Addiction.. FOOD! (Full Version)

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tazzygirl -> Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 8:48:54 AM)

Reviewing some past threads, something stood out in many of them. The seeming intolerance to obesity.

Now, this thread isnt about demeaning anyone. Im overweight myself. And, as others have pointed out, its about the basics of intake (food) and output (exercise).~ lets leave the medical conditions aside. Its safe to assume that some people cannot lose weight due to medical conditions and medications, but there is still the ability to lessen intake~

I have also noticed a trend about drug use and addictions.

Could it be that many dont accept food being addictive?



DarkSteven -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 9:02:55 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: tazzygirl

Could it be that many dont accept food being addictive?


I began eating 54 years ago and plan to continue until I die.



UniqueRaven -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 9:33:13 AM)

Absolutely. A lot of food is designed to be addictive. It's why we have "food scientists" that work for fast food and restaurant chains that layer foods with fat, salt, and multiple forms of sugar - it's to make you addicted so you'll come back and eat again and again. And they feed you HUGE portions so you have a visual of abundance, which also triggers other centers of the human brain for consumption.

I stopped eating at all fast food and chain restaurants (i.e. Chili's, Red Lobster, TGIFridays, etc.) several years ago - I only eat locally prepared chef-created foods when I dine out. At home I make my own food from ingredients that I buy - not packaged foods loaded with preservatives and high fructose corn syrup. My weight has naturally slowly lowered during that time by about 30 pounds - and I have not focused on "dieting" at all. As a matter of fact I still eat VERY well - and drink wine and have desserts!

Read "The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite" by David Kessler (the former head of the FDA) and you'll never eat the packaged or fast foods again. He breaks down in very simple language how such foods are designed to be addictive to maximize the restaurant profit-making machine...a machine which you can step away from at any time.

Oh, and one more good one - "Food Rules" by Michael Pollan. A purse-sized small paperback that makes eating so easy, you'll never diet again.



AquaticSub -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 10:25:16 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: tazzygirl
Could it be that many dont accept food being addictive?


I honestly believe it's culture. We're not allowed to mock and deride people because of their race and sexuality. So people pick on those who are overweight. With sex now being much more accepted and the sluts and whores of the world no longer the ones whose lives you can rip apart at a whim without knowing anything about them... Well.. evidently those people have to have someone to judge without any knowledge of them.

In our culture, thin is godly and overweight is obscene. So there is a great deal of intolerance towards overweight people.

I honestly don't think it has anything to do with food addiction or anything because I truly don't believe the cause matters to these people. Just the outward appearance and the fact that most people won't say anything when they are cruel to an overweight person.



Termyn8or -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 10:41:27 AM)

"Absolutely. A lot of food is designed to be addictive. It's why we have "food scientists" that work for fast food and restaurant chains that layer foods with fat, salt, and multiple forms of sugar - it's to make you addicted so you'll come back and eat again and again."

I agree 1,000 %, however there is more to it than that. How much is this different than a chef taking care in preparing a meal ? I agree that the process has been bastardised and they prey on natural instincts by misleading them, but when you put honey on a ham or brown sugar on your yam ?????

What really bothers me are the more dangerous and insidious ingredients that most people don't even pay attention to, like hydrogenated oils, and chemicals in there that could put hair on your chest, curl it and take it off in one fell swoop.

So while I agree, I also know that a business depends on income. Selling the product is the usual way to do it. However, one point on which I think you'll agree, is that I would not want to sell something that I would not eat.

Therefore that is not the business for me at this time.

T



Termyn8or -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 10:49:01 AM)

In the genre of Paul Harvey : The Rest Of The Story :

On addiction, have you seen people play video games, eat candy or sweets, get a shit eatin' grin when they make a bunch of money ?

