Anatomy of a Food Addiction: The Brain Chemistry of Overeating: An Effective Program to Overcome Compulsive Eating (3rd Edition)

I have suffered with food addiction for most of my life. I have aggressively tackled it for the past 3. I have read more than 20 books on the subject ranging from addiction models to everything else out there that has been said. I have been exhausted and confused and failure after failure left me actually suicidal in my misery. Quite by accident I picked up this book and half bored began reading expecting to find the same unattainable prescription for my problem so many books had left me with. Kay Sheppard's book was one I had read and reread many times early in my quest. I have been an intense member of OA, FAA, and every other AA you can imagine for over 15 years.Then somewhere in chapter 2 my ears perked up and I began reading on the edge of my seat. OMG, this is me. I couldn't put it down. I had never seen anything so eye opening by the chapter called The Minimum I was in tears. I had to put the book down and go eat something 3 times I was so triggered and excited at the same time. I stayed up all night finishing it and got started on the very first abstinence I have ever maintained for more than 3 days in 20 years! I went through the 10 day sugar detox Thanksgiving week and I cooked the whole family dinner!!!!The first and second abstinence has been the key for me. I detoxed from sugar and it was brutal but I made it and my family hung in there just as she said to and I was excused from major decisions and anything else important for 2 weeks. They loved me and wanted to help save my life so much that they got on board the plan. The second book about food triggers written for the family is a must read if you follow this program.I will go on to the second abstinence of refined carbs as soon as I am stable on my sugar abstinence. I finally believe I can do this. I have hope and confidence that I didn't have before. I understand soooo much more than I ever did with all those "listen to your body" books or the new age stuff about "go have a bubble bath with aromatherapy candles when you feel like eating". Sure, thats fine since I just took my bag of cookies to the bath with me!The physical methods of abstinence along with the understanding of what I need and how to ask for it or provide it for myself literally saved my life. The fervor in which a previous reviewer trashed this book which saved my life prompted me to write this and beg others with real, life long and heartbreaking struggles to read this book. Its the only thing that helped this 53 year old burned out on diets/12step/motivational books etc heartbroken and depressed mother of 4 and grandmother of 3 to finally find a path out of the insanity. I am sugar free but not carb free yet. I already see a much calmer, clearer head and a willing heart in me to go on to step 2. I am so very grateful for this book I can hardly put it into words. Worth the money? It was worth my life.

This author knows her stuff and as a fairly intelligent, educated person, it takes a lot to get me to change my thinking and behavior. Read this—do exactly what she says. For me—it was sugar and “white” carbs I was addicted to and it’s nearly 3 months since going cold Turkey. I’m so happy and it’s not like a restricted diet.

This was the one book I bought on this topic, being a male thats suffered with over eating all his life. It gave me some food for thought, no pun intended. The author does a good job of explaining origins of eating disorders. I would have preferred a little less feminine victim hood mentality and a little more responsibility-taking in the author's opinions and advice. Still, if you're in denial about some things in your life concerning food, I'd recommend you at least check this out.

This is an amazing book!! It took me forever to read it, only because it felt like she was digging too deep into my past issues that I hadn’t come to terms with. So I’d leave it for a month and then go back...etc.However, the last part of the book talking about diet etc is extremely outdated. If you have already educated yourself on what and how you should be eating as a carb addict, her food advice will NOT help you. If anything, it will send you back into your sugar/addiction.So...take addiction part of the book and put it into play. (It is excellent) Leave the dietary advice completely alone!

I am a food addict. I did not know that the meaning of this was until I started reading Anne Katherine's book. From the very first second of reading this book it grabs you. How certain food trigger our brain chemistry to act in certain ways, and why chocolate has more power than radishes over us. We may like radishes and we may like chocolate, but we probably have more of an addiction response to chocolate than we do to radishes.She also says that not all people have the same response to the same foods as others, so not all people are addicted to the same foods or react in the same way. And also, sometimes we can eat certain foods a little and won't have a reaction. Food addiction is tricky. And a relatively new field.Anne Katherine is a pioneer in this field. She has a website,... and does retreats, summer camp, lectures.The way I found her was my own website for weight loss communities.msn.com/ruthlilycatsweightlosscommunity and I encourage people to read books. I found this book here at amazon while looking for binge eating books, and no-diet books (along the lines of Geneen Roth).This book is the next level up from Geneen Roth and is the real brain chemistry behind the foods that we eat.An aside, I have not finished reading the book yet, so that is what I've gleaned from the first parts of the book. I am just so thrilled there is a book like this that I couldn't wait to review it. Thanks amazon for sending me the book!!

The bottom line is that food addiction is real—it’s been acknowledged by world-class scientists—and we need to start taking it seriously.I began to focus on WHY I was so weak when it came to refusing to eliminate foods that I knew were so destructive to me.I have always said that I am addiction to chocolate, that it is like a drug for me and if I eat 1 bite, I am gone.I was researching food addiction, came across this book and decided it was a book I needed to read. This book describes it exactly. I came across this book after reading several praises on Amazon reviews and instantly purchased it and read it immediately.I would recommend it if you're looking to understand why food isn't making you happy though you firmly believe it will.Explains Food Addiction in a very helpful way. I think gaining the understanding of how addiction works is a huge advantage. I learned a lot reading this book and I'm looking forward to having the insights from this book serving as an "ace up my sleeve" as I face my addiction head on.This book is just what the doctor ordered. It spells out the truth plain, simple and in depth.

Powerful stuff. Recommended to me by my therapist - although rather American in parts, and my childhood was good, this resonated so much it made me cry. Which is something I don't do. A very interesting delve into the chemistry of the brain and sugar/carb addiction (potentially also alcohol and shopping - both in my case).

Interesting facts and very insightful reading, so my wife tells me, she is getting stuck into it and clearly enjoying it. Good quality book.

it`s good book, i recommend it to any body

it made me cry, great book.....it is not only about food, it is about all sort of addictions...shopping for example

I bought this a while ago and finally sat down to read it and to my amazement I’m missing the first 2and a half chapters? I’m pretty sure they are very important pieces to the puzzle! I’m hoping they will send me a new one.