Most of us love to eat. Let's face it, some foods taste really good and we all have our favorites. But most of us know when to stop, especially when we feel a little full. Certainly those of us who want to fit into that skimpy bikini come summer don't want to put on too many pounds. Unfortunately, there are those of us who don't have that kind of control. Yes, food can be addictive and for reasons that you never imagined.



Compulsive eating has been a problem since the beginning of time. But the real problems didn't begin until the processed food era, though at the time nobody really understood what was happening to us.

Food manufacturers are not stupid. They are in the business of making money. The only way to do that is to make foods that taste good. But having a good tasting food is not enough if you want sales to go through the roof. It has been proven in studies that the additives in many foods are indeed addictive. Caffeine in coffee and tea is a prime example of this. But coffee and tea are common and well known foods for their addictive properties. What most people don't know is that many processed foods like TV dinners, cakes, cookies, pies and a host of other items are made with certain chemical additives that have been proven to be addictive. That malomar fix that you have to have is not because of some marijuana induced high. It is because of the ingredients in the malomar itself.

Of course food manufacturers will deny this, but studies don't lie. In controlled tests of two groups, one group eating natural and healthy foods and the other group eating processed foods, the processed foods group showed more compulsive eating behavior than the natural foods group by a wide margin. Food manufacturers claim these studies prove nothing.

In the meantime, compulsive eaters are eating more and more, getting heavier and heavier and sicker and sicker.

But what exactly happens with a compulsive eater?

Every compulsive eater is slightly different, but in general they simply can't stop eating no matter how full they get. Many will have sweets and snacks all over the house. When sitting watching TV they'll snack on chips. While talking on the phone they could go through a whole bag of Oreo cookies. Even driving in the car they have to bring something with them to chew on. When going to a movie, they have to make sure they buy enough snacks at the concession stand to last throughout the whole movie. More or less, these people eat constantly and can't stop themselves.

Fortunately, food addiction is recognized and there are support groups. Also, medical science has developed hunger suppressant drugs that do help, though the underlying problem is not hunger but psychological.

Food addiction is serious and potentially life threatening, but there is hope for sufferers. Many simply need encouragement, support and to find another purpose in their lives other than to simply stuff themselves.