Episode 175: International Food Addiction Consensus Conference

Food Junkies Podcast

Dr. Jen Unwin, PsyD, FBPSs co-founder of Food Addiction Solutions (FAS)

Jen is a Clinical Psychologist who worked for over 30 years in the NHS in the UK. She specialised in the role of hope in quality of life and was chair of the UK Association for Solution-Focused Therapy. After a lifetime of addiction to sugar and carbohydrates, she finally understood that the solution was abstinence and trained in Holistic Addiction Medicine with Heidi. They have been working together to devise and evaluate successful treatment approaches to food addiction and to raise awareness of the condition internationally. Jen’s best hopes are that treatment will be more available and that the condition of food addiction will be formally recognised.

Heidi Giaever, Founder of The Collaborative Health Community, CFK and co-founder of Food Addiction Solutions (FAS)

Heidi’s original degree was in chemical engineering. She subsequently retrained in Nutrition, Lifestyle Medicine and Hollistic Addicition Medicine (HAM), following her declining cognitive and mental health during her late 30s, found to have been caused by her poor diet and struggle with sweet-foods addiction. Heidi’s mission is to provide suitable platforms and further, collaborate with her partners to raise awareness of food addiction and develop creative community-based initiatives to work preventatively with children and young families.

Molly Painschab, LCPC, LAC, Sweet Sobriety Co-Founder

Molly is a dual-licensed mental health and addiction counsellor specializing in behavioural change using Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI). Molly is passionate about empowering individuals with self-determination on their healing journey. Her best hope is to continue advocating for marginalized individuals to receive the services required to overcome disordered eating and addiction.

Clarissa Kennedy, RSW, Sweet Sobriety Co-Founder

Clarissa possesses expertise and practical experience across multiple therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Interventions, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) tailored for Eating Disorders, and Motivational Interviewing. Having navigated her own journey of recovery from food addiction, she aims to raise awareness about this disorder, help distinguish it from eating disorders, and highlight how addressing it can help support recovery from other substance use disorders.

In this episode:

How we got here

What the consensus process consists of

What we are most excited about

How the Consensus work ties into the Food Addiction Recovery Clinical Study

Next steps

The International Food Addiction Consensus Conference

YOU’RE INVITED to the International Food Addiction Consensus Conference

Friday May 17, 2024, in London, UK

This informative and engaging gathering will build awareness for the growing problem of Food Addiction, not only for us adults but also for children and future generations.

Speakers include:

Chris Van Tulleken

Robert Lustig

Michael Moss

Vera Tarman

Adrian SotoMota

Erica LaFata

David Wiss (Video)

Timothy Brewerton (Video Link)

Anna Lembke (Video Link)

Nicole Avena

Susan Peirce Thompson

Why attend?

•Gain valuable insights from international researchers, physicians, clinicians, and metabolic experts.

•Network with professionals and like-minded individuals.

•Learn about Food Addiction, and how ultra-processed foods impact the brain.

•See the latest scientific research on the addictive nature of certain foods and the clinical research in this area.

•Support our international program to get Food Addiction recognized as a disorder, listed in the ICD-11, to improve the food environment for future generations.

We hope you will join us for a full day of education, connection, and hope!

TICKET SALES END MAY 12, 2024!

If you are unable to attend or view the livestream and still want to support this work, you can:

Attend the Conference or Purchase a Livestream Ticket: http://bit.ly/3ROJSCE

Donate a Ticket: Pay for another attendee, and we will ensure it goes to a healthcare professional, student or public member who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend – use the link in the show notes.

Spread the Word: Share our cause with your friends, family, and colleagues. The more people know about our mission, the greater our reach. You can use social media, email, or good old-fashioned word of mouth to help us raise awareness.

Donate: Every dollar, pound or any other currency you contribute goes directly towards making this conference possible and supports our work to get food addiction recognized by The World Health Organization (WHO). Check show notes for the link! https://bit.ly/4bIwKa3

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.