Obsessed with food? Here's why and how to stop
Written by Isabel Vasquez RD, LDN
If you find yourself constantly thinking about food despite attempts to improve your relationship with it, you may wonder why this keeps happening. Constantly thinking about food can be draining. It can take up mental space that could be better used elsewhere.
Food obsession is something many people worry about and want to overcome. If you’re dieting or trying to control your weight, you may have tried limiting your access to the foods you find yourself obsessing over, especially if these are foods you’ve deemed “unhealthy” like sweets and simple carbs. But is this actually helpful or is it harmful?
In this blog, we’ll dive into what food obsession is, what causes it, and how to overcome it.
What is food obsession?
Food obsession is typically characterized by frequent thoughts about food despite your attempts to stop these thoughts. You may find yourself focusing on lunch right after breakfast or fantasizing about a meal in the middle of time with friends.
That being said, there are a variety of ways that food obsession can manifest. Some signs of food obsession include:
Frequent, unrelenting thoughts about food
Inability to focus on work because of food-related thoughts
Intense, frequent cravings for certain foods
Extensively collecting recipes
Constantly watching food or recipe-related TV shows
Scouring the menu days or weeks before you’re going out to eat to check the calories or nutrition profile of the restaurant’s options
Stressing over holiday meals weeks before the holiday out of fear of the calories, macros, or health of the food
Planning for vacation meals way in advance out of fear it will hinder weight loss
Avoiding social situations out of fear of what food will be available, specifically as it relates to impact on body shape or size
Persistent guilt after eating an amount or type of food you deem “unhealthy”
While there are different ways food obsession can manifest, they can all be very frustrating to experience.
Some of these may even be subconscious, and you may not fully be aware that you have these patterns. However, when they are brought to your awareness, you can begin to explore your relationship with food and take steps to address it.
Food obsession is not food addiction
Despite more and more people self-reporting “food addiction”, it is not an officially recognized diagnosis or disorder. Its validity is something currently being debated by experts. One key consideration, however, is that unlike other addictions to things like drugs, alcohol, or gambling, we need food to live.
Much of the existing research on food addiction has been done on rodents, so we can’t quite extrapolate it to humans. And a lot of the criteria used to evaluate food addiction mimics criteria for binge-eating disorder, an eating disorder recognized in the DSM-5 (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).
What causes food obsession
Restricting the amount of food you eat
Believe it or not, to reduce food obsession, you may just need to eat more. If you haven’t eaten enough, your body will do what it takes to help you survive.
Especially if there’s been chronic restriction at play (e.g. an eating disorder or chronic dieting), your body will feel threatened and go into survival mode. This includes increasing production of hunger hormones and centering your focus around food.
Your thoughts will gravitate towards food because that’s what your body needs most to survive and thrive.
Restricting certain types of food
Even if you’re eating enough overall but you’re restricting the types of food you eat, obsession with food can occur. Its cause is similar to when you restrict your overall food intake.
If you are limiting certain types of food, which for many people include high carb or high sugar foods, then your body will feel threatened. Restricting these foods and filling up on low-calorie high volume foods may even result in too low of an overall energy intake.
And by the way, your body needs carbohydrates to function. They are the main source of energy for your brain, nervous system, and muscles.
So if you are restricting these foods, or any other specific foods, you may experience intense cravings for these foods. You may also obsess over shows about or recipes for these foods.
Unfortunately, many people don’t realize that it is the restriction itself that is causing this obsession. Many people decide to avoid keeping these foods in the house in hopes that this will solve their “problem” with the food, when in reality, it only makes it worse.
Food insecurity
A different form of restriction happens when someone experiences food insecurity. Food insecurity is defined as, “a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life.”
This differs from the two types of restriction noted above in that food insecurity is a systemic issue and not a choice an individual or family makes. That being said, it can still greatly harm someone’s relationship to food.
Research, including a 2020 study published in Current Psychiatry Reports, has found that food insecurity can lead to disordered eating behaviors and eating disorders including binge eating, compensatory behaviors, binge-eating disorder, and bulimia nervosa.
Ultimately, it triggers your brain’s survival system that will increase your drive towards and obsession with food. The difference is that the food restriction is not self-inflicted, but rather, a result of your environment.
