Healthy Living, Sustainable Recovery Fact Sheets Webinar Part 1
With guest speaker, Annie Lindsay, PhD, FACSM
Derived Intoxicating Cannabinoids Webinar with Matthew Rossheim, PHD, MPH, CPH.
October 17, 2024
START is an acronym, where each of the letters represents a particular way of reducing risk (below are examples in each area). People might discover that they already use some of the strategies but might not have considered others. Some strategies might not be relevant or appropriate for every person.
The relationship between eating pathology and substance use is well established, with up to 50% of people with eating disorders using alcohol or drugs and up to 35% of those dependent on substances having eating disorders. The co-occurrence of these issues makes it difficult to determine which is the primary problem, and subclinical eating pathology often emerges during recovery. Treating substance use, eating pathology, and body image issues simultaneously is often necessary. Recovery can disrupt internal hunger cues, leading to increased appetite, overeating, and weight gain due to biochemical changes.
Body dissatisfaction, defined as having negative thoughts or feelings about one's physical appearance, arises from a perceived gap between one's actual and ideal body image. Influenced by cultural values and appearance ideals, individuals may internalize these ideals, particularly the thin ideal in Western cultures, leading to behaviors aimed at achieving these standards. This thin-ideal internalization often results in body dissatisfaction, driving dieting and extreme measures to improve appearance. Research indicates that body dissatisfaction is a significant predictor of dieting behavior, negative effects, and the development and maintenance of eating disorders, making it one of the strongest predictors of eating pathology.
Recovery-related weight gain is common among individuals recovering from substance use due to suppressed appetite and disrupted metabolism during substance use, leading to significant weight loss. After stopping drug use, weight gain can occur due to impaired nutrient absorption and distorted hunger cues, with cravings for sweet foods often resulting in overeating. Fad diets and rigid dieting behaviors, used as self-medication to prevent weight gain, can be harmful and lead to further weight cycles and a higher risk of substance use recurrence. Chronic dieting, especially among females focused on appearance, can perpetuate weight issues and is exacerbated by dangerous practices like restrictive eating, skipping meals, and misuse of diet supplements and energy products.