Beyond Willpower: How COR Retreat Helps People Heal from Food Addiction

This powerful episode of Food Addiction: The Problem and the Solution features two remarkable women from COR Retreat — Program Director Nancy Kaley and Co-Facilitator Joni Osip — who share both their professional expertise and deeply personal journeys in food addiction recovery. This conversation explores why food addiction is far more than a lack of willpower and how ultra-processed foods can trigger cravings, obsession, and loss of control in susceptible individuals. Through honest storytelling and decades of recovery experience, Nancy and Joni explain why abstinence, connection, and 12-Step recovery have become life-changing tools for healing. This is a compelling discussion about the neuroscience of cravings, the emotional pain beneath compulsive eating, and why traditional dieting so often fails for food addicts. Nancy shares how she found freedom after decades of struggling with obesity and food obsession despite long-term sobriety from alcohol, while Joni opens up about beginning dieting and bulimia at age 12 and the deep feelings of “not being enough” that fueled her addiction. Together, they describe how COR Retreat approaches recovery through a healthy food plan with whole, unprocessed foods, community support, spiritual growth, and sustainable abstinence from sugar and flour. Their message is both compassionate and hopeful: there is nothing “wrong” with people who struggle with food addiction — this is a brain-based disease, and recovery is possible. Nancy and Joni explain why connection is critical, why surrender can become a turning point, and how people can finally experience peace and neutrality with food after years of struggle. Whether you are personally affected by food addiction, work in healthcare, or simply want to better understand the impact of today’s ultra-processed food environment, this conversation will challenge assumptions and inspire hope. Learn more about COR Retreat and their recovery programs at cormn.org (https://cormn.org/)