Labeling foods as “good” or “bad” and imposing a moral value on these foods often drives us to obsess over food. Although you physically ate the food, the future threat of deprivation is still present, along with a deep sense of guilt. This might look like giving yourself pseudo permission to eat the food only if you compensate somehow, whether through exercising, fasting, or other means. Mental restriction can be described as allowing yourself to physically eat the “bad” or “forbidden” food, however with caveats. Read more here about why diets don’t work. And remember, this was in the ‘40s, when men did not typically frequent the kitchen! These obsessive thoughts only subsided when the men weight-restored during the renourishment phase. During the starvation phase, the men began to exhibit many obsessive behaviors listed above, in addition to dreaming about food, watching movies about food, prolonging meals, and pouring over cookbooks. During the study, the men’s diets were cut in half and restricted to ~1500 kcal/day for 6 months, and the effects were profound. Keys took a group of 36 healthy male participants who were screened and deemed to be in good physical and psychological health. The goal of this study was to explore the effects of starvation and re-feeding in order to better understand and treat starving victims in war-torn cities. A study conducted after World War II by American physiologist, Ancel Keys, highlights this phenomenon. Semi-starvation, also known as dieting, will cause the brain to hyperfocus on the need for fuel, in order to keep us alive. someone who is struggling with food obsession? And what exactly is driving this obsession?Īs an evolutionary adaptation, physical restriction will trigger the brain to obsess about food. So what is the difference between someone who truly has a passion for food and cooking vs. Redesigned from: on instragram Why am I Obsessed with Food? The image below depicts the wide spectrum of disordered eating behaviour and highlights how many of these behaviours overlap between the dieting majority and people with clinically diagnosed eating disorders. What’s so profound about these disordered eating behaviours is how prevalent and socially acceptable they are in our diet culture. If you can relate to any of the above, you’re not alone! These food obsession symptoms can often socially pass under the guise of ‘wellness’ or ‘passion,’ and many people who struggle with food obsession may even find themselves in professions that feed into their obsession, including professional chefs, food journalists, and even dietitians. Cooking meals or baking confections for others with no intention of eating the food.Labeling foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and always thinking about how you can restrict ‘bad’ foods.

Constantly thinking about, talking about, and planning what you will eat next.Socially isolating from situations that may involve food due to fear of losing control.Constantly tallying and budgeting macros, calories, or points.Difficulty concentrating on school, work, family, or maintaining relationships.Food obsession can manifest in many different ways, including: An obsession can be defined as ‘an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person’s mind’ (source: Oxford Languages). Identifying as a ‘foodie’ is one thing, but being obsessed with food is a whole other story. Off the top, we often hear these two questions come up time and time again: 5 ways to go from food obsession to food freedom for good.Today our guest author and Intuitive Dietitian, Ally Choo, is taking over to to share a deep dive into: Food obsession can take up a ton of mental space and might be holding you back from truly living your life! Food obsession may be driven biologically in response to restriction or it may be a learned behaviour that is influenced by diet culture. If you feel like you can’t stop thinking about food or that the majority of your waking hours involve talking about, thinking about, or planning out your meals, you might be struggling with food obsession. Today on the blog, we dive into what food obsession is, the causes of food obsession, how food obsession steals your quality of life, and 5 ways to go from food obsession to food freedom for good.

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This can lead to trouble concentrating or focusing on school, work, or other responsibilities, or constantly tracking and budgeting your calories or portions. Food obsession often feels like an intense preoccupation with food.

Obsessive thoughts about food