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Dr. Martin Binks is Clinical Director and CEO of Binks Behavioral Health PLLC www.DrBinks.com. He is also Assistant Consulting Professor, Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center. His professional activities include direct patient care, research, consultation services and the development of evidence-based obesity and health promotion programs for healthcare, research and corporate wellness environments.

Dr. Binks received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Fairleigh Dickenson University, trained at the Bronx VA Medical Center and completed pre and postdoctoral training in behavioral medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. He is the former Director of Behavioral Health, Research, and New Business and Strategic Alliances at the Duke Diet & Fitness Center. Dr Binks has worked extensively in the areas of obesity, health & wellness promotion, neuropsychology, substance abuse treatment, post-traumatic stress disorder and spinal cord injury.

Binks has authored multiple research publications and the book The Duke Diet. His research interests include technology-based healthcare delivery, obesity treatment, non alcoholic fatty liver disease, and overall health promotion. He serves as a reviewer on several scientific journals and is a regular contributor to multiple health websites and media outlets.

Dr. Binks contributes to healthcare provider education through his work with students and trainees and by lecturing nationally in the areas of obesity management, health promotion and behavioral medicine. Dr Binks is currently active in several leadership positions at the national scientific organization The Obesity Society. Dr Binks also serves in an advisory position with the Army National Guard and is a member of several corporate advisory boards.

Professional Affiliations
The Obesity Society
Association Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
American Psychological Association
Society of Behavioral Medicine

Question of the Month: July 2010

Subject Food addiction?

Question: Hi Dr. Binks, Lately I've been struggling with my weight loss goals. It has gotten to the point that I am starting to wonder if it's possible to be addicted to food. My cravings become so intense at times that I drive myself over to the store and buy what I am craving and eat it all. I feel very guilty during and afterwords and know that it was the wrong thing to do. Can people be addicted to food? How can I avoid these splurges and sudden urges? Thank you, Bumblebee

The drive for eating can be very powerful and often feels like you are “addicted.” There is some research describing how the reward systems of the brain influence our drive to eat and in fact some studies show that the brains of overweight people may respond differently to food cues than those of non-overweight people. However, food does not have the same properties as drugs and alcohol nor is the impact on these reward systems anywhere near the intensity of typical substances of abuse.

Therefore, the strong desire towards food that people are experiencing is not likely an addiction in the traditional sense of the word. However, that does not mean that the physiological aspects of food reward do not play a small part in the drive to eat, it’s just not likely as big a role as the reward system plays in abusing other substances. The easiest way to explain it is this; Often when people talk about addiction they are saying that the substance to which they are “addicted” has some physiological property that when the substance is ingested, removes self-control through a strong and often-times insurmountable physiological event. Unfortunately this thinking leads to a belief that personal control over the substance is next to impossible once you have taken a small quantity. This can lead people to feel helpless and out of control. So by calling food an addiction we might be seen as implying that one cannot control food once a small amount is ingested which is simply not the case. Of course, since we need food to live, this is not a very useful way of approaching the issue either. That being said, even with drugs of abuse, much of what we commonly refer to as “addiction” is better described as a learned coping phenomenon. We often use substances as a way of coping with negative feelings and/or situations or perhaps to achieve a heightened sense of pleasure or reward. This is not always a bad use of food, when done in moderation, but overuse of food for these reasons can lead to weight gain and other health complications. Using food to numb negative feelings or enhance positive ones is something we begin to learn early in life and our mind learns early on to associate food with feeling better. So I recommend that folks learn new ways to self-soothe that do not involve food.

Moderate physical activity (taking a walk) has been linked to improved mood (and increased activity in the reward centers of the brain). So have relaxation exercises like meditation, yoga, and other mind-body activities. Connecting with other people can also be an excellent tool in the battle to cope with negative emotions so I encourage people to talk with family and friends or other sources of personal support like the Healthy Weight Center support groups or connecting with local community organizations to help you to step outside of negative emotions and feel better – without food.

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