Dr. Vera Tarman is the Medical Director of Renascent and a senior staff physician at Salvation Army. Dr Tarman has a special interest in the clinical syndrome of food addiction. She has presented at international public forums and media platforms to educate and advocate. She is author of “Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction”, and is cohost of the popular Food Junkies Podcast. She is also the founder and moderator of the free Facebook group, “I’m Sweet Enough: Sugar Free for Life”. Check out her YouTube videos at veratarmanmd.
Today, we spoke with her about her newly published paper “One size does not fit all: Understanding the five stages of ultra-processed food addiction” and the topic she is presenting on at our International Food Addiction Consensus Conference on May 17, 2024, London, UK. If you can’t join us, we hope you watch the livestream to support us. It is not to be missed, as the latest cutting-edge discussions around food addiction will be happening that day!
In today’s Episode:
- What are the five proposed stages of food addiction, and how do they progress from mild to severe?
- Why is it important to recognize the stages of food addiction for diagnosis and treatment?
- The neurobiological and hormonal factors involved in the progression of food addiction
- How does distinguishing between food addiction and eating disorders impact treatment approaches?
- In the early stages of food addiction, what interventions are effective in promoting inhibitory control and addressing hormonal imbalances? How do we reach people in this early stage before the progression occurs?
- What role does mindful eating play in food addiction treatment?
- What are some potential medical treatments and interventions for severe stages of food addiction, and how do they address neurobiological imbalances?
- Why is it important to tailor food addiction management to address the specific phase of the syndrome that an individual is experiencing?
- What challenges exist in implementing stage-based interventions for food addiction, and how can they be addressed?
- What is Vera speaking about at the IFACC Conference next week?
