Graduate Research Papers

Addicted to food : food as a drug

Availability

Graduate Research Paper (Electronic Copy Not Available)

Keywords

Eating disorders; Compulsive eating; Obesity--Psychological aspects; Appetite disorders;

Abstract

When considering the variety of substances on which individuals can become addicted, food is usually not a drug that comes to mind. Some may argue food addiction is not a real disease and food cannot be considered a drug. For people who suffer from food addictions, all exercise and diet plans offer is a fix for the symptom (weight gain) and not a solution to the problem: food addiction. The definition of food addiction can get blurry; the foods that are addictive are specific; the treatment for people with food addiction is not readily available; and the success rate for treatment can be hit-or-miss. However, by offering a better understanding of how food can affect the brain, body and our mood, one can better understand the connection between food as a drug and other addictive substances that create dependence. The following information covers a variety of topics that factor into food addiction including biogenetic causes, physical and cultural considerations, signs and symptoms, treatment, and implications for the practitioners working in the field of mental health.

Year of Submission

2008

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Postsecondary Education

First Advisor

Darcie A. Davis-Gage

Comments

Not available in electronic format. A print copy is available in the UNI Instructional Resources & Technology Services collection.

If you are the rightful copyright holder of this graduate research paper and wish to have it added to the Open Access Collection, please submit a request to scholarworks@uni.edu and include clear identification of the work, preferably with URL.

Date Original

2008

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Electronic copy is not available through UNI ScholarWorks.

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