Five Days for Food Addiction

If you missed the retreat a couple of weeks ago, there’s another coming up in mid-December and again in January. These are four day, five night retreats offered by the COR Retreat in Wayzata, MN. The programs are designed for those suffering from food addiction.

In a model used for alcoholism and drug addiction, the retreats are intensive, 12-step style programs where participants are monitored and counseled during their stay. The claim is that, for $650, you can get lodging, meals and transform your life “by learning to live free from the obsession with food and the excess weight it causes.”

According to the director, Michelle Goldberger, “This is unlike any other food recovery program out there. It is a nurturing program of hope and recovery passed on to participants by those who have used the solution in their own lives.”

The interesting thing is that food addiction is being treated as a “real” addiction, after so much criticism in the media. And as an addiction, some of the same methods are being used to treat it. A residential program/retreat takes it another step forward, beyond just informal meetings or Internet forums. The obese, or at least a segment of that category, have been saying for years that they suffer the same cravings and emotional upheaval that any addict does and many seek help using the same techniques, like the 12-steps.

The next real hurdle will be getting recognition from the psychology community and a well-defined diagnosis. That’s an important step because, from medical standards, insurance money flows. Regardless of how much money an insurer will save (fewer associated medical problems), they usually won’t pay unless and until the medical community recognized a condition. Some policies will pay for bariatric surgery (stomach stapling, lap band) and some won’t.

There’s a link to the COR retreat website in the story linked above if you wish to see what they offer.