Lisa,

Are you taking a multivitamin? Food jags are often a sign of your body
seeking something it's missing in its diet. Sometimes people deeply craving
chocolate are iron-or magnesium-deprived, so the multivitamin may help.

Incidentally, if you go to PubMed (<http://www.pubmed.gov>) and do a search
on the term chocolate addiction, you'll find citations to more articles on
the topic from a medical perspective. I've listed a couple cites below.
Request any articles you want to read through your local library.

Adele

--On Monday, September 13, 2004 2:30 AM -0700 Lisa >
wrote:

> I am addicted to chocolate and can't go a day without having at least
> 3 bars. Has anyone got any suggestions as to how I can over come this
> problem?

Chocolate: food or drug?
Bruinsma K, Taren DL.
J Am Diet Assoc. 1999 Oct;99(10):1249-56. Related Articles, Links

Although addictive behavior is generally associated with drug and alcohol
abuse or compulsive sexual activity, chocolate may evoke similar
psychopharmacologic and behavioral reactions in susceptible persons. A
review of the literature on chocolate cravings indicates that the hedonic
appeal of chocolate (fat, sugar, texture, and aroma) is likely to be a
predominant factor in such cravings. Other characteristics of chocolate,
however, may be equally as important contributors to the phenomena of
chocolate cravings. Chocolate may be used by some as a form of
self-medication for dietary deficiencies (eg, magnesium) or to balance low
levels of neurotransmitters involved in the regulation of mood, food
intake, and compulsive behaviors (eg, serotonin and dopamine). Chocolate
cravings are often episodic and fluctuate with hormonal changes just before
and during the menses, which suggests a hormonal link and confirms the
assumed gender-specific nature of chocolate cravings. Chocolate contains
several biologically active constituents (methylxanthines, biogenic amines,
and cannabinoid-like fatty acids), all of which potentially cause abnormal
behaviors and psychological sensations that parallel those of other
addictive substances. Most likely, a combination of chocolate's sensory
characteristics, nutrient composition, and psychoactive ingredients,
compounded with monthly hormonal fluctuations and mood swings among women,
will ultimately form the model of chocolate cravings. Dietetics
professionals must be aware that chocolate cravings are real. The
psychopharmacologic and chemosensory effects of chocolate must be
considered when formulating recommendations for overall healthful eating
and for treatment of nutritionally related health issues.

Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 10524390 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Food craving and food "addiction": a critical review of the evidence from a
biopsychosocial perspective.
Rogers PJ, Smit HJ.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2000 May;66(1):3-14. Related Articles, Links

Although certain commonalities exist between eating and drug use (mood
effects, external cue-control of appetites, reinforcement, etc. ), it is
argued that the vast majority of cases of (self-reported) food craving and
food "addiction" should not be viewed as addictive behavior. An explanation
is proposed that instead gives a prominent role to the psychological
processes of ambivalence and attribution, operating together with normal
mechanisms of appetite control, the hedonic effects of certain foods, and
socially and culturally determined perceptions of appropriate intakes and
uses of those foods. Ambivalence (e.g., "nice but naughty") about foods
such as chocolate arises from the attitude that it is highly palatable but
should be eaten with restraint. Attempts to restrict intake, however, cause
the desire for chocolate to become more salient, an experience that is then
labelled as a craving. This, together with a need to provide a reason for
why resisting eating chocolate is difficult and sometimes fails, can, in
turn, lead the individual to an explanation in terms of addiction (e.g.,
"chocoholism"). Moreishness ("causing a desire for more") occurs during,
rather than preceding, an eating episode, and is experienced when the eater
attempts to limit consumption before appetite for the food has been sated.

Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial