When Dena Ehney's children went to school, she found comfort for her overwhelming loneliness in the kitchen. But Ehney couldn't stop. Some experts believe Ehney's problem is more than just compulsive eating or a lack of willpower. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center addiction specialist Patricia Chandler believes food cravings are a disease. Certain foods can trigger a powerful chemical reaction in the brain's mesolimbic system.
Some experts say it's an addiction like smoking, taking illegal drugs, or alcoholism.
As a medical condition, doctors recommend treatment and support. Their goal isn't losing weight, but gaining control. It's seen as a lack of moral fiber, like a bad choice I'm making, when in fact, it's not a choice in any form, in any way you would normally consider a choice. Like any disease, food addiction is devastating to marriages and families. Overeaters Anonymous uses a 12-step program similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, but unlike an alcoholic who gives up liquor, that's not possible for a food addict.