diningin
Unwrapping the mystery of by Jeff Steen
One king-sized Snickers bar for the ball game: 27 grams fat, 57 grams sugar. A large McDonald’s fries for a quick lunch between meetings: 30 grams fat, 330mg salt. One pint of Ben & Jerry’s Brownie Batter ice cream to unwind after a long day: 72 grams fat, 104 grams sugar. Being addicted to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: Serious dopamine impairment. Or… In a church basement, a dozen people quietly assemble chairs in a circle. They sit slowly, conscious of where they are. The room fills with pregnant pauses and heavy breaths. Names are whispered as an introduction—the new faces. Others sit upright and calm in their chairs, years of sobriety evident in their assuring smiles. Sometimes, a brave soul will mutter a few words—an open encouragement, a hesitant confession, an emotional release. As others gather the strength to confess, their support comes awash in congratulations and laughter. Some of the members know their weaknesses—saltysweet peanut butter ice cream or cavernous chocolate bunnies—and have conquered them. But there are many who still struggle, still indulge, still work to tear themselves from their addictions. This is a meeting of Food Addicts Anonymous. An estimated 70 million people suffer from eating disorders worldwide. Some of them are regulars at these meetings. The illnesses from which they suffer are common parlance anymore: anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder. But the almost mythically extreme nature of these conditions is misleading. There is, in fact, a great difference in severity— from “disordered eating,” which doesn’t have a medical diagnosis, to lethal disorders like acute anorexia. And that’s why psychologists, scientists, and doctors claim “food addiction” is horribly ambiguous. Sure, the phrase is tossed around with ease, even in mainstream news, but is it an actual disorder? In 2003, a BBC News headline read: “Fast food ‘as addictive as heroin.’” USA Today has published articles with similar headlines, and supermarket tabloids have sensationalized “food addiction,” offering step-by-step recovery strategies to selfdiagnosed readers. It’s clear that members of popular AA-based support groups like Overeaters Anonymous and Food Addicts Anonymous are recovering from a serious health concern. But what’s unclear is whether the underlying issue is a serious medical illness, or a psychological impairment of the human impulse to eat.
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Dr. Stacy Dicker, a psychologist and instructor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, says food addiction may play a role in both disordered eating and severe eating disorders. She approaches both as largely psychological problems—reactions to stressors in our lives caused by everything from emotional upheaval to performance anxiety. “Food addiction is a coping mechanism,” she explains. We know food gives us comfort, so we eat to give us relief from dayto-day problems. But why look to food for comfort? Dr. Joseph Frascella of the National Institute of Drug Abuse says that food intimately affects the brain neurotransmitter dopamine that activates feelings of reward and satisfaction. When we eat something tasty, typically high in fat or sugar, dopamine levels in the brain are increased and we tend to want to eat more. Eating becomes solidly associated with a feeling of pleasure, and we may begin eating to increase our comfort and offset stress—instead of eating to feed a natural appetite or satisfy caloric need. One part of the problem is that we tend to reach for foods that are high in calories, fat, sugar, and salt. “It’s related to the wiring of our brains,” says Frascella. “We’re sensitive to highly caloric foods.” The impulse to consume fat- and sugarladen goodies comes from what once were our survival instincts and the physical need for sustenance of the highest density. Sugars provide quickly-processed caloric energy, and fats offer calories in a very dense form. Salt is a flavour enhancer, and one that’s easily accessible.
In a church basement, a dozen people quietly assemble chairs in a circle. They sit slowly, conscious of where they are. Sometimes, a brave soul will mutter a few words—an open encouragement, a hesitant confession, an emotional release. As others gather the strength to confess, their support comes awash in congratulations and laughter. readily available. A five-minute trip to the local grocery store and we have 10 different flavors of ice cream from which to choose. Dr. Mark Gold of the McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Florida, along with Dr. Nora Volkow of the NIDA, have compared food addiction to drug abuse. Both addictions rely on a substance to trigger a pleasurable dopamine reaction, and both can become perpetually cyclical. But there are two important differences. First, food addiction is ambiguous by definition, and it doesn’t carry the social stigma that drug abuse does. Food is not an illegal substance— quite oppositely, it’s often the happy focus of our attention. Second, recovery from drug abuse almost always involves total abstinence. How can we possibly abstain from food? Despite the mantra of Food Addicts Anonymous, “to stay abstinent and to help other food addicts achieve abstinence [from] sugar, flour, and wheat in all their forms,” Dr. Frascella affirms that while avoidance of certain addictive foods might be helpful, total abstinence from eating large food groups is probably not healthy. Nutrition is the most important factor to consider, and abstinence from food in any form can deprive the body of necessary nutrients.
