Customer Reviews

Anatomy of a Food Addiction: The Brain Chemistry of Overeating: An Effective Program to Overcome Compulsive Eating (3rd Edition)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have battled with eating my whole life. This book explains that it is a chemical reaction that causes us to crave food and to over eat. It does not mean you have no will power or are not a good person. This book gives you a step by step guide to win the battle. Stop blaming yourself and get some real help that works.

Ironically, it was a negative comment written by another reviewer that told me this was the book for me! They had mentioned the author's prescription of abstinence from sugar and white flour products to stop the carvings. You see, I know firsthand that this is a necessary and extremely effective step in combating food cravings and the binges that characterize a food addiction. (By the way this is not an "Atkins like" diet in any way, shape or form - you are still allowed heatlhy whole grains, fruits etc.) I just didn't know WHY it worked for me. For more than a year, I abstained from eating white flour products, fruits and sugars due to actual food allergies and as a wonderful side effect, all of my cravings for and obsessive thoughts about these foods ceased completely. I was no longer driven to or dependent on food. However, because I wasn't aware of why I had been so dependent on food in the past, I allowed myself to have a slice of cake on my birthday which turned out to be a huge mistake. Bam! I was right back in and I haven't been able to abstain ever since. After reading this book, I uncovered the other more important and insidious reason for my inability to regain abstinence - namely, the emotional issues that drive me to food. This aspect of the book, is the most important of all. This book feels like it was written for me. I've had every thought, every feeling Dr. Katherine relates. Her writing exposes my inner life, a life I thought was mine alone but in reality most, if not all, overeaters share the same experiences! Do yourself, your body, your soul a favor and buy this book! Thank you Anne Katherine!

Reading this book I finally discovered that I am not alone in my compulsion to eat. The author was able to relate with the reader, going through it herself, and explain why we do it. It was a wonderful explanation of why we eat and how to overcome it. In detail she explains the chemical reactions in your body and why it keeps you eating. She takes you through 'assignments' to help you on your path and encourages triumph, while acknowledging the hard work we'll go through. This book has given me hope that I have never before felt. Successfully she made me realize that it isn't all my fault because I have no will power, but deeper emotional needs that I have filled with food. I feel happy and hopeful for the first time in years.

I've read many books but this is the best book by far. This writer is so right on between what causes the overeating and how important it is to understand both the chemical and pyschological aspects of this condition. I believe the inner search and healing is the real key and requires all she writes about to understand why this has happened to you, me and many others. I was one whose feelings were disregarded as a child and was not taught how to deal with those feelings. I highly suggest that along with all this you try breathwork. It will help you immensely at getting to your core.

I think the main problem with this book is the fact that it needs an updated edition. It was pubished in 1991, with the forward updated in 1993. She mentions several studies that are incomplete and ongoing with "promising" initial results . Many of these studies regard a condition she calls "brain allergy."

What is a brain allergy? According to Katherine, the brains of food addicts are most likely allergic to sugar and refined carbs.

She then mentions several times and even devotes a whole chapter on "abstaining". She wants the reader to go 6 months eating no sugar, refined carbs and alcohol. She says this is not a diet. She says this is avoiding a dangerous drug. I think this sounds as off the wall as high colonic theraputic enemas and gall bladder washes.

I'm in recovery with a therapist for binge-eating disorder. The CURE for this disorder is to eat intuitively: to eat what you want, when you want it and to stop when you are full. No foods are off limits, because limiting foods causes restriction, which in turn causes binges (I'm totally glossing over the whole psychological element here). People in recovery for all eating disorders should not diet.

But, isn't eating for 6 months with no sugars and carbs a DIET? No, says Katherine. Abstinence is not a diet. Abstinence is avoiding foods with harmful chemicals.

I say this chapter is a trigger for me because I'm already stressed thinking she wants me to go on the Atkins plan.

I have a real problem with this author's inability to clearly point out how avoiding foods for 6 months is not a diet. It is a diet. Eating disordered people already know diets CAUSE eating disorders.

However, I did find tremendous comfort in the author's personal experiences and especially when she shows how she deals with a triggering anxious thought.

I found the exercises to be a bit silly and not a good substitute for personal therapy.

I really wanted to give this book a 2.5 stars because 3 stars seem too much, yet 2 stars seem too little.

It would be interesting to see, 13 years later what became of those studies she based her "brain allergy" ideas on. My guess would be they didn't prove anything, as the first time I heard of a brain allergy was when I read this book.

I would recommend the 2003 edition of "Intuitive Eating" and also "Overcoming Overeating" instead of this book. These books were more complete to me, as I didn't have to skip chapters about going on a sugar free diet.