Psychological restriction
A sneakier form of food restriction is psychological or mental restriction. You may be reading this and thinking…
But I let myself eat everything I want!
I stopped dieting a while ago
I let myself eat cake, cookies, and chips now
But I still can’t stop obsessing over food!!
It can take a while to get to this place if you have a history of an eating disorder or of chronic dieting. It can be tough to allow yourself to eat the foods you once eliminated. But if you’re still shaming yourself for eating them or controlling how much of them you’re eating, it may not eliminate the food obsession.
Binge-restrict cycle
Food obsession is a common part of the binge-restrict cycle. This cycle is made up of restriction, food obsession, binge eating, and feeling of guilt or shame. These typically feed off of each other and lead to a vicious cycle.
This cycle demonstrates that food obsession is often preceded by restriction. And it often leads to binge eating.
Food obsession and eating disorders
As I’ve mentioned above, food obsession can be closely tied to eating disorders. A lot of the signs of food obsession are also symptoms of eating disorders. And many people with eating disorders will experience obsession with food as a result of restrictive eating behaviors.
(This was demonstrated in the Minnesota Starvation Study, which I broke down in a prior blog.)
That being said, plenty of people experience food obsession without meeting diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder. If you’re unsure if you meet diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder, the National Eating Disorders Association has resources for screening and support.
What is food freedom
The antidote to food obsession is food freedom. Food freedom means you have a good relationship with food. You allow yourself to eat a variety of foods in amounts that meet your body’s needs and satisfy you, and you do not measure your worth based on your eating habits.
Some signs of food freedom include:
Eating a variety of foods
Using your body’s cues to guide eating rather than a tracking app, diet rules, restrictive meal plan, or macro/calorie limit
Moving onto your next task or activity after eating without persistent thoughts about food
Feeling no guilt after a meal or snack
Demonstrating flexibility with what and when you eat
Being able to engage in social eating situations without stressing about the food present
Finding pleasure in food
Making food decisions that aren’t based on controlling your body size or shape
How to achieve food freedom
Food freedom may sound great, but how do you experience it? Here are a few tips to get started.
Reflect on your relationship with food
Without self-awareness about your relationship with food, you won’t be able to identify what’s holding you back from food freedom. You may want to start by reflecting on any food rules you have. Even if you don’t self-identify as a dieter, there may be subtle ways diet culture is influencing your eating habits.
For example, you may have a rule where you don’t allow yourself to eat after a certain time of night or you may consciously or subconsciously label chips or cake as “bad” and judge yourself for wanting them.
While there are a lot of ways diet culture can permeate our thoughts and behaviors, reflect on your relationship with food. Most of all, when it comes to overcoming food obsession, reflect on whether there are ways you are restricting.
Let yourself habituate to forbidden foods
If you find that you restrict certain types of foods, habituation will be key in reducing your obsession with these foods. We always want what we can’t have, right? So, let yourself have the foods you’re currently restricting and the thoughts tend to diminish.
The authors of Intuitive Eating explain this, saying, “Research shows that people will tire of eating the same kind of food - it’s called habituation.” This often happens with leftovers. After a couple days, we tend to tire of eating the same thing.
This can be a lot easier said than done. But many people find that food freedom lies on the other side of this journey.
Eat enough
As you now know, restricting is a big cause of food obsession. So, if you are not eating enough food overall, your mind will probably gravitate towards food, whether consciously or subconsciously.
In order for your body and mind to feel safe and secure, they will need enough food. Which brings me to my final tip…
Work with a dietitian
If you’ve read this far, you may be wondering:
How do I even know if I’m eating enough?
How much food do I really need to eat for my body to feel secure and for this food obsession to go away?
If so, working with a registered dietitian may be beneficial. A registered dietitian can assess your current intake and make individualized recommendations for how to meet your needs.
Final Thoughts
Food obsession can be frustrating to experience. It is often caused by food restriction and in some cases, can be a sign of an eating disorder. To stop food obsession, reflect on your relationship with food, reintroduce your forbidden foods, and make sure you’re eating enough overall.
Allowing yourself to eat without restriction and without centering weight loss can improve your mental health and help you to stop thinking about food all the time.
For more support, we offer a 3-part masterclass on intuitive eating to help you improve your relationship with food, your body, and movement.
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What Is The Binge Restrict Cycle?
