FoodAddictsInRecoveryAnonymous:TheOnly
Weight-LossProgramThatWorksForSome
PatriciaKozicka
NationalOnlineJournalist,SmartLiving–GlobalNews
AsaweeklyfoodaddictsmeetingbeginsinasmallbrickchurchinayuppieToronto
neighbourhood,onewomanleanstotheattendeeintherowbesideherandconfessesa
forbiddenindulgence.
Shehadabitofcottoncandy.
That’sacardinalsininthisroom,whichisfilledwith60orsomembersofFoodAddictsin
RecoveryAnonymous(FA).Thisparticularcongregationmeetsthreetimesaweek,andisone
of17weeklymeetingsheldinOntario.TherearefourinB.C.,11inAlbertaandhundredsmore
insevenothercountriesaroundtheworld.
It’sessentiallyafree90-minuteweightlosssermon,sanspriestorpews,that’sopentopeople
ofallfaithsandfoodafflictions.Roughly80percentofthosewhoshowuparewomenintheir
20sto80s.
“IdroveacarintoawallbecauseIwasshovingfoodinmymouth…Iwasanaccidentwaitingto
happen.At368pounds,somethingwasgoingtogive,”Paula,aformerpastaaddicttellsGlobal
Newsbeforethemeeting.
Hername,andthatofeveryoneelsequoted,hasbeenchangedandtheirfacesblurred.
AnonymityisthefirstruleofFoodAddictsinRecoveryAnonymous.
Sincejoiningthenot-for-profitprogramfouryearsago,Pauladropped240poundsandhas
maintainedher120-poundweightforthree-and-a-halfyears.
The63-year-oldremembersbeingsobigthatshecouldn’tevenbendovertotiehershoes.
She’dhidefoodfromherhusband,whocameclosetodivorcingher.Allthewhile,shethought
shecouldcontrolherworldthroughherfood.
Bingeingbecameexhausting.Atonepointshedietedherselfintoananorexicclinic.She
weighedonly99poundsthen.
Thedisorderswingsbothways.SomeFAmembershavehadtogainweight,butthemajority
havefoughtcompulsiveovereatinghabitstoloseit.Thousandsofpoundshavebeenshed
betweenthem,withoutmuchexercise.Infact,noneisrequiredintheprogram.
A60-year-oldtellsusbeforethesessionthatsheshed—andkeptoff—halfherweightwhen
shejoinedFAat255poundsoverfouryearsago.
“Iprettymuchtriedeverything.Theonlythingthatworkedformeisthisprogram,”shesays.“I
can’tdothisbymyself.”
Sowhat’sthesecret?
Thetwocorecommandmentsarethatsugarandflourmustbecompletelycutfromone’sdiet.
WhenGlobalNewsasksoneself-professedfoodaddictifshemissesthosestaples,shereplies:
“WhatIdon’tmissisgoingtobedhatingmyself.”
Sugarandflourareconsideredasbadasheroinwouldbeforarecoveringdrugaddict.
Thatmessageisdrivenhomeasthe7p.m.sessiongetsunderway.Thecotton-candy-eating
memberdoesn’tgetachancetoexplainherslip-upbecauseonlythosewith90ormore
straightdaysofsugarandflourabstinenceareallowedtospeak.
Theyspend20minutestakingturnsreadingpartsofFA’smanifestoa.k.a.the“BigBook,”
adaptedfromtheoneusedbyAlcoholicsAnonymous(AA).TheFAbookclaimsfoodaddicts
havean“allergy”toflourandsugar.
“Foodaddictionisadiseaseofthemind,bodyandspiritforwhichthereisnocure,”oneperson
recites.
“Butitcanbearrestedadayatatimebyouradaptingtoadisciplinedwayofeatingandthe
Twelve-StepprogramofFA.”
Inadditiontoavoidingtheingredientsatallcosts,therulesstatemealsaresupposedtobe
“weighedandmeasured.”