There is no denying that many people are deeply attached and helped by the 12-step method of overcoming dangerous behaviors. However, it is not the only way, but many tell you it is. Becoming dependent on people instead of food (or whatever) is not for everyone. I would encourage people to read about 12-Step programs, including the cons before buying a book in favor of them. Many books on binge eating use that approach, but not all. Overcoming Binge Eating by Christopher Fairburn doesn't require you to become part of that subculture of "12-steppers" to get help with this disorder. The reason I say that 12-step is not a good way of thinking is because (for one reason) it requires you to use black and white thinking, as in I am either abstinent or I am not. You can't have partial successes and you can't have partial failures. It does get 2 stars becasue it does help some people who are helped just to find someone they can relate to and connect with and the author's tone is comforting.

I have suffered with food addiction for most of my life. I have aggressively tackled it for the past 3. I have read more than 20 books on the subject ranging from addiction models to everything else out there that has been said. I have been exhausted and confused and failure after failure left me actually suicidal in my misery. Quite by accident I picked up this book and half bored began reading expecting to find the same unattainable prescription for my problem so many books had left me with. Kay Sheppard's book was one I had read and reread many times early in my quest. I have been an intense member of OA, FAA, and every other AA you can imagine for over 15 years.

Then somewhere in chapter 2 my ears perked up and I began reading on the edge of my seat. OMG, this is me. I couldn't put it down. I had never seen anything so eye opening by the chapter called The Minimum I was in tears. I had to put the book down and go eat something 3 times I was so triggered and excited at the same time. I stayed up all night finishing it and got started on the very first abstinence I have ever maintained for more than 3 days in 20 years! I went through the 10 day sugar detox Thanksgiving week and I cooked the whole family dinner!!!!

The first and second abstinence has been the key for me. I detoxed from sugar and it was brutal but I made it and my family hung in there just as she said to and I was excused from major decisions and anything else important for 2 weeks. They loved me and wanted to help save my life so much that they got on board the plan. The second book about food triggers written for the family is a must read if you follow this program.

I will go on to the second abstinence of refined carbs as soon as I am stable on my sugar abstinence. I finally believe I can do this. I have hope and confidence that I didn't have before. I understand soooo much more than I ever did with all those "listen to your body" books or the new age stuff about "go have a bubble bath with aromatherapy candles when you feel like eating". Sure, thats fine since I just took my bag of cookies to the bath with me!

The physical methods of abstinence along with the understanding of what I need and how to ask for it or provide it for myself literally saved my life. The fervor in which a previous reviewer trashed this book which saved my life prompted me to write this and beg others with real, life long and heartbreaking struggles to read this book. Its the only thing that helped this 53 year old burned out on diets/12step/motivational books etc heartbroken and depressed mother of 4 and grandmother of 3 to finally find a path out of the insanity. I am sugar free but not carb free yet. I already see a much calmer, clearer head and a willing heart in me to go on to step 2. I am so very grateful for this book I can hardly put it into words. Worth the money? It was worth my life.

I had to go back and look through the triggering chapter for me. She advocates that sugar is like cocaine for food addicts. Then she tells you one year after giving up sugar, give up refined carbs. Then she said to tell everyone in your family that these foods are drugs and then she says you have to stay viligant in your quest to weed these drugs out of your life. What follows is a suggested list of foods where you should look for hidden sugar as well as a suggestion to make sure you drill every waiter in restaurants about how they cook their foods. Then she lists "good" foods to have in hand. See where I am going with this?

I'm in RECOVERY for an eating disorder. How am I supposed to FREE myself from a food addiction when I need to continually obsess about FOODS? For the majority of binge-eating disordered people, this is NOT going to be helpful. I still can't understand why she says this isnt' a diet. Having lists of good foods/bad foods IS A DIET!

I feel much calmer and happier knowing I can eat what I want when I want it. THAT is what frees me from food and allows me to deal with my emotions that drive me to food. Obsessing about what foods I can/can't have just keeps me superficially in the food part of the disorder and never would allow me to get past the food and get to the feelings.

Food isn't the enemy.

I dropped my stars to 2 stars because I'm really triggered now. I'm stressed out. See? Even talking about this sugar/drug/good food/bad food is a trigger.

This book will have to go in the trash will all my other diet books.

If you want to understand why your eating habits are out of control, this is the book which explains it! This book has really helped me to understand why I am so addicted to sugar and flour, and explains how one needs to abstain from these foods. I still have to rely on O.A. in order to keep the motivation to eat properly, but I come back to this book on a regular basis to keep my mind focused on why I keep returning to bad eating habits and how I am not to blame. GREAT BOOK.

This book is a step-by-step guide to freedom! After years of dieting with varied levels of success, I finally discovered what the real problem was. She not only explains the chemistry of addiction but gives concrete, practical steps to achieve abstinence and freedom. I can't recommend it highly enough.