Why Can't I Stop Eating: Recognizing, Understanding, and Overcoming Food Addiction

by Debbie Danowski, Pedro Lazaro

Why can't I stop eating? If, like millions of others, you often ask yourself this question, you may be addicted to food. The food you eat may be precisely what makes you crave more...and more. This straight-talking book puts the widespread problem of food addiction into clear perspective and points the way to a life free of the obsession with food. Debbie Danowski, whose food addiction nearly ruined her life, and Peter Lazaro combine forces to give readers a full understanding of this debilitating its sources, patterns, consequences, and physiological underpinnings. Unlike fad diets and drugs with their side effects, hidden costs, and infamous failure rates, the program outlined in this book goes to the root cause of chronic overeating and puts the tools for a lifelong cure into the hands of anyone willing to accept responsibility for a healthy, happy future.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Health, Diets

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Maree · Rating 2 out of 5]

I may be a food addict and I am glad that I read this book, but I had a hard time with the author's timidity. She was so nervous about offending someone. For example, because she didn't want to offend others who didn't believe in God, she mentions more than once to basically believe that a rock could help you. Give me a break. Also, there are entirely too many questions.
I will begin keeping track of what I eat and my feelings during my days to figure out exactly what kinds of foods I'm addicted to. I will make a prediction: Breyer's Ice Cream. As a kid I literally dreamed of owning a deep freeze as an adult and filling it to capacity with ice cream - yea I have a problem with it.
Another thing, while reading this book, all I could think about was food, so that was kind of a downer. I wouldn't really recommend this book unless you just want to get a little more educated on what food addiction is and some good ideas on how to overcome it.

[Suzan · Rating 1 out of 5]

People with a background in science / reading scientific lit will likely hate this book. Lots of assumptions and naming one study with n=15 (or some other tiny number) cited as "proof". Author will also name drop doctors without citing any reason for their credibility on the matter-ex. Dr. Susan Smith says "fat foods are bad", which proves that XYZ. Ehrm, nope, that's not how things work. Too irritated to finish.

[Jeannette Mazur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good information, but a bit preachy, and slighly crazy. Seriously, weigh all your food before you eat it? Death first

[Douglas Lord · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooooooly shit I don’t know why but I can certainly provide an excellent case study. I mean, truly, I am totally addicted to food. I eat it, like, every day. Sometimes multiple times per day. Sometimes I’ll have a little something, then follow that with a little something else. So yah, an addict. Even if I’m not in recovery yet, this book helped me figure out some of my issues (the big one? I haven’t mastered the phrase, “I’m full”). Eating healthily is key, it turns out. take calories as an example - they are not created equal. Seems that the calories in an avocado are better than the calories from a jelly donut. And while everyone reacts slightly differently to carbohydrates, sugar, and caffeine, each of these can be powerfully addictive substances to the average American book reader. Low carb intake (like in The Zone Diet). Supportive, informative, critical of the diet industry, encouraging of a 12-step plan = excellent. If you have food trouble, this is good. And inedible.

[Melanee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated the way she talked down the entire book and made it clear that she felt you could only live your life if you lose weight. The only reason I didn't give it 1 star is that I felt there was some good information, but I think there would be a much less painful way to get it.

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

highly informative about how people can have food allergies to flour, sugar, fat, carbs and caffeine.

[Anne Harm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad I read this book; processing, carefully considering and want to try some breakfast cereal meeting their criteria. All the cereals at Aldi (other than oatmeal, which I stock/regularly enjoy), have sugar or flour within the first four ingredients, so they do not qualify. I'm going to look at other stores, and go from there.

[Devan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Her approach to overeating is basically avoiding food that troubles you and weigh and measure everything you eat. I’m sorry, but no thank you. A much better book that deals with how to stop binging is a book called Breaking Free From Emotional Eating by Geneen Roth.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am glad I read this book. I have been measuring and logging my food intake for years but still felt totally out of control. Since reading this book I have essentially walked away from sugar and can say that I have been able to notice real hunger instead of just cravings for carbs or sweets (which were dominating my day). The book is simple and easy to follow and I skimmed maybe one-third of it because it did not apply to my situation. May eventually buy to have as resource. Clean Eating is a magazine that is rooted avoiding simple carbohydrates and now I will pay more attention to their desserts.

[Mary Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful. I think I can get my eating under control, now that I understand my issues.