What is Nutrition In Recovery's Position on Food Addiction?

Food Addiction is real. Brain imaging studies have discovered that compulsive overeaters share many of the same characteristics of drug addicts. Many individuals are willing to go great lengths to obtain food to satisfy their cravings, also known as "food motivation." Dopaminergic brain pathways have been implicated in connection with binge eating disorder. Additionally, many individuals develop tolerance and withdrawal from by-products of food such as refined grains, and added sugars, salts, and fats. Furthermore, many people continue to consume harmful food products despite negative consequences such as the threat of amputation secondary to type-2 diabetes and congestive heart failure related to high sodium intake.

To read more about Food Addiction and the solution that is available, please click HERE

Upcoming Webinar On October 3, 2013 1pm PDT: “Nutrition Interventions In Addiction Recovery: The Role Of The Dietitian In Substance Abuse Treatment” By David A. Wiss, MS, RDN, CPT

Thursday October 3, 2013 at 1pm PDT, 3pm CT, and 4pm ET. Duration is 90 minutes. The webinar is offered through the Behavioral Health Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and is approved for CPEs upon completion of quiz afterwards.

Description:
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics published a position paper in 1990 supporting the need for nutrition intervention during treatment and recovery from chemical dependency. The paper promoted the concept that Registered Dietitians are important members of the treatment team and that nutrition education should be integrated into the curriculum rather than “patched on”. Nutrition professionals were urged to “take aggressive action” to increase their involvement in treatment and recovery programs, yet the recommendations were not widely embraced or implemented. In the past 20 years, there has been little progress in incorporating dietitians into drug rehabilitation programs, despite the continued rise in illicit drug abuse. In recent years, research that directly connects food with addiction has gained acceptance and increased public awareness. The purpose of this webinar is to help promote the inclusion of registered dietitians in public and private sector drug and alcohol treatment centers, and to propose intervention guidelines during addiction recovery.

Objectives:
1. Discuss the impact of addictive substances on nutritional status and links to chronic disease
2. Explore disordered and dysfunctional eating patterns in addicted populations
3. Evaluate the impact of nutrition interventions in substance abuse recovery
4. Propose nutrition therapy guidelines for specific substances and for poly-substance abuse

To register click HERE

Co-occurence of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Eating Disorder (ED)

It is common for individuals recovering from SUD to experience additional psychiatric symptoms. In one study of women in SUD treatment, binge eating disorder (BED) and sub-threshold BED were most common, with some cases of bulimia nervosa (Czarlinski, Aase, & Jason, 2012). Men in early recovery (first 6 months) described dysfunctional eating practices including binge eating and the use of food to satisfy drug cravings, while men in mid to later recovery (7-36 months) expressed weight concerns and distress about efforts to lose weight (Cowan & Devine, 2008). It is important to recognize that body image issues can be relevant to SUD patients without necessarily implying the presence of an ED. Early recovery can be very stressful, which can lead to craving, compulsivity, and relapse risk. Wiss (2013) found that individuals with a history of SUD reported more trouble controlling their overeating when depressed. Other researchers have linked a low distress tolerance to substance abuse and to the consumption of food (Kozak & Fought, 2011). Fischer, Anderson, & Smith (2004) found that problems of alcohol use were comorbid with binge eating and purging, and that a tendency to act rashly when distressed was associated with both behaviors. The relationship between substance use and eating behavior may not be restricted to those diagnosed with SUD or in treatment (Nolan & Stolze, 2012). Examination of sixty-two non substance-dependent college students revealed that elevated food consumption is associated with higher rates and broader use of drugs and alcohol.