"Addiction to food..."

[BigPiney]

Your definition of addiction is not the same as mine and I believe yours is a perversion of the term. That said, I agree that people should learn to control their actions and passions, especiall when those passions are interfering with work or family. I just don't think that is the definition of addiction. I think addiction involves a chemical dependence on a substance and withdrawal symptoms are present when attempting to quit. Thus, you can be addicted to caffeine and not have it damage your family or job but it is still an addiction. You can have a passion for shopping that is damaging your family but isn't an addiction.

We just seem to disagree on the definition of the term. That's why I thought the idea of a food addiction funny. A harmful passion for food is a serious problem and should be dealt with, probably with professional help, but it is not an addiction by my definition.

Justify it how you want Fatty.

[KillerDog]

As a guy who just helped a brother get through his addiction to drugs and alcohol and is dealing with his own addiction to food, I would humbly suggest that you can take your 6'whatever" skinny ass definition and shove it. Understand that both the church (as part of their addiction recovery program) and mental health professionals that I have talked with are not ambiguous on this point.

There are multiple definitions for addiction. I'm sure your broad definition is one of them. It is certainly how people are currently using it in popular language. I prefer to be more specific and use the definition that narrowly defines it.

[KillerDog]

Justify it how you want Fatty.

Uh, OK.

[ERCougar]

I believe the withdrawals of stopping eating are fatal and have never met someone who could quit eating without the withdrawals. By that definition, we are all addicted to food. What did he mean by addicted to food? Addiction is probably one of the words most overused and most bastardized in our society right now. Right up there with bigot.

Yeah, withdrawal symptoms are only one aspect of the definition of addiction. Two others have to be present. LAUte pointed out one--disruptive to health or daily functioning. The other is tolerance--an increased level of ingestion/participation to get the desired feedback.

So yes, food can be an addiction. And no we're not all addicted to food. Believe it or not, smart people (they do exist outside of law school) have actually thought through this definition.

[LA Ute]

Yeah, withdrawal symptoms are only one aspect of the definition of addiction. Two others have to be present. LAUte pointed out one--disruptive to health or daily functioning. The other is tolerance--an increased level of ingestion/participation to get the desired feedback.

So yes, food can be an addiction. And no we're not all addicted to food. Believe it or not, smart people (they do exist outside of law school) have actually thought through this definition.

Thanks for the clarification. I think this is the definition Elder Hales was using. And I don't think the apostles just come up with topics for conference addresses out of the blue - addictions of various kinds are a problem in the church and I am sure that is why he chose to talk about it.

Some of the "dumbest" people I know (in terms of judgment) are law school grads, by the way . . . I won't say anything about med school grads.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Yeah, withdrawal symptoms are only one aspect of the definition of addiction. Two others have to be present. LAUte pointed out one--disruptive to health or daily functioning. The other is tolerance--an increased level of ingestion/participation to get the desired feedback.

So yes, food can be an addiction. And no we're not all addicted to food. Believe it or not, smart people (they do exist outside of law school) have actually thought through this definition.

All of this can be true and yet one can still have good reason to believe that the term "addiction" is overused in today's society.

[TripletDaddy]

Some of the "dumbest" people I know (in terms of judgment) are law school grads, by the way . . .

I have found that the dumb law school grads from lower tier schools like BYU and the U do not come close to the stupidity of the dumb students at top tier schools like NYU and Harvard.

[ERCougar]

All of this can be true and yet one can still have good reason to believe that the term "addiction" is overused in today's society.

Sure. Examples?

The only one I've heard is food and how we'd all die if we stopped eating. I don't know anyone who uses only that criterion as a definition of addiction (except KDog's straw man).

[ERCougar]

I won't say anything about med school grads.

I appreciate that.

[KillerDog]

Yeah, withdrawal symptoms are only one aspect of the definition of addiction. Two others have to be present. LAUte pointed out one--disruptive to health or daily functioning. The other is tolerance--an increased level of ingestion/participation to get the desired feedback.

So yes, food can be an addiction. And no we're not all addicted to food. Believe it or not, smart people (they do exist outside of law school) have actually thought through this definition.

I think you are torturing the 3 element definition to get at a "food addiction." If the withdrawal symptoms are prevelant across all persons, how can they be a symptom. That's precisely my point. I'm sure as a medical professional you can tell me what a person who's addicted to food feels that the rest of us don't. Maybe I need a greater understanding of how that element applies. I just don't see it with my experience. I readily admit that the other two are present.

This is why I feel the definition has been twisted. Many things are called addictions because they have some of the elements of an addiction but people seem to ignore the other elements.

I'll let the shrinks on the board deal with your need to be reassured that you're smart without having attended law school. I'm sure they will say it is an addiction to praise or some such nonsense.

[KillerDog]

Sure. Examples?

The only one I've heard is food and how we'd all die if we stopped eating. I don't know anyone who uses only that criterion as a definition of addiction (except KDog's straw man).

I'll give you a few more overuses of addiction:

addiction to gambling,
addiction to pornography,
addiction to shopping,
addiction to work.

I believe all of these only meet some of the criteria and I'm loathe to call them addiction under such a loose standard. I admit that many will say such things exist but I think they are a harmful passion, not an addiction.

[LA Ute]

I'll give you a few more overuses of addiction:

addiction to gambling,
addiction to pornography,
addiction to shopping,
addiction to work.

I believe all of these only meet some of the criteria and I'm loathe to call them addiction under such a loose standard. I admit that many will say such things exist but I think they are a harmful passion, not an addiction.

Have a talk with a stake president just about anywhere in the church and see if he agrees with you regarding whether gambling or porn are simply "hamful passions." Also, here are some resources put together by people who seem to think porn's an addictive problem. And, the Church helped put out this DVD. They must see the issue differently than you do.

[Pheidippides]

So yes, food can be an addiction. And no we're not all addicted to food. Believe it or not, smart people (they do exist outside of law school) have actually thought through this definition.

Most of them exist outside of law. Unless you count self-appointed smarty-pants types.

[ERCougar]

I'll give you a few more overuses of addiction:

addiction to gambling,
addiction to pornography,
addiction to shopping,
addiction to work.

I believe all of these only meet some of the criteria and I'm loathe to call them addiction under such a loose standard. I admit that many will say such things exist but I think they are a harmful passion, not an addiction.

Ok...if it makes you feel better to call them "harmful passions", then by all means, do it. I'm not sure how that helps anything, but OK.

I think labelling them an addiction (in the right scenario) highlights a couple of useful points: 1) how destructive they can be (in all cases, except maybe work), and 2) the need for professional (or divine, which is probably Elder Hales' point) help or intervention. I'm not sure that's a bad thing for an "addict", who tends to deny both points.

[TripletDaddy]

I am wondering who these folks are that are "overusing" the term "addiction?"

Any time I have heard the term thrown out, it is usually accompanied by a set of circumstances that seem....well.....addictive. Porn, drugs, gambling, whatever.

Are there examples of overuse of the term?