→“I feel out of control around chips.”
→“I have a love-hate relationship with food.”
→“I’m better off not keeping cookies in the house, then I’m not tempted.”
Sound familiar? You’re not alone: we hear it all. the. time.
Food can feel addicting. Many of our patients come to us desperate to “break the cycle” of what they call food addiction. (One even told me regulating his eating was harder than quitting smoking or drinking!)
But here’s the bottom line: what feels like “food addiction” is often the result of living in a culture that pairs restriction with hyperpalatable foods. This setup can make anyone feel “addicted.”
In this blog, we’ll explore:
- What food addiction really is
- Whether it’s a true diagnosis (spoiler: it’s controversial!)
- And, most importantly, how to break the food addiction cycle
What is Food Addiction?
First things first: food addiction is controversial. It’s not an official diagnosis, and there isn’t one single, universally accepted definition.
We see food addiction as when eating feels less like a choice and more like a compulsion, often leading to eating past comfort.
The experience of food addiction often feels strikingly similar to substance-use disorders.
- Intense cravings
- Loss of control
- Changes in the brain’s reward systems
- Continued use despite negative effects
- Repeated unsuccessful attempts to reduce or stop intake
For many, framing overeating through a “food addiction” lens can be helpful. It moves us away from the outdated (and harmful!) idea that struggles with food come down to nothing more than a “lack of willpower.”
Instead, it recognizes that our food environment is designed to keep us coming back for more. So if you feel out of control around food, it’s not a personal failure; it’s your brain responding exactly as it should.
Why Do I Feel Addicted to Food?
We live in a hyperpalatable food environment. Food companies design and advertise foods with combinations of fat, sugar, refined carbohydrates, and salt to light up the brain’s reward centers.
In a landmark study, people ate roughly 500 extra calories a day on an ultra-processed diet, even when meals were identical in calories, fat, sugar, fiber, and protein.
Research also suggests these processed foods can disrupt gut-brain signaling, driving intake in ways that go beyond taste or calorie content.
We also may feel addicted to food because of physical and psychological deprivation.
- Take those dramatic headlines claiming sugar is “as addictive as cocaine.” They’re based on animal studies where sugar was restricted and then reintroduced, suggesting the problem isn’t exposure, it’s deprivation.
- Our culture promotes hyperpalatable foods while also pushing restriction, creating the perfect setup for feeling “addicted” to food. In practice, restriction often backfires, intensifying cravings and leading to “overeating” the very foods we’re trying to avoid.
So yes, food can feel addictive. But that doesn’t mean you are broken. It means your body and brain are responding to an environment designed to make food irresistible.
How Do I Stop My Food Addiction?
Maybe the answer isn’t fighting food. Maybe it’s reframing the whole conversation:
Am I eating enough?
Consistent meals that balance protein, fiber, and fats help your body regulate. After a filling, balanced meal, food just isn’t as appealing.
Think about the difference between walking into the kitchen hungry versus after dinner. When you’re full and satisfied, the chips in the pantry barely register. But if you skipped lunch, suddenly they’re calling your name.
Am I eating enough whole foods?
A whole-food foundation (think: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean proteins, dairy, nuts and seeds) retrains your palate. Over time, you’ll need less sugar or salt to get the same satisfaction, a topic called “taste plasticity.”
In contrast, foods labeled “low-fat” or “diet-friendly” are often engineered to make up for missing flavor, which can leave you less satisfied and reaching for more.
Do my meals actually satisfy me?
Maybe you’re eating foods that fill your stomach but don’t taste good, leaving you more drawn to “addicting,” hyperpalatable foods.
Picture this: dry chicken, raw broccoli, plain rice, and a shot of olive oil. Sure, your nutrients are covered, but satisfaction isn’t. When the office donuts show up, that sad lunch doesn’t stand a chance.
Roast and season the same meal, and cravings lose their edge. We might still want one of those donuts, but not to fill a void, just a bite we enjoy before moving on.
The goal is both physical fullness and mental satisfaction. Lean into your sensory needs by adding flavor, color, and texture to meals.
Am I telling myself I can’t have certain foods, which makes me want them even more?
Your first instinct might be to simply cut out hyperpalatable foods. But we challenge the idea that the solution is complete avoidance.
We’ve never seen all-or-nothing play out well; the more we restrict, the more we want a food. Let’s break the cycle at restriction.
Sure, we should aim to eat fewer hyperpalatable foods and more whole ones. But that doesn’t mean those foods need to disappear. When we stop moralizing food and start noticing how different foods make us feel, cravings lose their edge.
Bottom Line
If calling it food addiction helps you name and validate your experience, that’s okay. We aren’t here to police language.
But we want you to know: feeling out of control around food doesn’t mean you’re inherently addicted or that the food itself is “bad.” It’s what happens when messages of restraint collide with foods designed to be irresistible.
The real solution? Getting back to the basics: whole-food based, filling meals; foods you love; sustainable habits; and dropping the guilt. That’s where freedom lives. And that’s where we can help you.
