Healthy Eating and Weight

As someone dealing with admissions to an addiction rehab clinic, I am increasingly talking to people who have problems with weight eating disorders. At the moment most the people I talk to have a dual diagnosis, that is, they are discussing help from the Haynes Clinic for a substance addiction (alcohol, drugs or prescription medication) but also have an issue with food. I always tell them that unless they address both addictions they will not get well as if they get off the alcohol or drugs but are left with the eating disorder, they will relapse. All the experts tell me this and all the evidence I have noted from my experience of meeting these patients indicates that it is true.

If we eat a normal, healthy, mixed diet with three regular meals a day and no snacks in between then we should have no problems with diet, nutrition or bodyweight. Food intake should include fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Diets should include whole grains, nuts, fish, meat (white in preference to red) and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. And that is it.

No Comfort Eating

There is no need for supplements or medications which suppress or speed up the appetite. There should be no comfort eating, no comfort starving, no binging or purging – all classic elements of an eating disorder.

Fat comes from food. If we eat more than we require, we put on weight. If we eat less than we require we lose weight. The amount we require comes from a combination of our metabolism and the exercise we take. Of course there are medical conditions which can affect the amount of weight put on or lost, but for most people this is not so. Liposuction and cosmetic surgery might remove the excess fat but if the diet is not correct, it will return.

Weight

The concept of how fat is fat and how thin is thin can be cultural. Models today are thinner than those from say, over 50 years ago. In some societies, being ‘fatter’ is a sign of health (not having a wasting disease) and / or affluence (wealthy to be able to eat enough and therefore often powerful).

Many people who go on diets do not have an eating disorder though they are trying to change the way they feel about themselves by changing the way they look. Some of these diets are faddy and quite ridiculous though some will result in weight loss – but this will only be maintained if long term calories in equal calories out. Crash diets can set up cravings and are often followed by rebound binges. It is more sensible to diet (if necessary) by taking in – say – 1000 calories a day – by which most people will lose around 4lbs a week. Another way to lose weight is to increase exercise.

The Haynes Clinic offers residential treatment for dependency on alcohol, drugs and prescription medication. We can also help with other addictions such as gambling and with eating disorders.

If you have an alcohol or drug related problem, please call The Haynes Clinic on 01462 851414 for free and confidential advice and help.