(Inspired by Vanessa Kredler)
It doesn’t take much to recognize that for many people, their relationship with food has strayed far from being healthy and well-balanced. A clear sign of this is the countless diets, nutritional guidelines, and magic solutions crowding our kitchens, all promising long-lasting transformation. We can recite healthy living tips like times tables we learned in school, but actually following them is far more challenging.
However, it’s crucial to emphasize that when it comes to food addiction, most of these well-meaning tips simply don’t work. By the time someone struggling with food addiction hits rock bottom, they’ve often already tried everything—diets, pills, expert advice, and miracle cures—all to no avail.
Here are 10 common pieces of advice that are guaranteed not to work for someone with food addiction (and the likely responses you’d hear from someone battling it):
1. “Eat in moderation!”
Food addict’s response:
Yeah, right! Don’t you think I would’ve done that ages ago if I could have? If I could have stopped at one scoop of ice cream, served myself a smaller portion, or halved my meals, do you really think I’d be here? I can’t. The “ENOUGH” button in me is broken. If we were capable of moderation, the global obesity crisis wouldn’t be as critical. Addiction thrives on extremes—moderation is like an alien in an addict’s world.
2. “Don’t exclude any foods or food groups!”
Food addict’s response:
Hahh, easy for you to say! You can eat whatever you want without climbing the walls for a bag of chips or a chocolate bar. You’re not waiting impatiently for the delivery man so you can finally sit down, eat, and switch off for a while. For me, it’s not that simple. Certain ingredients trigger my system in a way you can’t imagine, causing cravings you’ll never understand.
3. “You can treat yourself every now and then!”
Food addict’s response:
Great joke! That’s like telling a drug addict to only get high on Sundays or an alcoholic to stick to just beer. I can’t do small. I can’t do sometimes. One is too much and a thousand is not enough.
4. „Don’t restrict portion sizes!”
Food addict: I understand that you don’t want me to deprive myself, and you’re worried that I might send a message to my body saying, “You don’t deserve this.” But here’s the thing: for me, the button that says, “Thanks, that’s enough, I’m full,” is broken. I like abundance. I love having a lot. Small portions and restrictions make me anxious. It’s not just certain foods I crave—I love the act of eating itself. The process excites me, and I can’t wait for the next opportunity to eat. The more, the better. It feels like a violation of my freedom to be told I can’t have that.
5. „Eat small amounts several times a day!”
Food addict: Great idea! Except that it means I’ll spend my entire day obsessing about food. Meals blur into each other, and as soon as I finish one, I’m already thinking about the next. Honestly, I think this approach fuels my addiction rather than controlling it. I’ve tried eating just three meals a day before—on my own initiative. It felt liberating not to be constantly fixated on food, but I couldn’t sustain it. I slipped back into old habits.
It’s essential to draw a clear distinction between a food addict and someone who eats “normally.” A “normal eater” can also struggle with obesity, but for them, applying reasonable advice like the ones above can help them achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
For a food addict, though, it’s an entirely different story. They need unique tools and strategies to navigate their challenges.
In the next post, I’ll share the second half of the advice list that doesn’t work for food addicts. Stay tuned!
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