Are you totally fond of chocolate ?


Do you first think about eating chocolate when you’re hungry ? Is it impossible for you not to eat chocolate during one whole day ? Is it extremely difficult for you not to eat all your christmas chocolates before the new year ? Do you often dream of chocolates ?

If you answered « yes » to any of the above questions, then there are many chances that you are a chocoholic. A chocoholic can be defined as someone who is dependent on eating all different kinds of chocolate. The main symptoms are a compulsion to eat everything which is made up of chocolate, which takes precedence over any other food. A chocoholic can suffer from withdrawal symptoms if there isn’t any possibility to eat chocolate which leads to bad mood, irritability and even nastiness. Indeed, in some extreme cases, the chocoholic can steal chocolate from anyone who has some. Moreover, if the chocoholic refuses to eat anything else than chocolate, he can suffer from trembling due to the lack of sugar. The root of the problem, as with many addictions, is the desire to escape from its problems, such as stress, lonelyness and anxiety. The first consequence of this problem can be to put on much weight at the point to suffer from obesity. So the chocoholic stays at home trying to hide his addiction from others and enters into a vicious circle : the more he feels lonely, the more he eats chocolate and doesn’t want to go out…


So what can you do if you think you may be a chocoholic ? Be courageous and accept to be confronted with others : go out for a walk, phone your friends and your family. Try not to focus on the chocolate. That is to say don’t remove completely the chocolate because you risk to be terribly frustrated. But set yourself a target : 2 pieces of chocolate per day and not more ! Help yourself not buying more than one chocolate bar per week. Above all, the key is to have the support of people you care. Communicate with them ! Explain them that you suffer from chocolate dependence : recognize it ! Tell them you need to be encouraged and tell them not to offer you chocolate anymore under the pretext you could die for it ! ! !



salon du chocolat 2008 in Paris