AcoupleofregistereddietitiansGlobalNewsspoketoexpressedsomeconcernsoverthe
philosophy.ElkeSengmueller,who’sbasedinToronto,arguesrestrictingfoodslikecarbs
“inevitablycausesintensepreoccupation”andincreasescravingsforthem.
JenniferSygo,whospecializesindisorderedeatingatClevelandClinicCanada,hasahardtime
withtheconceptof“foodaddiction.”Sheseesitmoreasemotionaleating,whichmanyofus
dotodifferentdegrees.
Itbecomesaproblem,Sygosays,“whenitstartsinterferinginyourlife.”Potentialwarning
signsshelistedincludepeoplewhorestrictfoodaren’tabletoeataroundothersortheymay
havehighanxietyaroundfood.
Theprogram’sfaithfulfollowersswearbyit,regardlessofwhatanyonesays.
Turningthingsaround
Valeriabelievesitsavedher.
“It’sthebasisofmylife,”shetoldGlobalNewsafterthesession.“Nomoneyintheworld
combinedcouldgivemewhatthisgivesme.”
Sheandtheotherself-professedfoodaddictslookhappy,healthyandconfident—nothinglike
theirformerselves.Theyproudlycarryphotosintheirwalletsorphonestoproveit.
Valeriadedicatesthenexthalfhourrecountingjusthowunmanageableherlifegotasaresult
ofheraddiction.
HerunhealthyrelationshipwithfoodstartedwhenshewasachildinSouthAmerica.Her
parentssplitupandhermothercouldn’taffordmuchfood.Valeriarecallshowshe’dstareat
otherkids’foodwithlonging.
Onetime,shepickedupaCheetosomeonehaddroppedonthefloorandateit.
Thelackoffoodinherhomeeventuallyspiralledintoafull-blowneatingdisorderwhenshe
couldfinallygetherhandsonmoreofit.Shesaysshe“usedfoodtomedicatethediscomfortof
herfears,doubtandinsecurity.”Shedidn’thavealotoffriendsbecauseshewouldn’tlet
peopleclosetoherforfearofthemrealizinghowbadthingswerewithher.
Herfoodobsessionusedtoconsumeher.Shebarelygraduatedhighschool.Atoneofherfirst
officejobsatalodge,shestolemoneyfromco-workers’drawerstobuyandbingeonfood.
Thenshe’dthrowitup.
ShewasdrawntoFAafterseeinganewspaperadwhilevisitinghersisterintheU.K.Itsaid:
“Areyouhavingtroublecontrollingthewayyou’reeating?”
Bythen,Valeriahad“trieditall…psychotherapy,hypnotherapy,weightlossclinics,weight-loss
programs,diets,yoga,self-helpbooks,restricting,purging,exercise,younameit,Ididit.”
ShefiguredoneFAmeetingcouldn’thurtandgothookedbythewayherproblemwasframed.
Ratherthanfocusonalackofwillpower,itwasexplainedasa“disease”offoodaddiction.
WhenshemovedtoMontrealshortlyafter,therewasnoFAsoshewentasfarastomoveinto
anunneryinpursuitofself-improvement.
“IthoughtthatifIweretobecomeanun,maybemyeatingproblemandallmyinternalissues
wouldgetsolved.Buttheydidn’t.”
She’dgetthenunstodrivehertoapayphonewhereshe’dcallhersponsoratFAintears,as
sheheldabagoffoodshedidn’twanttoeat.
Inthe11yearssincethen,she’scomealongway.She’searnedamaster’sdegreeatMcGill,has
becomeasuccessfulconsultantinToronto,andmaintaineda50-poundweightlossandhealthy
lifestyle—allofwhichsheattributestoFA.Shesaysitmakesherwaymoreefficientbecause
she’snotthinkingaboutfoodallthetime.
“Iwouldn’tbeabletoaccomplishanythingwithoutit.”