The pleasure centers in our brain are tuned to certain things, perhaps even at birth, but certainly after those first few years. The smell of sugary stuff boiling or baking in th kitchen when we are young, the resultant cakes and or candies, and the splendor of wealth. It is all the same thing, but triggered in different ways in different people. The trigger can just as easily be a high score in a game.

Everyone has a vice, and lucky are those who never find it.

T



UniqueRaven -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 10:51:16 AM)

We do agree, actually - there's a huge difference between putting brown sugar on a ham, and injecting "egg rolls" with high fructose corn syrup and pureed chicken fat to create a creamier "mouthfeel" and increase addictiveness (yes, these are both some of the yummy ingredients in Chili's "Southwestern Egg Rolls").

Real, whole foods in their natural forms are healthy. Unnatural foods are not.

One of the "food rules" I love is "don't eat anything your grandmother wouldn't recognize as food." So that green squeeze yogurt in a tube filled with high fructose corn syrup that some people give their kids? Yeah, stuff like that has got to go.

As far as having prejudice against people who are overweight because of food addictions - I think we've discussed this topic over and over again. I don't have much of an additional opinion to offer, other than human beings are inherently mean, and empathy is a higher human emotion that isn't always well-developed in our modern society.



UniqueRaven -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 10:53:52 AM)

What Mechanically Separated Chicken Looks Like

Mmmmm....makes me hungry for those processed chicken egg rolls now! [:D] [:'(]



Toppingfrmbottom -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 10:57:26 AM)

Our culture tends to put food as a main focous, it seems, most events, like birthdays, and family events usually involve food. Lots of it, and unhealthy foods at that. I remember birthdays for 6 month olds and 1 and 2 year olds where the babies got a big cake all to themselves, because the parents thought it was just so cute to watch their baby tear into the cake, shoveing it into their face by the fistfull, and get covered in frosting and cake. With a start like that, who's surprised that food is being abused and over eaten.



barelynangel -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 11:36:34 AM)

Its hard to think of something as addictive when you need it to survive.  And in our society where fast and easy are also just as addictive, it comes together as "normal," that snuck up on all of us to where now, we are having to reprogram ourselves out of YEARS of incorrect thinking and understanding as well as fighting against a society where physical activity isn't the "norm" anymore.

I don't necessarily agree with the culture of gatherings which involve and focus around eating when many other cultures around the world have food as a center concept of gatherings, and its always been that way even when our society was a thinner society.  I don't think that is a reason, it may be part of the issue as thinking of food as a reward, but i don't see it as a gathering issue. But yes it can be part of the addictive nature of rewards.

I believe also the additives and preservatives cause many allergic reactions that may actually be causing an addictive state.

angel



Toppingfrmbottom -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 11:41:26 AM)

Angel, food as a reward leads to its own set of troubles.



Termyn8or -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 12:09:13 PM)

FR

You have no control over what affects the pleasure center in the brain. For some it's sugar/cocaine, or coffee/caffiene, or alcohol, or salt and spice, or hot stuff. In fact it could be sex, drugs or rock and roll. But confining the discussion for now ........

I don't know where it came from exactly, but when the human body is malnourished it seeks salt. The salty taste is interpreted by our taste buds as something we should eat. Moreso if we are malnourished like 80% of the population. Don't jump back in awe, it is fact. Even though "food" is seemingly plentiful, it does not cobntain the nutrients that it should, and the body goes without, which makes it crave. The craviung for salt could come out of the fact tht we all evolved out of the ocean, or that land flooded by sea was the most arable, or even that through generations, salt was a highly valued commodity, even used as currency, because of what ? It could supply the missing nutrients. All the nutrients in the soil came from the sea.

For whatever reason we have an innate affinity for salt, and in the past it worked, proven by the simple fact that we are here. Our taste buds were attuned to what we need, but now they are being fooled. Salt in it's natural state has nearly every mineral your body needs. Yes it is mostly sodium chloride, but it is without the anti-caking agent, and is not inhibited from combining with water, which is like 90% of our bodies. It's not sodium that is the problem, it is the sodium that remains unmetabolised by the body. The garbage on the kitchen table is poison.

