Column by Dr. Ann Hollingsworth
An addiction (according to Webster’s dictionary) is a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something. The medical world further says that an addiction is an inability to stop using a substance or engaging in a behavior even though it is causing psychological and physical harm.
We Christians tend to think of addictions as sinful vices, such as gambling, pornography, and substance abuses also known as “drugs” However, we refuse to admit some addictions that are killing us more thoroughly than these vices. The reason is that our addictions are rooted in tradition and a false sense of what is “good” in life.
Sweet deserts and snacks have long been a token of love and comfort. However, Dr. Mark Hyman, a leader in functional and integrative medicine, has shared much about the dangers of sugar for us in both biological and psychological addiction. Sugar is a major contributor in chronic disease – CVD, type 2 DM, stroke dementia, cancer, etc. Teenage pre-diabetes and diabetes increased from 9% to 23% from 2000 to 2008. Sugar consumption average for US people went up to 152 lbs/yr now from 40 lbs/yr in 1980. Social trends promote inclusion of sugar in food convenience, outsourcing cooking to corporations, and demise of home cooking. Just about any purchased food that is not produce or maybe meat will have some added sugar in it - and the meat was probably raised on a high-carb diet which converts to sugar.
Even more frightening is the research on sugar versus cocaine. Intense sweetness surpasses cocaine and there is cross tolerance and cross dependence for sugar and drugs of abuse. In testing on rats with sugar or IV cocaine - Rats preferred sugar over IV cocaine, previously cocaine-addicted rats switched to sugar and were eight times more willing to work for sugar than cocaine. Overall, the cocaine reward paled in comparison to a sweet reward.
We arrest people for messing with cocaine. We praise people for all of the sugar-laden Christian love they give to us – usually at the church house. Reckon Satan has anything to do with this deception?
