Food has changed. How we grow it and process it. Sugar is in everything (processed). The edible equivalent of oxycontin. Sugar is not a normal food product. Viewers can see the similarities between those suffering addiction on "Intervention" and those on "My 600-lb Life"; how does the medical community miss that parallel? Doctors don't want to fat-shame and obesity is prevalent/normalized. When you are sick, doctors don't ask what you are eating. They aren't trained to. Food addiction needs more research but that requires more doctors diagnosing it. Doctors prefer what they know: medication or surgery. The inequity if the food supply; lower income  keeps people reliant on highly processed and addictive foods. If food was viewed as medicine, we could get a Rx for it, use insurance co-pays to get the nutrition we need affordably. Documentaries: FAT FICTION (about how the USDA got it wrong with the American diet, making fat the villain while it's sugar that's the danger) and KISS THE GROUND (about how modern farming is damaging the soil, but changing how and what we farm will make both us and the planet healthier). USDA cherry-picked the data for the American diet. Non-fat, low-fat and "light" means "loaded with sugar!" Refined foods erode mental health, and mimics other mental health issues. Food addiction can be a gateway to other addictions. Dr. Tarman's journey. Restricting leads to bingeing and gaining more weight than was lost. If you eat healthy foods, you never have to "diet", count calories or worry about what you're eating. Best solution for addiction is to quit what you're addicted to (sugar, flour). How can you live like that? (Spoiler alert: You'll feel better.) Leptin resistance (caused by insulin blocking this hormone, keeping us from being sated/keeping us eating more). See an addiction doctor if you are suffering food addiction (regular GPs or bariatric doctors don't fully understand the triggers). Sugar and dopamine. If you're not feeling good, think about what you're eating. "Heart healthy" sugared cereals? Science is important but so is common sense. Grooming children to be addicted to food. If it's in a box or bag (and refined) aren't healthy, even if they are labelled as such. Cigarettes were once labelled as "healthy". Bullet-proofing experiment. Fat doesn't equal fat; sugar equals fat. Try going sugar-free for a month. Educate yourself about food addiction. Understand there is withdrawal (but you'll survive it). When you feel better, you won't miss the garbage. Once you eat healthy foods, you crave healthy foods.

You can find Dr. Tarman at AddictionsUnplugged.com  on Twitter and Facebook. 

Her book is FOOD JUNKIES: The Truth About Food Addiction.

Episode recorded on 10/16/20

Episode released on 12/23/20

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Music: Shower Beer by GG Riggs