Dealing with Food Addiction After Bariatric Surgery
There are many reasons why patients visit our Tijuana bariatric surgery and medical weight loss practice. The primary reasons, however, and the quality of our results and abiding concern for the lasting wellness of patients. This means long-term weight loss and good overall health.
With this in mind, we'd like to address a serious issue that affects many patients struggling with obesity and morbid obesity: food addiction.
Food Addiction: Understanding This Eating Disorder
Food addiction refers to a combination of various eating issues related to the psychological relationship that people have with food. In fact, many times the issue is more psychological than it is physical, though the consequences of binge eating obviously have an affect on a person's general health and wellness. It might be helpful to think of food addiction as an eating disorder rather than just a type of dangerous and unhealthy overeating.
The Dangers of Food Addiction
People who suffer from food addition, particularly when overeating is common, often also suffer from morbid obesity as a result. Food addiction can also mean a person not getting a healthy diet, making various health problems more likely.
The shame and self-loathing associated with food addiction can also contribute to feelings of depression, bipolar disorder, and other issues related to mental health and self-esteem.
Issues with Food Addiction After Weight Loss Surgery
A number of people who have undergone weight loss surgery may notice that their food addiction may persist. While the bariatric procedure does prove quite helpful, if there is still an issue with food addiction, this might be quite dangerous. Overeating or eating too fast following any sort of bariatric procedure can result in dumping syndrome, serious abdominal pain, and other health problems.
Signs of Potential Food Addiction
The following behaviors or combination of behaviors are common in people who suffer from food addition:
- Compulsive eating
- Eating without hunger
- A sens of lost control while eating
- Food obsessions
- Eating in secret
Many times people who suffer from food addition eat in order to numb or manage their emotions or deep psychological traumas/mental health problems that they are facing. If you do notice these issues, do not be ashamed. There is help available for treating and managing food addiction.
Ways of Treating and Overcoming Food Addiction
The best thing that you can do if you notice signs of food addiction is to seek the assistance of an eating disorder specialist. He or she will have the proper medical and psychological training to help you overcome and control your food addition and the behaviors associated with it.
If the food addiction is related to or an outgrowth of depression or another mental health issue, seeking the help of a mental health therapist of some kind can be immensely helpful. It's not uncommon to seek the aid of an eating disorder specialist and a psychologist or psychiatrist, for instance, so that you can get the help that you need.
Learn More About Your Weight Loss Surgery Options
If you would like more information about the many benefits of bariatric surgery and the lifestyle changes associated with the process, be sure to contact our weight loss surgery center today.