Exploring The Connection Between Food Addiction And Weight Loss – Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) is a program of recovery based on the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.
FA members are men and women of all ages. Some have been fat; Others were severely underweight, bulimic, or so obsessed with food or weight that leading a normal life was difficult or impossible. The common denominator that unites the members of FA
Exploring The Connection Between Food Addiction And Weight Loss
To learn more about food addiction and recovery in FA, click here to read frequently asked questions about FA.
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There are now many programs using the twelve step method for people suffering from weight or eating problems. FA is unique because it focuses on addiction, not “compulsions,” “eating disorders,” or treating it as a symptom of an underlying illness (for example, anorexia, obesity, or bulimia).
Further, FA is united by a single definition of abstinence that is clear and immutable. Most importantly, in addition to the usual support offered through personal contact and group meetings, the program gives members an effective way to follow each of the twelve steps in sequence, resulting in personality change and a long-term lifestyle. , continuous abstinence is possible. Members of the FA often refer to themselves as a “fellowship” that exudes warmth, trust, outreach to those who want the program, and serves those new to it.
Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous Inc. is an umbrella entity that supports meeting groups and FA individuals around the world. It is known internally as “WSI” (for World Service Incorporated). WSI is led by thirteen, elected trustees (members of the FA) and is headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts. FA meetings are also supported and organized by incorporated regional associations (intergroups) and smaller, unorganized regional affiliations (chapters).
The practice of anonymity is described as the spiritual foundation of the program at FA. Internally, the FA seeks to ensure the privacy of anyone within the program or exploring it. Each person’s story or FA membership is his or hers to publish.
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Avoid using their full name or revealing their face. This ensures that no individual is deemed to speak or represent the program as a whole. Click here to read the FA’s letter to the media on anonymity.
In keeping with the practice of anonymity, the meetings are usually closed to members of the media who are there to report on them. If you are a reporter or photographer interested in attending an FA meeting, please contact the World Service Public Information Committee at: pi@ for assistance.
Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization funded primarily by contributions made by FA members. Acceptance of bequests or donations from non-members, outside organizations and anonymous donors is prohibited. Individual members are limited to making donations or bequests of no more than $2,000 a year.
In the early 1980s, the FA program began to take shape in the context of Overeaters Anonymous (OA), another twelve-step program. At that time, in and around Chelsea, Massachusetts, several OA meetings began to adopt a distinctive set of practices. The meetings were united by a joint definition of abstinence; requirement of a minimum of 90 consecutive days of abstinence for speakers at each meeting; Practice the Twelve Steps in AWOL groups; and the belief that overeating, undereating, bulimia, and other food-related, self-destructive behaviors are symptoms of addictive disorders. These meetings were popularly called or criticized as “90-day meetings”.
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Over time, it became clear that the program developed at the “90-Day Meeting” was distinct from OA. Further, this program has grown. Members moved from the Boston area to Michigan, Florida, Texas, New York, California, Australia, and Germany, taking their restorations with them and setting up meetings where they lived. In 1998, a small group met to discuss the possibility of establishing a separate program. “Food Addicts Anonymous in Recovery” was launched later that year. The organization was legally incorporated in 1998.
Click here to read or listen to the early history of the FA through the eyes of one of its earliest members. Obesity has been identified as a major public health problem with more than 65 percent of Americans being overweight or obese. Obesity rates among children have also tripled since the 1970s, and diseases that were previously seen only in adults, such as non-insulin dependent diabetes, have increased in children. This has created more acceptance and desire for rapid weight-loss procedures such as weight loss surgery, also called bariatric surgery. What many people are not aware of is that the presence of an eating disorder can make bariatric surgery more risky and less likely to be successful.
Binge eating disorder (BED) is an eating disorder commonly associated with obesity. About one in three people who go on weight loss programs actually have BED. They may experience repeated episodes of eating large amounts of food in one sitting or within two hours. They may feel unable to stop themselves from binge eating. People with BED may also eat until they are very full, eat more quickly than usual, and eat alone because they are embarrassed about how much they are eating. They may also have feelings of disgust, guilt, or depression that come after they binge eat.
Anorexia and bulimia are more touted, but BED is actually more common than either. Another difference is that anorexia and bulimia greatly affect women and girls, with 40 percent of men with BED. BED runs in families, as does obesity, and is also associated with an increased likelihood of depression, bipolar depression, and substance abuse in both individuals with BED and their family members.
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People with BED are more likely to be overweight or obese and need bariatric surgery. Individuals with BED who undergo bariatric surgery may be at risk of developing complications after surgery if they are unable to stop binge eating.
Bariatric surgery is only recommended for those with health problems such as diabetes or heart disease with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 40 or severe obesity defined as a BMI of 35. Studies have shown that weight loss surgery is more effective for weight loss than conventional methods in people with severe obesity. Although weight-loss surgery promotes weight-loss, surgery also carries risks, and it is important to know these potential risks and complications before proceeding.
The following questions may be helpful in identifying whether you are at risk for cross addiction:
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you should address your relationship with food before considering weight loss surgery. It is important to understand that your relationship with food is developed to fulfill certain needs. Even if you feel ready to lose weight and are very motivated to do so, you should make sure that food needs are met in some other way.
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Nutritional changes after bariatric surgery can contribute to the development of depression, destructive eating behaviors, and body image issues. Weight loss surgery changes the absorption of vitamins and minerals and can lead to deficiencies in iron, calcium, various B-vitamins, vitamin D, and other vitamins and minerals. Surgery can also affect the ability to absorb protein and cause lactose intolerance. Difficulty absorbing protein can affect mood and behavior because the amino acids found in protein are used by the body to make the “feel good” chemicals in our brain – serotonin, dopamine and epinephrine.
One research study found that people who took an amino acid supplement on a liquid fasting diet (which also causes some malnutrition) had a 66 percent reduction in food intake and a 70 percent reduction in food cravings. When compared to a group that did not take the supplement, they regained only 14 percent of their lost weight compared to 41 percent. Given that up to two-thirds of people who have had weight-loss surgery do not take the prescribed vitamins and minerals, malnutrition is a very real concern and can be worsened by excessive alcohol or drug use.
Beyond the complications and risks associated with surgery is an issue that is increasingly coming to light – cross addiction. Cross addiction is loosely defined as the exchange of one drug of abuse (such as food) for another (for example, alcohol). Many individuals who undergo weight-loss surgery develop disordered eating and other addictions, including gambling, drinking, smoking, drug use, and may be more prone to shopping or sex addictions after surgery.
More than 140,000 weight loss surgeries are performed each year and it is estimated that between 5 and 30 percent develop another addiction. It makes perfect sense when you think about the purpose that food serves. If a person uses food for comfort, to contain their emotions, or to cope with stress or traumatic experiences, they will have no coping mechanism when they cannot use food in this way.
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Another factor that may contribute to the development of cross-addiction
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