The COMmunicator 2018-19 Vol. 2 | Page 31

In the fall, Culinary Medicine hosted an event on food addiction. Justine Monthony, OMS-II reached out to a local Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) group who were thrilled to have the opportunity to speak with medical students about their program, and to discuss their own experiences with food addiction. Katie Polakoski, OMS-I introduced the first speaker, Steve, who traced the origins of the group from Overeaters Anonymous (OA), but eventually morphed into FA when a committed group saw striking similarities between Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and FA. Over-eating, bulimia, and anorexia are all symptoms of addiction that parallels drug and alcohol addiction. Behaviors of FA come in many forms: over-eating, binge eating, restricting, over exercising, compulsive dieting, hiding food, emotional eating, etc. “Everything was a trigger… a reason to eat food,” he explains.

According to Steve, FA is not a diet, but a 12-step recovery program, a “new way of living”, that focuses on developing a new relationship with food since people with food addiction abuse themselves with food. Their focus is on abstaining from food that their bodies find addictive (or food that they find themselves craving or over-eating) including flour, and sugar. They also put emphasis on the amount of food they allow themselves to eat, and measure the quantities based on their individual food plan.

The speakers, Steve, Shirley, Cathy, and Sandy hailed from all over Maine, including Woolrich, Brunswick, Belfast, and Cape Elizabeth. Every one of them told their story, and each one advocated for the effectiveness of the program for anyone who struggles with food addiction. The risks of food addiction are great, and can lead to hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and other major health concerns. Of their members, 94% reported weight loss since joining FA, and 98% experienced mental health improvements. Although abstaining from sugar and flour products is hard and measuring food can be laborious, every one of the speakers was insistent that the program turned their lives around.

What they hoped all the medical students in the room gained from hearing their experiences is that, as future physicians, they understand that for some people food is truly an addiction and not about an intrinsic ability or inability to refrain from the food that is harming them. For people with food addiction, it is not about good or bad choices, but about addiction. They encourage physicians to use FA as a resource in a similar vein as using AA as a resource for people who struggle with substance abuse. Carl Lowe, Jr., MD, a bariatric surgeon, refers his patients to FA, but even physicians in Family Medicine can utilize FA if they feel their patient is ready and willing to do the work. FA is just a phone call or meeting away.

Katie Polakoski, OMS-I introduces speakers from Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous

FOOD ADDICTION