Addicted to eating

Sara Saleh highlights a compulsive-eating disorder that is more common than we think

When you eat cereal and orange juice for breakfast, biscuits when you arrive at university or work, a sandwich for lunch, more biscuits, chocolate or sweets as an afternoon 'snack', multiple soft drinks, and then have three servings of dinner when you get home, you probably get the feeling that something is not right with your diet.

The inability to last more than an hour without food - grazing all day so that even a single hunger pang does not stand a chance - may be the result of a disorder scientists are calling 'compulsive overeating'.

Not all overeaters constantly graze in the manner described above. Some prefer to eat at night, others starve and then binge. Some eaters may be overweight, while others diet, exercise or even induce vomiting to keep the scales normal.

Then there are those who yo-yo between several dress sizes. However, between all of these there is always that one factor in common - the urge to eat those recurring foods, namely sugar, sweets, fast food and other processed junk.

This may not come as a surprise, as US research findings have suggested that sweet foods have the power to invoke a similar effect on the brain as certain drugs, raising the levels of the feel-good chemical 'dopamine'.

The one thing scientists know for sure is that these overeaters are in need of emotional and practical support to find a solution to this predicament. It's more than just a lack of discipline or will power.

For some, the origins of compulsive eating could be traced back to unhealthy relationships with food from childhood - an abnormal functioning that inhibits a person's ability to realise when to stop eating.

Self-help organisations modelled on other substance abuse programmes are starting to pop up all over western countries like the US, Australia and the UK, holding weekly meetings that help overeaters become normal eaters, become active and develop a healthier relationship with food.

This kind of guidance and support is exactly the kind of thing needed to help people abstain not from food but from compulsive overeating.

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Food Fix: Skin- Friendly Foods

Ever wonder why face creams and other health care products come with 'mango', 'papaya' or even 'coconut' plastered all over the label? It is no secret that there are some foods that are capable of doing wonders for your skin, and others inimical, to say the very least.

To glow with youthful, smooth skin in the dry months of winter, we suggest munching on blueberries or carrot sticks, rich in vitamins and antioxidants.

Thirsty? Make sure you get plenty of water and green tea, known to rejuvenate dying skin cells. For a tasty treat, we suggest drinking a papaya smoothie once or twice a week.
Tips like these sure beat walking around with cucumbers on your eyelids!

We recommend:
Antioxidant Spinach Salad

Salad:

• 2 tbsp green pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 150g baby spinach leaves
• 2 red apples, grated with skin on
• 1 red Spanish onion, thinly sliced into rings
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 1 cup chopped raisins

Dressing:

• 3 tbsp flaxseed oil
• 2 tbsp apple-cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp mango chutney (preservative-free)
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp mild yellow curry powder

Method:

• STEP 1: Place all dressing ingredients in a jar, shake well and set aside.
• STEP 2: Preheat oven to 200C.
• STEP 3: Lay seeds and green pumpkin seeds on a flat baking tray and toast until slightly browned (about four minutes, checking regularly to avoid burning).
• STEP 4: Remove and allow to cool.
• STEP 5: Mix all salad ingredients together and add dressing just before serving.

The writer is an International Student Correspondent for NOTES, studying at the University of Sydney, Australia