Category: Food Addiction

The psychological underpinnings of addiction often involve more than one person, but is “codependency” has become a label of shame that serves no good purpose?

Some FTO alleles appear to have connections with obesity and eating disorders, and also with psychopathology.

A continuing discussion of the recently published “An addiction model-based mobile health weight loss intervention in adolescents with obesity.”

This post is an extension of “Drop Dead Diva,” which describes a popular television series accused of appealing to the “fatlogic” crowd.

What biological processes in the stomach, brain, or elsewhere, contribute to a person’s perception of having eaten enough? What flips the cutoff switch?

Young people who watch TV shows with junk food ads are more likely to consume more snacks and soda than watchers of TV with no ads.

According to some sources, the “Ultimate Junk Food” that you “never even knew was a junk food” are nut and vegetable oils, packed with fat.

Many companies that use the “The Ultimate Junk Food” phrase are selling product, and we are going to look at some of the language they use.

Junk food has calories galore, along with a noteworthy shortage of micronutrients, and is notorious for being highly processed and refined.

We’re catching up on Dr. Pretlow’s most recent accomplishments, including a webinar last January, sponsored by the Food Addiction Institute.

Studies show alternate-day fasting helps not only to lower heart disease risk but to avoid type 2 diabetes. Is it better than than constant calorie restriction?

Why do people eat when they are not hungry? Because of appetite, which is pretty much extrinsic.

Could it be possible that the demonstrable addictiveness of food could be explained not by the presence of evil ingredients but by a lack of useful nutrients?

Allen Carr built an empire of influence that claims millions of satisfied customers who shook off their addictions, from nicotine to food.

Allen Carr, who helped millions of people to quit smoking, branched out into weight loss, because compulsive eating is similar to compulsive nicotine use.

Research shows Cognitive Behavioral Therapy could help people quit smoking, and could help treat cross-addiction.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is recognized as the best established treatment for binge eating disorder, the most common eating disorder.

Eating to alleviate stress and for comfort is based on the erroneous concept that emotions can be smothered by piling food on top of them.

This post wanders down memory lane to revisit some highlights of emotional consumption lore.

Because professionals in all the soft sciences deal with humans these are the challenges they face.

For decades, researchers had to rely on the flawed self-reporting to amass data about caloric consumption and calorie-burning exercise.

Obese people tend to underestimate their caloric intake and to overestimate their physical activity. People of average weight also under-report their intake.

In addiction recovery, a relapse consists of an episode that turns into a spiral. The whole trick is to never take that first step back into bondage.

Join Dr. Pretlow for a webinar held on Sun., Jan. 14, 7 p.m. ET, on the topic of “Treatment of Child/Adolescent Obesity as an Addictive Process.”

Body-focused repetitive behaviors qualify as a coping mechanism, because they are used to cope with stress. But having a BFRB habit is not a promising path.

What do Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) have to do with childhood obesity? Only everything!

Psychiatrists and psychologists are uniquely situated to treat obesity, but there are many non-psychiatrists who can also help reverse the obesity epidemic.

A psychologist often acts as a gatekeeper at the doors of a bariatric surgery decision, and there are many factors involved in bariatric surgery screening.

The technology that enables long-distance monitoring and counseling can help make a dent in the intimidating childhood obesity statistics.

Although it’s a survival mechanism, FOMO has side effects. When the experience of eating is the thing a person feels deprived of, obesity can easily result.