We're all addicted to something bad for us

It's one of those things we often talk about in relation to drugs and alcohol, but it often falls by the wayside when talking about other "addictive” things

Caitlan Charles from the Daily Examiner

ADDICTION is one of those things we often talk about in relation to drugs and alcohol, but it often falls by the wayside when talking about other "addictive" things.

I am one of those people who has an addictive personality.

As my mother believes, it all started with the first time I had formula as a baby, and it's ended with my addiction to food. I have no idea if that is scientifically sound, or even responsible to claim, but she likes to make assertions like that, provable or not.

Food has always been my downfall, and it's not even that I am eating McDonald's or KFC on a regular basis. In fact I hardly eat take away. I just eat too much.

I like to consider myself a pretty good cook. You're not going to find me on MasterChef any time soon, or ever, but I grew up with two parents who loved to cook and who passed that onto me.

I love to cook with fresh ingredients, I like to make my own sauces from scratch, I can't even remember the last time I used a pre-packaged sauce.

The point I am trying to make is that I love to eat good food.

It might be one of my biggest loves in life, but it's also my biggest downfall.

When you love food that much, the flavours, the aromas, everything about it, it's difficult to give it up.

My six-month stint at clean eating ended in me being more unhappy than I was when I started trying to lose weight because I was unhappy.

I've learned to moderate the "good stuff", but if you put a bowl of pasta in front of me with a beautifully made tomato sauce, I am going to lose my mind.

I may have said I wasn't MasterChef ready, but I am Great Australian Bake Off ready. Just ask my colleagues.

You might like cake, but when you can make scrumptious treats with ease (and actually enjoy making them) it's very difficult to hold back from the sweet, sweet desire of a baked cheesecake or a Persian Love Cake or my most recent accomplish- ment, a mouthwatering, death-defying (or encouraging) caramel slice.

The problem is, I love food. A lot. And I am addicted to it.

Originally published as We're all addicted to something bad for us