Food Addiction Recovery is Possible; Treatment is Necessary

Guests Amanda Leith SHiFT, Recovery By Acorn and Esther Helga Guðmundsdóttir, INFACT School both experienced the misery of obesity and countless failed diets—until they discovered their real problem: food addiction, a brain disease. Like many late-stage food addicts, they used food to cope with life, consuming far more food than their bodies needed. Once they recognized their addiction, they began abstinent food plans and recovery programs, shedding excess weight and doing the emotional work required to heal. Today, they live at healthy body weights and enjoy freedom from food addiction—one day at a time. Today, they devote their lives to helping others understand and recover from this illness.Food addiction is a substance use disorder involving ultra-processed foods, similar to alcohol or drug addiction. Amanda and Esther assess clients using food use history and tools like the Yale Food Addiction Scale. Sugar—technically not a food but an additive—has over 260 names and is often hidden in products through deceptive labeling by food companies.Many of their clients have tried everything to control their food use and/or lose weight, often arriving desperate and willing to try something new. At SHiFT, Amanda guides clients toward abstinence from addictive foods while addressing the emotional drivers behind food use. As cravings and withdrawal pass, clients gain relief from the addiction and obsessive food thoughts and learn to enjoy eating whole, nourishing foods.Unlike drug or alcohol addiction, we cannot abstain from food entirely, which makes food addiction more complex. Yet the solution lies in abstaining from addictive foods and engaging in emotional recovery work.Phil Werdell, website, a pioneer in the field, greatly influenced Amanda and Esther. His teachings on powerlessness and denial are foundational to their treatment approach, and they credit him for shaping their understanding and protocols.Amanda explains the difference between emotional eating and true food addiction in this episode. While emotional eaters may recover through therapy alone, food addicts must first remove addictive substances and engage in structured recovery with support. At SHiFT, Recovery By Acorn, food and emotional issues are treated concurrently.With chronic disease and metabolic dysfunction at crisis levels—primarily driven by poor nutrition, food addiction, and obesity—Esther Helga argues that food companies knowingly exploit this addiction for profit.The International Food Addiction Conference will hold its second event in London, September 4–5, 2025, highlighting food addiction and its comorbidities. At the 2024 London conference, an influential group of professionals reached a Consensus: Ultra-Processed Food is a Substance Use Disorder. Advocacy continues to classify food addiction within the ICD (World Health Organization) and the DSM (American Psychiatric Association), paving the way for insurance coverage of treatment.Don’t miss this powerful episode as we explore food addiction—its root causes, and the hope of recovery.