Food Addiction is a Major Issue in NZ

The director of the National Addiction Center in New Zealand said that food addiction is becoming a major problem in the country and should be treated as a disease condition in order to help obese people overcome their love for food. Professor Doug Sellman said that one in three New Zealanders could be suffering from food addiction and often display withdrawal symptoms similar to those of methamphetamine or P addicts when they are deprived of certain foods.

He said that while there are no set guidelines to deal with food addiction, the ongoing study conducted by his organization could shed more light on the subject, adding that more study is needed to developing effective strategies.

“At present the only really effective way of dealing with obesity is essentially changing the anatomy of the stomach. I would like to see more self-help networks that are easily accessible, but primarily we need those in primary care services giving encouragement and support with support from experts”, he said.


Source-Medindia