Is this some type of eating disorder?

Question

I go through cravings. I can't understand why. Recently it was peanut butter cups- I couldn't get enough of them, and If I am not having a craving for them- I really am not even fond of them. Before it was frosted mini wheat cereal with a glass of milk (not on the cereal). I also went through a Hummus phase, Subway Phase (sandwich had to be made the same way every time), and a whopper Jr. w/ Cheese minus the meat. Jimmy Johns Turkey Tom sub with extra vinaigrette dressing.

When I have these cravings and I eat the particular craved food, it is like it is the best thing in the whole world. When the craving goes away, I could care less about it. It is just so weird. My daughter says she goes through it a little bit but not to the extent that I do.

I am vegetarian but I don't think this has anything to do with it because I was like that before becoming one. Is this some type of eating disorder or am I missing nutrients that these foods provide? Any idea?

Wow- It's good to know I am not alone! I wonder if this happens more to females than males since some of you mentioned a potential link to hormones. I am going to have to keep a diary. My cravings will last two weeks and then poof.... gone. It makes my husband crazy because he is just catching on to my craving and he buys a ton of whatever... and by then I am finished with the craving. LOL

Dave- The peanut butter cup thing was weird. I normally HATE them. My husband has one occasionally and they never tempted me before. It is actually the food that made me question if this is a disorder! You are also right about me not giving thumbs down. I don't do that because I value all opinions. This is certainly a different view and I will try to keep it in mind!

***Thank you all so much for your answers! You have given me a LOT to think about. :-)

Answer 1

That sounds totally normal. Actually that reminds me of research done on rats about food cravings.

Rats actually have a wide palate of taste and when offered a new, more exciting food choice, they would eat the new taste repeatedly for weeks at a time, and then get sick of it... until they are offered yet another choice. This desire for choices and for variety led to quite a few rats becoming obese, so the link between having a wide variety of food to choose from and obesity was constructed. That's probably where the advice of not having food that tempts you in the house stems from, as well as cutting down on the variety at the table because it makes you eat more (both of these are tips I've seen tossed around on diet sites and magazine articles).

Personally I have gone through this and so does my husband (omnivoure), and it's a hit or miss thing, some of my friends are like it, some aren't. I have gone through a Corn Chex phase where I'd eat a box every two days; I went through a phase where I wanted to eat this one type of coconut sherbet non-stop, etc.

I don't think it's an eating disorder, it is human nature. You have a wide variety of choices and the money to get them, and you have a fine-tuned, delicately constructed palate that loves flavor... it's the perfect situation for something like this to happen.

Answer 2

No, you are not alone. I do the exact same thing. A lot of times I will have a week where I only eat one food. Yesterday I ate a whole box of fudge stripes and that was my whole day. :( When I get like this I have to force myself to eat something else instead of what I'm craving. Recent craving cycles I've had over the past few months include louisa toasted cheese ravioli, jeno's pizza, kraft dinner, fudge stripes, crackers with cream cheese and chives, apple jacks with vanila silk, chunky peanut butter on a rice cake and strawberry-kiwi smoothies. You might be interested in knowing that people with ADD and people on the autism spectrum have this problem quite often. Maybe you are undiagnosed?

Answer 3

Same thing happens to me. As long as you are fairly healthy I believe it is just that your body might be slightly lacking a certain nutrient. I will go weeks eating cottage cheese and fruit in the morning... then all of a sudden I'll stop and could care less if I ever have it again. One time it was grapes, another was tomatoes and dip. The list goes on. Really weird but I'm sure it's not abnormal because I am really healthy and rarely get even a cold. Good luck, and happy cravings! Lol.

Answer 4

Like most of the answers, your body is trying to tell you something. It needs to have alot of a certain nutrient that those foods can provide for you. Now, if you could be a scientist and decipher what your body is trying to tell you, then you could probably eat some other things that have the same nutrient. But many times we just stick to what we know.

Again, if you could eat a variety of foods, like try to eat all the foods you crave throughout the week, then the cravings would not come on all at once.

Now if the cravings start to interfere with your way of life, then you have a problem/eating disorder. But it doesn't seem to interfere with your way of life, so no harm done.

Answer 5

If you're a woman, do you get the cravings at certain times of the month? It's quite possible you could get weird cravings for a week or two every month and then they go away to be replaced by a new craving the next cycle.

Answer 6

When my Hormones were running amuck I had very similar deep cravings. I still get on kicks & will get the same thing over & over, just not to the degree of before.
As I am not a doctor I can only guess that may be the problem.
I'm using a local Compounding Pharmacist to help with my hormones.
http://www.iacprx.org/site/PageServer?pagename=What_is_compounding

Slainté (to your health)

Answer 7

In most cases, I always look at my cravings as me being deficient in the nutrients that are provided by what ever it is I am craving, so I would say you probably need the nutrients.

Answer 8

        Such cravings are not, necessarily, the result of a nutritional deficiency -- though this is the number one most touted "explanation" for such a phenomenon. I don't care if I get thumbs down for this (I know, not from you), but the devil does love to take control of us through our carnal desires -- especially easy ones like food. After all, what's wrong with eating unless we are *really* overdoing it?

        Huh! I'd say eating peanut butter cups every time one turns around is certainly overdoing it! Americans have a *BIG* problem with eating too much and exercising not at all or not nearly enough. Some cravings should *never* be given in to -- such as for *any* kind of junk food.

        Our bodies are SUPPOSED to be the Temple of God the Holy Spirit. What we put into our mouths can, and often does, make our bodies unfit for the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit. Bring your body into subjection by any means (1Co 9:27). It is God's desire for us that we live in harmony with His Plan for our total health:

• "N"utrition
• "E"xercise
• "W"ater
• "S"unshine
• "T"emperance
• "A"ir
• "R"est and sleep
• "T"rust in God

God bless.

Answer 9

There are a few types of Anorexia, there's also Bulimia and I'm not sure what else. Try Wikipedia

Answer 10

No, it is not a disorder until you start eating weird stuff like coffee grounds...that is called pica and some pregnant women get it...you know, pickles and ice cream? That's pica.

Having a craving usually is a sign that your body need some vitamin, mineral or chemical that is in that food.

Enjoy, just in moderation, dear!