Eating addiction is overwhelming

DEAR DEIDRE: I’ve been a compulsive overeater for decades and I hate myself.

Food is my drug and I’m desperate to get better and lose weight.
I’m a 53-year-old single man, and over the years I’ve tried everything, even taking fat-burning drugs.

But I’ve never been taken seriously, maybe because I’m only a stone or two overweight like many men, and don’t look obese.

While I can exercise and eat healthily for a while and lose weight, something always triggers me to overeat again.

Usually, it’s an event, like a wedding or work conference, where food is abundant. I find myself stuffing my face and then I fall off the wagon.

I feel like I’ve failed, so might as well carry on eating too much afterwards.

Please help. I don’t want to be like this for the rest of my life.

DEIDRE SAYS: Compulsive overeating is a type of eating disorder.

But it’s very hard to overcome an addiction to food because it’s obviously impossible to “go cold turkey”.

It’s likely your overeating has its roots in a psychological issue – perhaps an unhappy childhood experience.

Perhaps you overeat to fill an emotional hole.

See my support pack on Eating Disorders and the Overeaters Anonymous website (oagb.org uk) for advice and to find local support.

Ask your GP about counselling with a focus on disordered eating.