eating and the eating, which actually fulfills the needs of the body.