[.ca] Anatomy of a Food Addiction: The Brain Chemistry of ... (ISBN 0936077131)

Correction: forever no sugar, not 6 months:
I had to go back and look through the triggering chapter for me. She advocates that sugar is like cocaine for food addicts. Then she tells you one year after giving up sugar, give up refined carbs. Then she said to tell everyone in your family that these foods are drugs and then she says you have to stay viligant in your quest to weed these drugs out of your life. What follows is a suggested list of foods where you should look for hidden sugar as well as a suggestion to make sure you drill every waiter in restaurants about how they cook their foods. Then she lists "good" foods to have in hand. See where I am going with this? I'm in RECOVERY for an eating disorder. How am I supposed to FREE myself from a food addiction when I need to continually obsess about FOODS? For the majority of binge-eating disordered people, this is NOT going to be helpful. I still can't understand why she says this isnt' a diet. Having lists of good foods/bad foods IS A DIET! I feel much calmer and happier knowing I can eat what I want when I want it. THAT is what frees me from food and allows me to deal with my emotions that drive me to food. Obsessing about what foods I can/can't have just keeps me superficially in the food part of the disorder and never would allow me to get past the food and get to the feelings. Food isn't the enemy. I dropped my stars to 2 stars because I'm really triggered now. I'm stressed out. See? Even talking about this sugar/drug/good food/bad food is a trigger. This book will have to go in the trash will all my other diet books.

Not for Intuitive Eaters:
I think the main problem with this book is the fact that it needs an updated edition. It was pubished in 1991, with the forward updated in 1993. She mentions several studies that are incomplete and ongoing with "promising" initial results . Many of these studies regard a condition she calls "brain allergy." What is a brain allergy? According to Katherine, the brains of food addicts are most likely allergic to sugar and refined carbs. She then mentions several times and even devotes a whole chapter on "abstaining". She wants the reader to go 6 months eating no sugar, refined carbs and alcohol. She says this is not a diet. She says this is avoiding a dangerous drug. I think this sounds as off the wall as high colonic theraputic enemas and gall bladder washes. I'm in recovery with a therapist for binge-eating disorder. The CURE for this disorder is to eat intuitively: to eat what you want, when you want it and to stop when you are full. No foods are off limits, because limiting foods causes restriction, which in turn causes binges (I'm totally glossing over the whole psychological element here). People in recovery for all eating disorders should not diet. But, isn't eating for 6 months with no sugars and carbs a DIET? No, says Katherine. Abstinence is not a diet. Abstinence is avoiding foods with harmful chemicals. I say this chapter is a trigger for me because I'm already stressed thinking she wants me to go on the Atkins plan. I have a real problem with this author's inability to clearly point out how avoiding foods for 6 months is not a diet. It is a diet. Eating disordered people already know diets CAUSE eating disorders. However, I did find tremendous comfort in the author's personal experiences and especially when she shows how she deals with a triggering anxious thought. I found the exercises to be a bit silly and not a good substitute for personal therapy. I really wanted to give this book a 2.5 stars because 3 stars seem too much, yet 2 stars seem too little. It would be interesting to see, 13 years later what became of those studies she based her "brain allergy" ideas on. My guess would be they didn't prove anything, as the first time I heard of a brain allergy was when I read this book. I would recommend the 2003 edition of "Intuitive Eating" and also "Overcoming Overeating" instead of this book. These books were more complete to me, as I didn't have to skip chapters about going on a sugar free diet.

I am a compulsive overeater!:
From the moment I started to read this book, I felt as though the author was writing about my life. I have read many books regarding food addiction and articles too, but this one far outshines any of them. I have struggled with food most of life. Of course I always blamed my failed diets on lack of willpower. Now that I have read this book I know it has nothing to do with willpower. I recommend this book to anyone who thinks they may have a problem with food. It is easy to read. I also attend Overeaters Anonymous meetings and I think this book will help in my recovery. The author is also a food addict so she knows there are no gimmicks or fast fixes when it comes to addictions. Just like the 12-Step program, the book takes the recovery in steps. If I am willing to follow the suggestions, I will have freedom from food addiction. I must first be willing.

Food Addiction is not about Good or Bad:
I had a doctor who first spoke to me about a possible eating disorder, and I thought he was nuts. But the more we talked and he supported me I came to understand what he was saying. This book is a wonderful resource for people that can not understand their uncontrollable eating. It gives practical exercises for self discovery. Food addiction is not about dieting and often diets may trigger the addiction for compulsive eating. It took me to learn this before I could address my weight issues.

12-Step is not the only way (and sometimes not a good way):
There is no denying that many people are deeply attached and helped by the 12-step method of overcoming dangerous behaviors. However, it is not the only way, but many tell you it is. Becoming dependent on people instead of food (or whatever) is not for everyone. I would encourage people to read about 12-Step programs, including the cons before buying a book in favor of them. Many books on binge eating use that approach, but not all. Overcoming Binge Eating by Christopher Fairburn doesn't require you to become part of that subculture of "12-steppers" to get help with this disorder. The reason I say that 12-step is not a good way of thinking is because (for one reason) it requires you to use black and white thinking, as in I am either abstinent or I am not. You can't have partial successes and you can't have partial failures. It does get 2 stars becasue it does help some people who are helped just to find someone they can relate to and connect with and the author's tone is comforting.