Food Psych #339: "Food Addiction" + Ultraprocessed Foods + Disordered Eating with Marci Evans
Introduction:
Eating-disorders dietitian Marci Evans joins us to discuss the current science on “food addiction” (sometimes called “ultraprocessed food addiction”)—and what’s changed since I first interviewed her about this topic for Food Psych back in 2016. We get into how food addiction is defined and measured (and what that definition leaves out), the overlap between disordered eating and high scores on food-addiction scales, how food-addiction discourse perpetuates weight stigma, the nuances behind the research showing that people’s brain scans are different when eating ultraprocessed vs. minimally processed food, and whether it’s really useful to think about food in terms of addiction. In the paid portion, we talk about practical applications: how Marci would help someone who has addictive-like tendencies or thinks of themselves as being addicted to food, what we can learn from this discussion of “food addiction” to help people have a better relationship with food, and more. This episode is cross-posted from our other podcast, Rethinking Wellness.
Marci identifies as a Food and Body Imager Healer® practicing from a weight inclusive and anti-oppression lens. She has dedicated her career to counseling, supervising, and teaching in the field of eating disorders. She is a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian and Supervisor and certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. In addition to her group private practice, in 2015 Marci launched an online eating disorders training platform for clinicians. In 2016 she joined the Simmons nutrition department to co-develop a specialized eating disorder internship and teach graduate level courses on nutrition counseling for eating disorders. She loves books more than just about anything. Find her at marcird.com.
Resources Mentioned
Marci’s Food Psych episode from 2016
Studies/papers mentioned (we unpack and complicate all of these ideas in the episode):
Wiss and Brewerton’s paper on disordered eating
Food addiction and weight stigma
Marci’s 5-part series on food addiction
Marci’s website
Marci’s online courses
Subscribe to the Food Psych Weekly newsletter
My other podcast and newsletter, Rethinking Wellness
My online course, Intuitive Eating Fundamentals
My first book, Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating
My second book, The Wellness Trap: Break Free from Diet Culture, Disinformation, and Dubious Diagnoses and Find Your True Well-Being
My third book, The Emotional Eating, Chronic Dieting, Binge Eating & Body Image Workbook