‘Mymouthwouldhurtfromeating’
NadiaalsocreditsFAwiththe60-poundweightlossthatshe’sbeenabletokeepoffforsix
yearsandcounting.
“I’mNadiaandI’mafoodaddict,”the32-year-oldsaysoncethemeetingfloorisopenedupto
others.
“Ijusttriedsomanythings—spiritualgroups,emotionaleatinggroups,therapists,
nutritionists,diets,exercise.Noneofitreallyworked.”
HerdecisiontojoinFAmarkedamajorturningpointina17-yearbattlewithweight.Itstarted
whenshewasjustnineyearsoldandsawthefirstofwhatwouldbesevennutritionists.She
wastoldthenthatsheweighedasmuchasa16-year-old.
Atage10,shewastakentoWeightWatchers.Byuniversity,shewasdeclared“morbidlyobese”
at297pounds.
Sheusedtoordersomuchfoodforherselfthatwhenitcametimetopayatthetill,she’dfeel
soashamedthatshe’dlieandsayitwasforabookclub.
Herschoolbookswouldbecoveredinfoodsmears.Whenshe’dwakeupinthemorning,her
“mouthwouldhurtfromeatingsomanyhard,crunchythings.”
Finallyshecametothe“scaryrealization”thateventhoughshewantedtostop,shecouldn’t.
Nadiahidherdisorderfromtheoutsideworld,andevenherself.Shecomparesittobeingan
outwardlyfunctioninghoarderwithabasementfullofjunk.
“NooneknewIdidallthisstuffwithfood,likewhatIdidwhenIwashomealone.
“Itwaslike,I’dinvitepeopleoverandsay,‘Let’ssitinthelivingroom.Butdon’tgointhe
basement.’Andthatwaskindoflikeme—Ijustdidn’tgointhebasement.
“WithFA,Ifeellikepeoplecameintothebasementwithmeandhelpedmesortoutmystuff.
Andtheywerelike,‘We’reherewithyouandaregoingtohelpyoudealwiththis.’”
Anetworkofsupport
Cuttingoutcertainfoodsisjustpartoftheequation.ThesuccessofFAreliesheavilyona
systemofsponsorsandnetworkoffellowfoodaddictsaroundtheworld.
Theideaisyoucancallthemupatanytimetohelpyouthroughmomentsofweakness—
somethingSygo,theregistereddietitianistotallyinfavourof.
Thosecallsareseenasaformof“service”inFAandcanoffermembersstrengthwhenlife
takesaturnfortheworse.
That’swhatthesupportcircleprovidedthissummerforBev,anAlbertawomanwhosehusband
died“suddenlyandunexpectedly”fromabeesting.Callsfromfoodaddicts-turned-friends
werepivotalinhelpingherstayonthewagon.
Thesoon-to-be-60-year-old,whodroppedinonthemeetingduringavisitfromAlbertawhere
she’salsoamember,saysitwasanentirelydifferentstorywhenherfirsthusbandlefther20
yearsago.
“ThefirstthingIdidwastakethekidstoagrocerystore.”
“Wejustwalkeddowntheaislesandboughtwhateverwewanted.Therewassugaredcereals,
icecream.Weboughtwhippingcreambythegallonandwewereeatingitoutofbowls.Itwas
ridiculous.Buttome,thatwasverysoothing.”
Now,whensheneedsthatsenseofcomfort,she’llgogetamassageorhaveabubblebath.
“OrIgospendtimewithmygrandchildren.Iknowhowtomakemylifesweeternow.”
SincejoiningFAadecadeago,Bevlostandkeptoff100pounds.
“I’madifferentpersontodaythanIwas10yearsago.”
Ifshetravelstoaplacethatdoesn’thaveanFAchapter,she’llgotoanAAmeetingwhichshe
sayshasasimilarformat.AthomeinLacombe,sheattendsFAsessionstwiceweekly.
“Peopleshouldjusttryit,”shesays,“andseewhereitleadsyou.”