Now the sweet taste is something that signals the brain "nice ripe fruit, not sour, must be good", and sugar replaces that in just about anything, again fooling the body ibnto thinking it is eating good, when in fact no matter the weight gain, the body remains undernourished in one way or another. And this differs in different people, making precise judgements extremely difficult.

But in business there is that common denominator, and for success the lowest common denominator.

Are you addicted to sugar or salt ? How can you tell ? Well you tell a suspected alcoholic not to drink, a suspected drug addict not to do drugs, so the means are there to prove it to yourself. Right in front of you. Your choices in daily life. I have a choice between seltzer water or beer. What decision I make is my own business, but why do I make the decision I make ?

Think about it. Every ort of food you buy instead of make from scratch the old way, tastes good doesn't it ? They are in business to make money, and it is perfectly legal for them to stoop to the depths unknown by drug dealers. All perfectly legal you see, not a thing you can do about it.

Oh wait, you could just say no. I did over a decade ago and I am still glad I did.

T



barelynangel -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 12:19:19 PM)

What i mean TFTB, is its not the celebrations that utilize food that are the problem, as many times over the world food is utilized as a celebration and something to be enjoyed etc.  So food as a reward while it can harm an addictive personality.  Food is not the problem as its celectrated all over the world and enjoyed and advocated and those countries haven't necessarily had the issues our country has with weight.

I don't think rewarding or celebrating using food is really the issue.  I used to think like that but i don't anymore, i can see how hard it can be because if you are addicted to food having an abundance at once could probably trigger you going back to old ways, i think good food should always be celebrated, i think its a good thing because you then focus on quality instead of quanity, which i think is what our society focuses on too much.  I think people use reward with food as a concept of quantity and on many levels its been confused.


angel



Toppingfrmbottom -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 1:37:34 PM)

Doesn't look gross to me. First impression was it looked like soft serve icecream.
quote:

ORIGINAL: UniqueRaven

[link=http://consumerist.com/2010/10/what-mechanically-separated-chicken-looks-like.html]What Mechanically Separated Chicken Looks Like]



purepleasure -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 2:13:10 PM)

Yes, food can be addictive, just as alcohol and drugs are. Overeaters Anonymous is the food junkies' version of the alcoholic's version of Alcoholics Anonymous, and is based on the same 12 step program.



UniqueRaven -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 2:57:46 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Toppingfrmbottom

Doesn't look gross to me. First impression was it looked like soft serve icecream.
quote:

ORIGINAL: UniqueRaven

[link=http://consumerist.com/2010/10/what-mechanically-separated-chicken-looks-like.html]What Mechanically Separated Chicken Looks Like]



For me, considering that it also contains pureed bone and brains and spinal tissue and all the other bits, yes, I think it's pretty gross. Also another reason for it to be pureed like that is that it makes it easier to eat - you don't have to chew it as much (it's "pre-chewed") - so you can eat more, and more quickly. Again, food engineered for quick, addictive consumption.



anniezz338 -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 6:29:59 PM)

Food is very social, it's almost always a given at social events, holidays, tailgating..lol. And it's worse from Halloween to after the new year.

Living in a city, a 15 mile trip can take 45 mins to an hour. Too busy to cook and do dishes (or want to) and I have about 7 fast food places just going two different ways into the subdivision.

Food can be ADDICTIVE....and too damn convenient.



gungadin09 -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 7:56:17 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: tazzygirl

Reviewing some past threads, something stood out in many of them. The seeming intolerance to obesity.

Now, this thread isnt about demeaning anyone. Im overweight myself. And, as others have pointed out, its about the basics of intake (food) and output (exercise).~ lets leave the medical conditions aside. Its safe to assume that some people cannot lose weight due to medical conditions and medications, but there is still the ability to lessen intake~

I have also noticed a trend about drug use and addictions.

