Food Addiction Quiz Food addiction isn’t the same as emotional eating or just “overindulging.” It involves obsessive thinking about certain foods, compulsive behavior to acquire and consume those foods, shame, guilt and isolation revolving around that consumption, and powerful chemical reactions in the brain that trigger feelings of pleasure and calmness when we indulge. These forces, along with the environment in which we live, where potential triggers are all around us (advertising, marketing, social media, etc.), can make it feel like getting a handle on our addiction is impossible. I know this feeling of hopelessness inside and out. But I’ve found a solution and I want to help. If you’ve ever felt out-of-control in the face of certain foods, you might have a food addiction. I came up with this quiz from my own life experience. My answer to each of these would be “yes”. If you answer yes to more than 8 of them, you may want to participate in the 28-Days to Overcoming Food Addiction program. At the end of the quiz I’ll tell you what the program is about and whether or not you’re a good candidate for it.Food Addiction QuizDoes a glimpse of a favorite food (either driving by a restaurant or a viewing a TV commercial or coming across a recipe) get your brain started thinking obsessively about obtaining that food?YesNoDo you eat alone in your car and dispose of the bags and wrappers so that no one will see them?YesNoDo you have foods in your pantry or refrigerator that “call to you” even when you can’t see or smell them?YesNoWhen preparing certain foods, do you sometimes eat the equivalent of an entire serving (or more) while cooking or baking?YesNoWhen you’re at the grocery store, do you buy foods that you plan to eat on the way home while you’re alone, and then throw the wrapper away before you walk inside?YesNoDo you frequently get cravings for some foods, even when you’re not actually hungry?YesNoWhen you give in to a craving, do you frequently eat much more than you planned to eat?YesNoWhen you eat one of your “trigger” foods, do you sometimes eat beyond fullness to the point of feeling physically sick?YesNoDo you feel guilty after eating some foods, but find yourself eating them over and over again anyway?YesNoDo you rationalize or justify in your head why it’s okay for you to indulge in a food that you’re craving?YesNoHave you repeatedly drawn a line in the sand, telling yourself “after *this* meal / after *this* day I will not overeat my trigger foods any more!” but been unsuccessful at abstaining from them?YesNoDo you hide what you eat, or how much you eat, of certain foods from others?YesNoWhen indulging in a trigger food, do you prefer to eat alone?YesNoEven though you know that some foods are unhealthy and eating them is harming your health, do you feel unable to control your consumption of those foods?YesNoDo you feel agitated, resentful or irritated if someone interferes with your eating certain foods or comments about your eating habits?YesNo
