Beating a Food Addiction | CR Pete Petersen | TEDxUIdaho

there's a three letter F word that I really don't like I have been called it a lot I've also been called the Michelin Man and the Pillsbury Doughboy I remember I was about 30 some young kid asked me why are you so fat okay I said it what I will talk about today is just a piece of the weight-loss puzzle however I hope that it's enough for somebody to give them hope and a place to start ten years ago I had sleep apnea major depression brain fog high blood pressure I was hospitalized twice for an irregular heartbeat I had diabetes fatty liver and neuropathy I was scared to death of Alzheimer's something that runs in my family and is sometimes called type 3 diabetes I'm now a recovering crap addict that's craap and a recovering binge eater according to the diagnostics and Statistical Manual or DSM food addictions don't exist but anyone who has one knows they do for most of 30 years I was morbidly obese at my heaviest I was close to 300 pounds I kept a belt just to remind me how big I was I don't usually wear it but this is it I've lost a few pounds since then without surgery or without any weight loss medication for the past six plus years my blood glucose levels or a1c have been between 4.8 and 5.2 that is almost perfect I'm really not trying to brag I just want to give somebody hope well not the whole story food cravings destructive food cravings come from four primary sources number one is food insecurity I'm not talking about not getting enough food to eat I am talking about not getting enough of the essential nutrients as long as you're mine do not get all the nutrients they need you will be food insecure as long as you were food insecure you will crave food even if you were to eat a gallon of macaroni and cheese every day even if you were to eat two gallons of macaroni and cheese every single day if that's all you ate you would be food insecure I actually had a college roommate who tried that it didn't work out too well for him he ended up becoming really sick he ended up having to have vitamin shots to regain his health he was actually lucky it could have been much worse for some it is some of you may be on a similar path according to the World Health Organization and perhaps for the first time in history there are now more people in the world who are malnourished and obese than malnourished and underweight let me repeat that there are now more people in the world who are malnourished and obese than malnourished and underweight some believe it's too expensive to eat healthy that is a myth for most it is cheaper to eat healthy and be healthy even on food stamps if you know how many can even eat more than they usually eat and still lose weight if they eat the right foods the best solution is to eat a well-balanced healthy diet every single day number two crap if you eat crap you will crave crap period also if you eat crap you are going to feel like crap if not today eventually if you live long enough there is simply no getting around the law of the harvest most of you have a pretty good idea what crap is the best solution is to avoid crap I know that may sound a little bit harsh but remember I'm a recovering crap addict think about it this way and this is a question how much alcohol can a recovering alcoholic safely consume how much ix exactly number three emotional distress first a story last summer my then three year old granddaughter and two of my grandsons were on a trip with me we were returning one of my grandson's to his mother my granddaughter was wearing a sequin dress she decided it would be a good idea to remove a sequin and stick it up her nose okay how many of us have stuck something up her nose and gotten it stuck there is that it I did when I was a kid it was on the weekend and it was a hassle for my parents to find somebody to take it out well I tried to remove the sequin from my granddaughter's nose but I couldn't even see it when we got back to the back to town we went to the doctor the receptionist of course asked us why we were there I said somebody stuck a sequin up their nose the receptionist smiled and said now who did that my granddaughter beamed with delight and patted herself on the chest sorry about that and said me the receptionist and I laughed when we got in to see the doctor she was able to locate the sequin but she wasn't able to remove it either she referred us to an ENT she then offered my granddaughter a sucker sometimes when children are in distress we give them comfort food and usually it's crap as we grow older sometimes when were in distress we seek comfort in food and usually it's what crap even if it's healthy we weigh too much and it only makes the situation worse okay another question how many of you have eaten a whole carton of ice cream or a whole box of donuts or a whole bag of cookies after a breakup okay the best solution is to learn to manage stress in healthy ways and seek appropriate help for trauma number four habitual response to cues and triggers they are everywhere businesses and organization have become quite expert at using smells images and social pressure to separate us from our money some of these cues and triggers almost compels some of us to eat though difficult change is possible for almost anyone the human is the only animal that can plan fully and purposefully reprogram how we respond to cues and triggers it's not easy but it is possible I've done it I've helped other people do it the best solution is to avoid difficult queues and triggers however that's impossible most of the time the National diabetes prevention program and other programs and resources may also help one last tip for anybody who may be a binge eater as with almost any addiction it is more difficult to make healthy decisions when you're tired or stressed how many of you have heard an old commercial that says you can't eat just one well when I'm tired of stressed I can't eat just one of anything because of that I rarely eat after 5 p.m. that strategy has helped me immensely for years perhaps something similar may help some of you remember you do not have to be a slave to cravings there is help and there is hope you can't choose to love yourself more fully you can choose to live life more fully you can choose your own personal optimal health whatever that is thank you [Applause]

Channel: TEDx Talks

Views: 104,058

Keywords: TEDxTalks, English, Health, Food, Heart health, Obesity

Id: 2VJgDkeXsWo

Length: 8min 44sec (524 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 26 2018