Addicted to food?

In the west slimness is, for many, a desired state. Not everyone wants to be slim of course, but most people don't want to be fat. We can all think of 'big' people who appear confident and content and who say they are very happy with how they are, but in my experience, this is generally untrue. If they could choose between being fat, slim or average, a choice that required no intervention nor effort on their part, few would choose fat.

If we put aesthetics to one side for a moment, most people would prefer to be a normal weight for health reasons, but this often isn't a big enough incentive. It may sound bonkers, but it's true. That old 'it won't happen to me' attitude prevails in matters of illness or disease, and people often ignore the damage they are potentially doing to themselves until they have a health scare or get sick.

A wedding (the individual's own), a desire to get pregnant or some other important issue may increase motivation to change eating habits or do more exercise, but this is often short-lived. Am I painting a gloomy picture? In theory, weight reduction is simple - reduce the number of calories consumed, and increase activity, but this fails to address two key points: our emotional connection with food and the roller coaster ride of sugar highs and lows that many of us subject ourselves to.

When we avoid sugary or artificially sweetened food in our diet, our blood sugar and energy level stabilises and cravings all but disappear. When our body isn't in need of an energy boost, there is no longer an emotional dilemma over whether or what to eat. As cravings and fatigue become a thing of the past, people can and do find themselves skipping desserts in restaurants and forgetting about chocolate 'fixes'.

The real challenge comes when life itself becomes challenging. Relationship difficulties, work issues or other disappointments can lead many to seek solace in sweet stuff. Whilst there are other ways to experience pleasure or comfort, food is relatively cheap, socially acceptable and accessible.

Much research has been done into the sugar cycle and its effects, and through the use of MRI scanners it has been possible for scientists to see the effects of sugar on the brain.

Whilst the term 'addiction' is a controversial one in regards to foodstuffs, there is evidence that what we eat affects our mood and therefore influences are ongoing choices. Pleasure is preferable to pain, so mood altering foods, like mood altering substances, can be difficult to resist, especially when life is less than wonderful or we are on the glycaemic roller coaster.

There is a payback for this comfort and reward seeking behaviour of course. Obesity makes everything (bar eating) more difficult to do. Running for the train, climbing the stairs, having sex, or doing the hoovering can all be a struggle when you're excessively overweight. The biggest problem of being fat however, is the emotional toll it takes, and this is where aesthetics come in.

Much has been said about society's attitude to people who are obese, but whilst size can influence how we are perceived, most people are their own harshest critic. In my work with clients seeking help to lose weight with hypnosis, self-esteem is often an issue. The reasons that people overeat can be complex and often underlying issues need to be addressed before significant progress can be made. Giving direct suggestions for changes to eating patterns is an option in hypnotherapy, but in my experience this is an over-simplistic approach and leads to short-term results at best. Helping clients to change their relationship with food is essential, but so too is helping them to address any stress, depression or other underlying issues that affect the way they use food.