Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction

I am a food addict! I have been gaining and losing weight for over 30 years. This book was eye opening! I have often thought I was addicted to sugar but my primary doctors told me that I just needed to eat in moderation. That doesn’t work for an addict. Thank you Dr Vera Tarman for helping me understand why I was unable to lose weight. I am hopeful that now I will lose it once and for all. Great book!

I never thought of myself as a food addict but I do come from a family where both my mom and dad were drug addicts. I got through that and managed to have a very successful life. However, while I have very strong will power, discipline and consider myself a highly intelligent person, I’ve never been able to conquer my weight and have been struggling to lose weight since my late 20s (I’m now in my late 40s). As I read this, I now identify with being a food addict eland can see how flour and fried salty foods lead me down a path where I almost don’t recognize myself. I overeat and can’t seem to control it! It seems I did inherit that addictive gene in my family pool only it doesn’t apply to drugs or alcohol. Reading this book has helped me immensely in understanding that I have to completely abstain from those trigger foods. I think this will be a significant key in helping me conquer my weight once and for all! I highly recommend this if you’ve ever had instances where despite being disciplined and being able to control other urges, you tend to have a hard time (sometimes) controlling what you eat. I also think all of the chemicals in processed food drive this addiction! It’s not normal and there’s too much obesity in the world across different countries and cultures meaning it’s the processed food since the 1960s that has been changing the way our brain responds to “food” (that junk isn’t food!). Get healthy! Read this book.

I really like Dr. Tarman and her writing. This is an excellent source of help for people struggling with food addiction.But why oh why this cover? How can this not be considered a trigger picture of such a highly addictive food... doughnuts!!?? Aye aye aye!Read the effing room!

Addiction to simple carbs begins early. Noone is exempt however, we owe it to ourselves to learn all we can about recognizing the signs and in the case of children ~ do all we can to prevent sugar addiction which is plaguing our society and causing immeasurable pain and distress ~ mentally and physically. Food addiction education is urgent and expert, Dr. Vera Tarman has written an excellent book to enlighten us and identify the signs, stages and recovery from food addiction. Dr. Vera knows! In her book, she interweaves case histories with cutting edge research to simplifiy the subtle differences between occasional overeating, food addiction, eating disorders. and most importantly, the scaffolding science ~ food is just as addictive as alchohol, drugs and cigarettes. Dr. Vera's therapeutic approach is lovingly masterful and individualized. There is so much hope and so many resources in this book to offer strength and a helping hand out of the quicksand of food addiction.

I read this book after hearing an episode of Dr. Tarman as the guest on the excellent Bariatric Surgery Podcast. It was the very beginning of a wonderful journey to health. I realized I was an end stage addict and decided to pursue out patient treatment (specifically, COR Retreat in Minnesota) and that was where I was finally able to put my addiction into remission for the first time in many years. Dr. Tarman really understands food addiction because she is a fellow food addict. She understands that it is a real addiction that needs to be treated as seriously as any other addiction such as drugs or alcohol. I am so thankful she inspired me to start on this journey. I have been living recovered for 514 days now. I have released over 110 pounds so far, but the very best part is that I am no longer mentally obsessed with food. I have had many diet failures, but I truly believe the only failure is to not try again. I was in despair that the weight would never come off....I even had bariatric surgery and still could not lose weight. But I am fifty years old and feeling better than I have in years. The solution is simple but not easy. And you are totally worth it! Read this book, fully surrender to the process, and watch yourself thrive!

If you obsess about food and don't understand why, this is a must read! Food addiction is real & only through sugar/flour abstinence can you find peace.

The book was a great mixture of story and academic writing. It gave good insight on Dr Tarmans personal journey as well as other people. It also looked at different aspects of food addiction including a variety of topics including eating disorders, medication, how to get support, and medically what is going on in the brain. I discussed the book with friends and enjoyed hearing thier questions as we progressed through the book.

This book is a true pioneer in the problems that face this world and will become more of an issue as time goes on. The world of processed foods will lead to more and more people struggling with food addictions. A must-read for all people, addicts or not.

This book is incredible, why society is not discussing food addiction in an open (rather than mocking) way is concerning. Food addiction (especially to sugar) is as real as alcohol and drug addiction. Consider also the sugar addict can’t even go into a pharmacy or petrol station without being offered their weakness.... A fantastic read for professionals and for food addicts searching for some answers.

Great stories from others as well as Vera’s own stores. This book is helping to make sense of a part of my life that has always left me wondering what is wrong with me. Thank you for writing this book.

With the case studies, peer reviewed studies and anecdotes, this book gives a good glimpse of how life as a food addict can manifest in so many different ways.I understand that eating disorders can overlap and intertwine with food addiction but I feel that there was a large emphasis on eating disorders in this book as well as food addiction. I understand she wanted to differentiate between them but sometimes this became confusing for me.The food plans recommended I find a bit ridiculous (limiting red meat and eggs, recommending low fat food and recommending eating high sugar fruit). I will definitely be continuing with my LCHF eating, but I will however have a different mind set after reading this book. I'm not on a diet, I'm treating my food addiction.

Dr. Tarman lays it out like no other! If you really want a great read, explanation and inspiration to get off junk food and get on with a healthy, sane, nourishing life, get this read, explore the resources of support, and change your life NOW!I've been Abstinent of sugar, wheat, grains, alcohol and caffeine for 5 months now. I feel like I've had a brain transplant and have lost 40 of my 90 # goal. It would take too much space to explain how healthy and clear I feel every day and how grateful I am for Dr Tarman's book. I found it researching her from a quote in another publication. I was extremely impressed with not only the content of what she was saying, but also the excellent way in which she expresses it; thoroughly knowledgeable, but efficient and deeply compassionate at the same time.Dont hesitate! Get this book and get on board to make your life the best life possible, starting right now. Detox yourself from the bad stuff and consciously put in the right amount of the good stuff, at the right time. Its easy and powerful once you get in to it, trust me. The cravings will dissolve and love will grow. Clarity, strength & support will evolve as you begin changing from the inside out!

Good info about food addiction from a credible source, Very helpful in light of the food environment we live in