Episode 222: Dr. David Wiss - Food Addiction or Eating Disorder? Rethinking the Divide
Release Date: 03/27/2025
Episode 232: Clinicians Corner - The Hidden Challenges of PAWS in Food Addiction Recovery
Food Junkies Podcast
In this insightful and compassionate episode, Clarissa and Molly take a deep dive into post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS)—an often overlooked but critical phase in ultra-processed food addiction recovery. While well-known in substance use disorder recovery, PAWS is rarely discussed in the context of food addiction, yet it shows up in significant ways. Clarissa and Molly break down what PAWS is, why it happens, and how it can show up months or even years into recovery. They share real client experiences, neurobiological explanations, and clinical insights—plus, they normalize what can...
info_outline
Episode 231: Dr. Filippa Juul "Ultra-Processed Food: The Hidden Crisis"
Food Junkies Podcast
In this illuminating episode we speak with Dr. Filippa Juul. An epidemiologist and leading researcher on the impact of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) on human health. Together, we unpack what ultra-processed really means, why it's not just about calories or macros, and how these foods are stealthily contributing to the global rise in obesity, chronic illness, and food addiction. Dr. Juul is Assistant professor at the School of Public Health at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. She earned her PhD in Epidemiology from NYU GPH in 2020, following a MSc in Public Health Nutrition from...
info_outline
Episode 230: Dr. Cynthia Bulik
Food Junkies Podcast
Dr. Cynthia Bulik is a clinical psychologist and one of the world's leading experts on eating disorders. She is the Founding Director of the University of North Carolina Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders and also the founder director of the Centre for Eating Disorders Innovation at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. Dr. Bulik is Distinguished Professor of Eating Disorders in the Department of Psychiatry at UNC, Professor of Nutrition in the Gillings School of Global Public Health, and Professor of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institute. Dr Bulik...
info_outline
Episode 229: Dr. Alexandra Sowa, MD The Ozempic Revolution
Food Junkies Podcast
Dr. Alexandra Sowa, MD is a board-certified physician specializing in internal medicine and obesity medicine. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, NYU School of Medicine, and Yale University, Dr. Sowa combines top-tier medical training with a deeply compassionate, evidence-based approach to metabolic health. She is the founder and CEO of SoWell Health, a telehealth and clinical service dedicated to treating metabolic dysfunction with personalized nutrition, lifestyle interventions, and medication when appropriate—including the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic. Dr. Sowa is the...
info_outline
Episode 228: Dr. Thomas Seyfried - Cancer as a Metabolic Disorder
Food Junkies Podcast
In this compelling episode, Dr. Vera Tarman interviews Dr. Thomas Seyfried, a pioneer in the field of cancer metabolism. Dr. Seyfried challenges the mainstream view of cancer as a genetic disease and presents strong evidence that cancer is fundamentally a mitochondrial metabolic disorder. Dr. Thomas N. Seyfried is a distinguished American biologist and professor at Boston College, renowned for his pioneering work in cancer metabolism. With a Ph.D. in Genetics and Biochemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana, and postdoctoral training in neurochemistry at Yale University School of...
info_outline
Food Junkies Recovery Stories Episode 26: Joy M
Food Junkies Podcast
In this powerful and heartfelt episode of the Food Junkies Recovery Stories CJ sits down with Joy M, who shares her courageous story of unraveling the illusion of the “perfect life” to find true recovery and emotional freedom. From childhood trauma and food obsession to substance use, codependency, and the sneaky nature of sugar addiction, Joy takes us through the winding—and at times wild—path she walked to reclaim her health and voice. Tune in to hear how one Easter basket sparked a lifetime pattern, how trauma flipped the switch, and how Joy finally broke free through community,...
info_outline
Episode 227: Clinician’s Corner - Recovery Is a Lifestyle, Not a Lifeboat – Maintaining Long-Term Recovery
Food Junkies Podcast
In this episode of Clinician’s Corner, Molly and Clarissa explore the often-overlooked realities of long-term recovery. While many recovery programs focus on the acute phases and early abstinence, sustainable recovery demands much more—it asks us to renovate our lives. Drawing from the latest research—including insights from Harvard’s Recovery Research Institute and their own published study on food addiction outcomes—they break down the average 17-year journey toward stable remission and emphasize that recovery is a process, not a finish line. 🧠 Topics include: The 3 stages of...
