Category: Food Addiction

The food addiction paradigm is a primary cause of the childhood and adult obesity epidemic. Highly pleasurable foods, such as junk food and fast food, can be addictive. Posts in this section explore food addiction and its impact on obesity.

The U.K., Sugar Tax, and the World

September 5, 2017
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Who benefits from a sugar tax? If soda companies have to pay more tax for using sugar, they just might switch over to high fructose corn syrup instead.

Conscious and Subconscious Mechanisms

August 24, 2017
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We are looking at an obesity research paper from the McKinsey Institute, to see how it could tie back to the teaching of a sage called Osho.

Philosophies of Behavior

August 23, 2017
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The world is full of theories about how to quell obesity, but which ideas and interventions are doable and cost-effective?

A Johnson, a Jackson, and a Journey

August 14, 2017
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To the dismay of some and the applause of others, prominent men are often willing to talk about their decision to have bariatric surgery.

Celebrity Weight Loss — Al Roker

August 11, 2017
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The career of the beloved television personality Al Roker, known for decades of Today show appearances, was plagued by weight issues.

Dialogue at CIOI 2017

August 1, 2017
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Dr. Pretlow’s takeaways on addiction its and treatment from the International Conference on Childhood Obesity he attended in July in Lisbon, Portugal.

The Food Addiction — Eating Addiction Quandary

July 19, 2017
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Do you eat because you are depressed, or the other way around? High-fat foods can cause chemical reactions in the brain ultimately leading to depression.

Addicted to What?

July 18, 2017
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Perhaps not all obesity is attributable to what Pr. Pretlow calls “the very powerful addiction of excessive food amounts,” but to whatever degree it holds sway.

The World of Food Cravings

June 5, 2017
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Where do cravings come from and how can they be quelled? Among the overweight and obese, this knowledge is valued far above nutrition facts.

Brain Hunger

June 2, 2017
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The illustration on this page is from “Treatment of Obesity Using the Addiction Model,” presented at the Global Conference on Obesity Treatment and Weight Management. Among other subjects, Dr. Pretlow discussed body hunger, which has a basis in physiol …

Body Hunger

June 1, 2017
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Dr. Pretlow’s most recent presentation touches upon the problems with the conventional model of childhood obesity, the addiction model, and obesity treatment.

Coke Again

May 22, 2017
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Drinking, throughout the day, anything but water is a subset of grazing. Excessive eating or drinking is as much an addiction as snorting cocaine or gambling.

More About BFRBs

May 2, 2017
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As it turns out, food addiction appears to be not so much a substance addiction as was previously thought. It’s more about sensation than chemistry. Or is it?

Self-Inflicted Wounds

May 1, 2017
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When a person’s coping mechanism is a body-focused repetitive behavior, like shoveling in spoonfuls of sugary cereal, this qualifies as self-sabotage.

Significant Developments in Treating Obesity

April 18, 2017
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Dr.Pretlow be conducting a workshop on Tuesday, April 18, on “Treatment of Obesity Using the Addiction Model” for a conference in the U.K.

The Universality of Addiction

April 17, 2017
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Is overeating a substance addiction? A mass of evidence points to overeating as a behavioral addiction.

Battle Lines Hotly Discussed

April 10, 2017
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Childhood Obesity News has been looking back at how things were several years ago, regarding the struggle between the government and the food industry. Dr. Pretlow reflected, at the time: Ideally, all food advertising directed at children should be ban …

Food Addiction vs. Eating Addiction

April 3, 2017
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Those who want to lose weight would have to shed old eating habits. Eating is a behavior, and behavioral addictions are amenable to behavioral therapy.

Obesity From Different Perspectives

January 5, 2017
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Considering the proportions and implications of the obesity crisis humanity can’t afford to dismiss any ideas. We’re grasping at straws.

The Bugs That Slip Us a Mickey

December 16, 2016
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It now seems entirely possible that the consumption of four particular kinds of microbes can allay human anxiety, without side effects.

Microbes, Mood and Obesity

December 15, 2016
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Anxiety and depression are two of the main triggers of disordered eating behavior. Do the gut bugs have anything to do with enabling it?

Food vs. LOLz

December 14, 2016
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Maybe answers to both diabetes and misery-based obesity can be discovered by listening to and befriending the microbiota.

Obesity and Unorthodox Therapeutic Modalities

December 13, 2016
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Interpersonal and cognitive behavioral therapies have been determined to be some of the most promising treatments for eating disorders.

Mood, Food, and Funny

December 8, 2016
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The idea that food and laughter are equally capable of providing nourishment and curative power is an old one, but recent studies suggest just that.

Obesity and the Legendary Philosopher’s Stone

November 30, 2016
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The seven healthful habits to help maintain sustainable weight loss include patience, sacrifice, realistic planning, lifestyle change, diet, exercise, and accountability.

The Symbolic Eating Peril

November 29, 2016
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A great deal of our behavior and interactions are symbolic during the holidays. We eat comfort foods for nostalgia because they have personal meaning.

In Merry Old England

November 25, 2016
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It’s hard to ignore the fact that the United Kingdom has been something of a hot spot in the controversy over the taxing of sugar products.

Tolerance, Obesity and Co-Morbidities

November 15, 2016
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Several international bodies combined their data to estimate the proportions of the obesity epidemic 15 years down the line, and the results are dismal.

The Childhood Obesity Solution?

November 4, 2016
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What kinds of family-wide intervention strategies might help to lower the risk of obesity in high-risk children? Addressing maternal depression is one.

Some Therapies

November 1, 2016
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In the effort to reverse the childhood obesity trend, experts believe that treatment must be family-based and must include training in behavior modification.

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Profiles: Kids Struggling with Weight

Profiles: Kids Struggling with Obesity top bottom

The Book

OVERWEIGHT: What Kids Say explores the obesity problem from the often-overlooked perspective of children struggling with being overweight.

About Dr. Robert A. Pretlow

Dr. Robert A. Pretlow is a pediatrician and childhood obesity specialist. He has been researching and spreading awareness on the childhood obesity epidemic in the US for more than a decade.
You can contact Dr. Pretlow at:

Presentations

Dr. Pretlow’s invited presentation at the American Society of Animal Science 2020 Conference
What’s Causing Obesity in Companion Animals and What Can We Do About It

Dr. Pretlow’s invited presentation at the World Obesity Federation 2019 Conference:
Food/Eating Addiction and the Displacement Mechanism

Dr. Pretlow’s Multi-Center Clinical Trial Kick-off Speech 2018:
Obesity: Tackling the Root Cause

Dr. Pretlow’s 2017 Workshop on
Treatment of Obesity Using the Addiction Model

Dr. Pretlow’s invited presentation for
TEC and UNC 2016

Dr. Pretlow’s invited presentation at the 2015 Obesity Summit in London, UK.

Dr. Pretlow’s invited keynote at the 2014 European Childhood Obesity Group Congress in Salzburg, Austria.

Dr. Pretlow’s presentation at the 2013 European Congress on Obesity in Liverpool, UK.

Dr. Pretlow’s presentation at the 2011 International Conference on Childhood Obesity in Lisbon, Portugal.

Dr. Pretlow’s presentation at the 2010 Uniting Against Childhood Obesity Conference in Houston, TX.

Food & Health Resources