How is "The Road Less Traveled with Food" Different?

Last night I was watching an Oprah episode from back in Oct/Nov (I tape them everyday and usually watch them over the weekend but I got way behind in my watching in late 2006. I could tell this one was from Oct/Nov because there were political ads during the commercial breaks. ) about women who have had gastric bypass surgery. They thought that if they were to become thin they would be happy and everything would be okay. Then they became thin and weren't happy...but they couldn't turn to their comfort or addictive activity. So they turned to others. Two of the three turned to alcohol and one turned to promiscuous sex. As Oprah pointed out they didn't deal with why they ate in the first place. The issues didn't go away, just their ability to eat over them! I feel so much compassion for these ladies. If I had not found Kathy Bowes in November 2003 I would likely be one of these women. As much as it freaks me out to think of permanently changing my body I was so desperate that I was on my way there. By learning about the biochemical process that happens in my body when I eat sugar and wheat I made the choice to stop eating them. It was like a fog had lifted from my thinking. It was like some scene out of a movie where the clouds part and you hear a choir of angels singing! :) But Kathy didn't just stop at getting us off sugar and wheat. She guided us through the process of filling in that hole we had that made us want to eat in the first place--the hole that got us in that downward spiral of eating, gaining weight, getting depressed, eating more, and gaining more weight. Through discussions, readings, singing, affirmations and her loving spirit we have filled in that hole with self-confidence, joy, and a deep love for ourselves, others, and God/Spirit/Universe/Higher Power. Now that I know that the hole isn't so deep and vacuous I know that I could have gastric bypass and not turn my addiction to something else HOWEVER I also know that I don't need to have a surgical, physical block to keep me from eating obsessively so I don't need gastric bypass!
So this morning I was planning my post for today and something kept telling me to read Inner Harvest. I haven't read it recently so I had to search for it, but I found it. Today's reading is spot on to what my thoughts are today. (This is today's Inner Harvest reading with my thoughts added in parentheses.)

We grow by doing what's hard to do.
Avoiding issues went along with our eating disorder. We tended to sidestep what was uncomfortable to face. Rather than make decisions and take action, we often focused on food and diets (or other ways out like gastric bypass). "When I reach goal weight, I'll deal with my other problems--maybe by that time they'll go away."
Recovery challenges us to confront and cope with whatever needs our attention. Each time we do so we become stronger. Maybe we need to do a house-cleaning project. Maybe we need to be more assertive with a boss or co-worker. Maybe we need to move out of a harmful relationship. (Maybe we need to forgive ourselves or someone else for some harm.)
Bingeing or starving are no longer options (because I know they aren't--not because I can't.) Using the tools of our program, we deal directly with the real issues. Although the task may seem difficult, we have help and support. With the help of our Higher Power, we will not be given more than we can handle.