Information, support, and tools for help with compulsive eating and food addiction – ÄHKY®
We offer information, support, and tools for people who are struggling with compulsive eating and food addiction. We are the only organization in Finland offering targeted support and help with food addiction. Our goal is to help people with compulsive eating and food addiction, and to raise awareness on the national level about factors leading to obesity.
What is compulsive eating?
Compulsive eating can be determined as a behaviour where one repeatedly loses control of eating. Compulsive eating can occur as constant snacking, binging, emotional eating, and going back and forth between overeating and fasting. Generally, the action is driven by a desire for pleasure and relief from difficult emotions. Compulsive eating has wide-ranging negative consequences for both physical and mental health as well as the social wellbeing of individuals.
What is food addiction?
Food addiction occurs as a strong desire towards food and eating, combined with an inability to stop eating despite the negative consequences. Food addiction has many features in common with other addictions and is currently being studied from the perspective of substance-related as well as behavioral addictions. So far, no diagnostic criteria have been established. Nevertheless, food addiction is widely recognized among people with compulsive eating and especially among those with a history of other addictions.
What do we do?
- We offer online group meetings with professional guidance and organize online peer support groups led by other peers.
- We train healthcare professionals to recognize factors behind compulsive eating and raise awareness on how to recognize food addiction.
Our main goal is to identify all the individual factors that have led to compulsive eating and food addiction. Our group meetings cover themes ranging from life values and motivation to nutrition, self-compassion and emotional skills. Our work is based on trauma-informed approach.
We also have groups and events in English! Click here for more information.