It’s still uncertain whether disciplined “recovery” for food addicts, and possible avoidance of food, is necessary. Psychologists are given strict guidelines for diagnosing eating disorders, but no foundational definition has been agreed on for food addiction. It has no medical name, and is not given a defined treatment in the realm of psychology or psychiatry. It might just be an opportunity for media to latch on to a popular buzz word and a cultural obsession with foods that aren’t good for us. Weight is always on our minds these days, it seems. Still, there is some scientific backing for food addiction. If we’re prone to dopamine impairment, as caused by any number of environmental and/or genetic conditions, we might be more inclined to reach for that stillwarm Krispy Kreme donut to put our minds at rest. Ironically, our obsession with weight is triggered by eating sugar-glossed treats, prompting us to reach for more to soothe our nerves. And so the cycle begins. There are ways to get food addiction under control, however. Dr. Gold outlines a few for concerned eaters: dodge triggers (ex. emotional stressors), slow your eating, and make new associations with food. Instead of diving head-first into a bag of Doritos after losing your car keys, jump on the treadmill and jog for 20 minutes. If doing homework on the kitchen table is too much of a temptation, try moving to the living room. If food
And that’s another big part of the problem. Human beings are no longer in survival mode, and highfat, high-sugar foods are
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diningin
addiction is, in part, a function of our psychology, these changes to your routine may help put a wrench in the obsessive eating cycle. And perhaps the mythical media buzz will eventually die off. 20 minutes on the treadmill instead of 20 Hershey’s Kisses: priceless.
Health Food Havens Stonegrill On Winchester 51 Winchester Street | 416.967.6565 The Stonegrill On Winchester offers an interactive approach for those seeking healthier dining options. AAA select cuts of meats seasoned solely with rock salt are served on a granite slate heated to 720 degrees and seared by the customer at their own table. Owner Frank Bernardo says his menu is one of the healthiest in the city. “We don’t use oils or marinades and offer low-cholesterol choices like bison rib-eye—one of our most popular items.” Other low fat options include Berkshire pork loin chops and ahi tuna. Nutrition facts will soon be available to all consumers without having to consult the staff. Bernardo is working with a nutritionist to have fat and vitamin contents listed on the menu by late summer
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The impulse to consume fat- and sugar-laden goodies comes from what once were our survival instincts and the physical need for sustenance of the highest density. Sugars provide quickly-processed caloric energy, and fats offer calories in a very dense form. 2008. And his commitment to healthy dining doesn’t stop there. “We are starting to visit the weekly local organic market and will be making the switch to only organic produce in the near future,” he says.
with nutrient-dense calories. The buckwheat pasta, another healthy option, has become a fast favourite. In addition, the seasonally changing menu provides delicious vegetarian options as well as several gluten-free dishes for celiacs.
Four Restaurant 187 Bay Street | 416.368.1444
Executive Chef Gordon Mackie says his chefs are committed to feeding guests well and satisfying appetites in a balanced way. “This is not a passive step in ‘healthful living.’ It is a measurable commitment to healthier dining.” Mackie adds, “in the growing community of conscious diners, it is our desire to become leaders and to take responsibility by being mindful chefs.”
For the hard-working executives on Bay Street, the owners of the gourmet sandwich counter Petit Four offer a healthy, stress-free alternative to dining out. The recently opened restaurant is fulfilling a long-neglected niche, offering great flavour with minimal calories—everything on the menu is 650 calories or less. Steamers have taken the place of standard kitchen deep-fryers and little to no oil is used in preparing d i s h e s . Pastas are made with ancient grains like farro that fill you up
—Anna Ceraldi