Food Addiction

Biologically speaking, food is simple. We chew our food, swallow it, digest it, and receive energy and nutrients from its contents. Unfortunately, for many people, the idea of "food" is much more complicated than that. Food addiction is a relatively new concept suggesting that food can have the same effect on our brain as drugs, alcohol, gambling, and other addictive substances and behaviors. Food Addiction, as the title suggests, examines this concept and the science behind it. Topics covered will range from potential causes of food addiction and its relationship with and effect on the modern individual to treatment and support for individuals suffering from eating disorders. Diet culture will also be deeply examined with specific chapters dedicated to its role in creating eating disorders and the movements that have pushed back against it. While discussing food addiction, it is important to examine the general public's perception of eating disorders and the way in which they are presented in the media as well as the evidence and arguments that suggest the behavior behind food addiction might not actually be the result of an addiction and rather the result of something else. This book is an in-depth exploration that seeks to educate the general reader on the conversation currently surrounding this new idea of "food addiction".