What Is Food Addicts Anonymous?

Principles of Food Addicts Anonymous

While adopting many of the traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, Food Addicts Anonymous is tailored to the causes, symptoms, triggers, and difficulties specifically related to food addictions. Food Addicts Anonymous treats food addiction as a threefold illness consisting of physical, mental, and spiritual factors.¹ 

• Physical: Physical factors contributing to food addiction include genetics and brain chemistry, in which food triggers a similar dopaminergic reward response as drugs and alcohol. This becomes self-reinforcing (and ultimately addictive) through the continued consumption of food. 
• Mental: Negative emotions like stress and depression can lead to maladaptive coping mechanisms, such as binge eating and addiction to particular, often unhealthy, foods. 
• Spiritual: Spirituality is a key component of Food Addicts Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous. Food Addicts Anonymous adopts the philosophy that addiction is at least a partial indication of a spiritual deficit and inability to succumb to the recognition of a higher power. Though it’s not specifically tied to a particular religion, its principles are based on the Christian idea of God. 

Thus, recovery from a food addiction via participation in Food Addicts Anonymous involves addressing each of these three components of the illness. It’s important to note that Food Addicts Anonymous and participation in other support groups is not a substitute for treatment. The core of recovery from any eating disorder should involve therapy.

How Does It Work?

Food Addicts Anonymous is free and voluntary for anyone with a desire to manage and recover from a food addiction. 

The group is based on the premise that individuals who develop an addiction cannot fully manage their condition, and they need to rely on the help of a “higher power.” There is no cure for food addiction. Like other addictions, it must be continually managed for life. 

The program is based on the 12 steps of recovery that are similar to those of the original Alcoholics Anonymous recovery model. The 12 steps include the following:²

1. Admitting that one is powerless over their food addiction and that they can no longer manage their behavior
2. Coming to believe that a higher power is necessary to restore mental health 
3. Deciding to turn one’s life over to God, as one personally understands God to be
4. Making a fearless moral inventory of one’s life
5. Admitting to God, oneself, and one other person the nature of past wrongs that have been committed
6. Reaching a point of full readiness to allow God to remove any character shortcomings that have been identified
7. Through a lens of humility, asking God or the higher power to remove all character deficiencies
8. Making a list of individuals who one has harmed in the past and being willing to make amends to each one
9. Making direct amends to people one has harmed, when possible, unless doing so would cause them further injury in some way
10. Continuing to make a personal inventory and promptly admitting when one is wrong
11. Through prayer and meditation, seeking to improve communication with God as one understands God, praying for knowledge of God’s will for oneself, and praying for the power to carry out that will
12. Having a spiritual arousal resulting from these steps and practicing these principles in all aspects of life

Through the completion of these steps and a combination of shared experience and mutual support, individuals with food addiction can recover from this illness. One of the revolutions of the original Alcoholics Anonymous model that has made it highly effective for numerous types of addiction is the perspective that addiction is a disease. Viewing addiction as a disease and not simply a lack of control or discipline helps to remove some of the shame, guilt, and stigma associated with it. This empowers individuals to seek the help they need to recover. 

Benefits of Food Addicts Anonymous

There are numerous benefits of Food Addicts Anonymous, such as these: 

• It is highly effective for many people. 
• It promotes long-term recovery from food addiction and can help to prevent relapse due to the ongoing support provided. 
• It promotes a complete personal and spiritual transformation, which can aid in the prevention of other mental health issues. 
• It provides the skills and tools needed to be a happier and more complete person. 
• It decreases some of the stigma and shame that can be commonly attached to addiction by viewing this condition as an illness. The medical community is in agreement with this view. 
• It is holistic and comprehensive, emphasizing the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of the disease.
• It provides a sense of community and social support, which can help in coping with triggers for food addiction.
• It provides a pathway to support and sponsor others, which can enhance one’s sense of well-being and recovery.

Other Support Groups

It is difficult to avoid noting the overt religious terminology and language in the 12 steps, which can deter many people. Food Addicts Anonymous does aim to relay the message that it does not align with any specific religious doctrine and is not in disagreement with any faith or belief system, even atheism. Instead, it is concerned with facilitating a complete personal and spiritual transformation.

In this sense, it extends beyond the smaller problem of just addiction. For this reason, programs under the Anonymous umbrella have been highly and longitudinally effective for many people. 

However, completing the 12 steps without yielding to some conception of a higher power is ultimately impossible. Alternative support groups exist for individuals strongly opposed to such a view or dislike some of the terminology used in the program. 

Here are some examples: 

• Overeaters Anonymous
• GreySheeters Anonymous
• Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous
• General group-oriented support and nutrition counseling

Selecting the right program depends on many factors, such as your personality, sense of spirituality, and geographic location. You can always try a Food Addicts Anonymous meeting to determine if it is a good fit. Remember that a support group won’t replace traditional treatment but could augment your overall recovery.