Food addiction, temperament, character

Bobrovskaya Elena Faimovna

The article discusses the phenomenon of food addictions, which, having formed against the background of chronic stress, can cause psychosomatic diseases, the development of neuroses, insomnia, depression, etc., significantly worsening the quality of life and the level of psychological well-being of a person. Food addiction is a maladaptive way of resolving conflicts, in which food is a symbolic way of communicating with one's own sense of inadequacy to the requirements of reality and a sense of inadequacy that arises from the inability to establish effective communication with others. The types of food addictions are described: overeating (hyperphagia) and starvation. Some researchers refer to anorexia nervosa and bulimia as food addictions. The strategies of eating addictive behavior are considered, such as: emotiogenic, restrictive and external. The reasons for the formation of food additives are presented: biological and socio-psychological, as well as the mechanisms of their formation. The analysis of psychological factors influencing the formation of food addictions, such as: characteristics of character and temperament, types of accentuations, cognitive distortions, coping strategies. Many researchers identify common features inherent in food addicts: a negative image of one's own body, low self-esteem, vulnerability, signs of depression, difficulties in communication, increased self-criticism, self-doubt, dependence on the opinions of others, powerlessness, guilt, and a high level of anxiety.

Keywords:food addiction, eating disorders, stress, psychosocial factors, accentuation, temperament.