study which Looked into the relationship between overeating or "binge
eating" and drug abuse in children and young adults.
The study examined the behaviors and eating habits of children across
a broad spectrum, between the ages of 9 and 24 years old.
Among other things, it found that girls were more likely than boys to
engage in binge eating, and that overeating was linked to the use of
marijuana and other drugs.
The researchers concluded that lack of self-control is an
important indicator of overeating and drug abuse, and
while they observed a relation between the two, they did
not identify a specific cause driving both behaviors.
The new study may, however, spur others to perform further research
into the topic to find evidence similar to another recent study which
demonstrated a connection between a certain genetic variation and the
risk of becoming an alcoholic.
One thing that the researchers did forward was that the study results
provided yet another good reason to screen children and teenagers for
signs of eating disorders.
Other Studies on Food and Drug Addiction
The Children's Hospital study was not the first scientific
examination of the relationship between overeating and
substance abuse. Other researchers have looked into
the matter, spurred by the commonsense observation
that the two behaviors seem to be similar and parallel, if
not exactly the same. One study was performed by the
National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at
Columbia University, which found that half of all people
who suffer from an eating disorder will also commonly
engage in drug or alcohol abuse.
Another study was published in 2011 in The Archives of General
Psychiatry and concluded that obesity and substance addiction were
both driven by the same addictive factors.
Similarities Between Binge Eating and Drug Abuse
Are overeating and drug or alcohol abuse fundamentally
the same? They certainly do have many things in
common according to My Foxal.
Perhaps the greatest similarity between the two is that they are often
caused by the individual's effort to escape from stress and the
pressures of everyday life.
Many people who suffer from obesity or drug addiction will tell the
same story, that their problems began at a time when they were
struggling to cope with some type of stress, such as a difficult home
life or trouble fitting in socially.
Food and drugs both offer the individual a way to
escape. Some researchers have even found that drugs
such as cocaine depend for their function upon similar
chemical processes in the brain which occur in response
to eating.
Nearly anyone has experienced the feeling of relief or the sensation
of well-being which can occur after eating when hungry or when eating
foods that are high in sugar or fat.
Many drugs simply produce an effect which is far stronger, but is in
many ways the same.
Beating an Addiction to Food or Drugs
The good news is that there are proven and effective
methods for treating addiction, both to food and to drugs.
There are many non-drug based rehabilitation and
treatment programs which offer the individual help with
getting over an addiction and staying free into the future.
Success in beating addiction often depends not only on
quitting the habit but also finding a positive way to fill the
void which was previously being filled with food, drugs or
alcohol.
For example, the individual may benefit from education in
life skills for dealing with people and handling stress. If
you or a friend or loved one is currently struggling with an
eating problem, it may be possible to handle the matter
early before it progresses into morbid obesity or even a
substance abuse addiction if you take action now.
Whether it's drugs, alcohol or food, addiction is
something that can be handled for good provided that
you make the firm decision to do so and find help.
Contact Vista Bay drug rehab at http://www.vistabay.com
or http://www.twitter.com/#!/vistabayrehab to get more
information on this and other relevant topics.