info_outline
Episode 226: Dr. Jen Unwin on Consensus, Recovery Outcomes, and the Future of Food Addiction Treatment
Food Junkies Podcast
In this episode of Food Junkies Podcast, Molly and Clarissa sit down with clinical psychologist, researcher, and international food addiction advocate Dr. Jen Unwin to unpack a trifecta of groundbreaking developments in the field of Ultra-Processed Food Use Disorder (UPFUD). If you’ve been craving science-backed insight, real recovery stories, and practical hope for the future, this conversation delivers. Together, we explore: 🧠 Two Major Research Milestones • The Delphi Consensus Paper, which brings together 40 global experts to define and validate Ultra-Processed Food...
info_outline
Episode 225: Dr. Vera Tarman & Bitten Jonsson Reflect on Food Addiction Recovery
Food Junkies Podcast
In this extraordinary episode, Food Junkies host Dr. Vera Tarman turns the mic on herself—joined by Swedish trailblazer Bitten Jonsson—for a deeply personal, no-holds-barred conversation on their parallel journeys through food addiction, recovery, and advocacy. With over 60 years of combined experience in addiction medicine, Vera and Bitten walk us through the moments they first recognized their struggles with food and sugar, the evolving science of addiction, and how their professional paths have shaped the global conversation around Ultra-Processed Food Addiction. 💡 What You’ll Hear...
info_outline
Episode 224: Dr. Eike Buabang - Breaking the Habit Loop: How Our Brains Build—and Battle—Behavior Patterns
Food Junkies Podcast
In this powerful and timely conversation, we welcome Dr. Eike Buabang, cognitive neuroscientist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Trinity College Dublin, to explore one of the most fundamental yet overlooked topics in recovery: habits. Dr. Buabang studies the brain mechanisms behind habit formation—why we repeat behaviors even when they no longer serve us, and how stress, repetition, and environment shape our choices. Drawing from both neuroscience and real-world applications, he offers practical insights into how we can intentionally disrupt compulsive patterns and support lasting...
info_outlineIn this powerful and deeply nuanced episode, Dr. Vera Tarman and Molly Painschab welcome back Dr. David Wiss to explore one of the most important—and often misunderstood—topics in the field: the intersection of food addiction and eating disorders.
With his unique background in both nutrition and public health, Dr. Wiss walks us through the historical divide between the food addiction and eating disorder communities, the philosophical and clinical tensions between rigidity and flexibility, and how trauma, ACEs, and access to food complicate both diagnosis and treatment.
Whether you're a clinician confused about how to distinguish between binge eating, bulimia, and food addiction, or someone in recovery navigating your own lived experience, this episode is a must-listen.
👥 Topics Covered:
Is it an eating disorder, food addiction—or both?
Historical roots of the FA vs. ED divide
Why rigidity is seen as both the problem and the solution
The role of trauma, ACEs, and structural inequality
How clinicians can use timelines and clinical intuition in treatment
Why a continuum model offers more inclusive care
Ethical considerations in individualized vs. cookie-cutter treatment
The Wise Mind Nutrition app is a middle-ground tool for healing
💬 Key Quotes:
“Everyone has a different neuropsychiatric profile… There isn’t a manual that’s going to work for all people.” – Dr. David Wiss
“We’re not just dealing with food. We’re dealing with trauma, access, systems, and stories.” – Molly Painschab
“Both food addiction and eating disorders have valid truths—and both need a seat at the table.” – Dr. Vera Tarman
🧠 About Our Guest: Dr. David Wiss
Dr. David Wiss is a registered dietitian nutritionist and mental health researcher who has worked with more than 1,000 patients over the past 12 years. He is the founder of Nutrition in Recovery, and a global leader in the field of nutrition for addiction recovery and disordered eating.
Dr. Wiss holds a PhD in public health from UCLA, and his work bridges the gap between neurological, psychological, behavioral, and nutritional sciences. He has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed papers, contributed six book chapters, and continues to challenge outdated approaches to mental health and nutrition.
Dr. Wiss is also the creator of the Wise Mind Nutrition app—an innovative platform that provides education, food logging, reflection tools, and clinician interaction for individuals working on their mental wellness through nutrition.
He is passionate about social justice, the gut-brain connection, and empowering people to heal themselves through informed, compassionate, and personalized care.
📍 Learn more: https://wisemindnutrition.com
📲 Resources Mentioned:
Wise Mind Nutrition App
From Evolution to Revolution: Food Addiction in Context (Frontiers in Psychiatry)
The D-FANG Model: Disordered Eating and Food Addiction Nutrition Guide
“Separating the Signal from the Noise” – David Wiss’s trauma-informed research
📣 Connect with Us:
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
Send your questions, reflections, or topic suggestions—let's keep the conversation going!
The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.