Could it be that many dont accept food being addictive?


I agree that society is intolerant of obesity. Society is intolerant of those who are "different" for most any reason, including obesity. i think society tends to be harsh on those who lie further out on the bell curve. This may be an evolutionary instinct, but it does suck.

i consider junk food to be addictive. Back in the jungle, we craved foods that were heavy in sugar, salt, or fat, because these foods were packed with energy and scarce. The "pleasure" that came from eating them was our brains rewarding us for finding the type of high quality food that we needed to survive. In the modern world, where people eat for pleasure rather than survival, and high calorie foods are everywhere for the taking, this junk food craving has become a liability rather than a tool for survival.

i think anything that feels good can be addictive, if it becomes too much of a habit. i'm not sure whether that's an argument for, or against, judging people with addictions.


pam



tazzygirl -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 11:13:56 PM)

Addictions are not rare. Addictions to food are well known. PICA is an addiction pregnant women get to certain substances... I once knew a woman who was addicted to baking soda... another to chalk... during pregnancy. The problem, in part, as i see it is that we need food to survive. Not as much as some intake, granted. But its not like an addiction to drugs, alcohol or smoking... you simply cannot give up food and walk away from it. We also live in a society that encourages not only the intake of food, but the desire to be thin, coupled with the look of beauty, while they cram junk into the foods we consume. I envy those who can control their intake.. i really do. The busier i am, the less i eat. My addiction is bread. I can live without it. But i crave it.



Termyn8or -> RE: Addiction.. FOOD! (1/1/2011 11:43:01 PM)

"Back in the jungle, we craved foods that were heavy in sugar, salt, or fat, because these foods were packed with energy and scarce."

That, but also in nutrients. All that stuff grew in the wild and had the nutrients that it was supposed to have. Now foods you buy in the store do not. You fill your belly yet your internal organs go hungry for things like magnesium, phosphorous, iron, zinc, chromium, sulfur and a whole lot of other things.

For some fairly conclusive evidence of my assetion here, research animal husbandry, the supplements given to livestock to make sure they can grow to slaughter weight. The grazing in the field dos not cut it anymore and decades ago animal husbandry pros fielded that problem and solved it. Literally the cattle was getting the same diseases we get. The most recent exmple I can think of is ulcers. Pigs used to get ulcers, and their body chemistry is very close to our's, to the point in some cases we can use their organs. For years we used their hormone - insulin, until it was fabricated artificially. They knew what supplements to feed those pigs pancreas' to produce insulin.

Back to the ulcers. Pigs used to get them and vets then CURED them, not treated, CURED them with IIRC a mild antibiotic for a short time and lifetime selenium supplements. Twenty years later this treatment was applied to humans and heralded as a great breakthrough. Shit, before that if you had an ulcer apparently all you needed to do was to go see a horse doctor, err well a pig doctor.

Animal husbandry pros, livestock mechanics, whatever you want to call them were impelled to find these solutions because they get paid to keep the beasts alive. If Grandma dies in the operating room, they still send a bill for their services. Let's see a vet try that.

Even if MDs have the best of intentions, their education is faulty.

Cribbing is when your livestock starts trying to eat rocks and other inedible objects. Vets have recognized for decades that this was a sign of mineral deficiencies, and the usual prescription was a salt lick. Not the table salt they feed us, the twenty buck a pound stuff I have in my "cold room". They knew it and the doctors didn't ? At first I found that hard to believe, but now I see that drug money has pervaded medical schools and really seems to have had an effect on the curriculum. Guess how -

Now this cribbing, how about we give that a look. People drowning themselves in sugar and the poison they now call salt. Eating more and more junk, not realizing what it is doing to them. Little kids eating so much paint off the walls that we can't have lead in the paint anymore. I think if the kid is chewing the paint off the walls the problem is not the paint. Does that make any sense to anyone or am I the only one left ?

T



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