No Easy Fixes Here

An interesting and engaging book and perspective. After hearing it, I realize that being addicted to food is a spectrum. self awareness of where we fall in this spectrum is essential to healing. Dr. Tarman makes a compelling case for abstinence from trigger foods, not a popular stance to take. Great book, glad to have read it.

13 people found this helpful

Thoughtful and Provocative Examination of Addictio

If you could sum up Food Junkies in three words, what would they be?

Thoughtful
Comprehensive
Honest

What did you like best about this story?

It examines a disease which has been long misunderstood, shamed and ignored with honesty, clarity and careful consideration of research as well as the authors' personal and professional experience.

What three words best describe Lisa Bunting’s voice?

Clear
Direct
Neutral

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. Since I relate to this topic I had to listen and digest it in small parts over time.

11 people found this helpful

parallels are strong between food and alcohol

Food addiction creates a situation where many who suffer, find themselves alone and without good advice. In Food Junkies: The Truth About Food Addiction by Vera Tarman and Philip Werdell, they provide not only practical advice, but a host of narratives where those that suffer from food addiction can gain the confidence to break the cycle of addiction. The central tenet of the book is that to combat overeating, one must treat overeating as an addiction and the book works to validate that, often opposed, contention. While addictions in alcohol, drugs, and other substances sometimes remain often as problems others have, all of us eat food. This book provides solace and a talking center for what seems an obvious issue, but is not talked about much. If overeating is a genetic disorder, then there would be great value in parent talking to child and child talking to parent in a way that’s meaningful.

Those who are food addicts, or at least overeat, will recognize many parts of the book will resonate with them from digging food out of the trash after throwing it away to the denial that comes with the disorder. The narratives clear, telling a story, making an important point, but some go beyond what one might initially expect is a book of clinical explication. From the introduction, the authors make clear there are three audiences: the clinician, the patient, and the layperson interested in the subject and speaks clearly to all of them. The parallels are strong between food and alcohol addiction and the analogies and metaphors vivid. The only small idiosyncrasies about the book came from the editing, from time to time a veteran clinician will recognize some points that aren’t quite right such as hearing “pharmakinetics” instead of “pharmacokinetics.”

While it may seem an odd companion, The Bitter Taste of Dying: A Memoir by Jason Smith, narrated by Paul Costanzo, provides a strong narrative “next read,” I feel to this book about overeating and addiction. While The Truth About Food Addiction goes over the stages of early, middle, late, and final in the food addiction circuit, as one would expect of a clinical narrative, the book also goes very dark, it goes to the places the textbooks won’t – to stories of failure, rape, hopelessness, and death. These are more than stories of success and failure, these narratives are the real sadness many would be uncomfortable sharing, but the important real solutions that come from this candid and important discussion.

About the narrator
Lisa Bunting is a veteran narrator providing both the gravitas and clarity that the book needs. She is an easy listen and provides the narrative strength to capture both the emotion and teaching that come from this book. It seems a very good match between content and speaker. Her voice is assuring, while not being pushy, as many readers are looking for encouragement, but a firm hand to help guide them. Her voice lends that hand.

Audiobook was provided for review by the publisher.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

[If this review helped, please press YES. Thanks!]

24 people found this helpful

Exactly the diagnosis that I needed to hear

This is what you need to read when you’ve tried everything to lose weight And you haven’t been successful. Or if you’ve lost weight and continue to gain it back lose it and gain it back again

3 people found this helpful

Changed my life

A few little irritating word mispronunciations but otherwise, an absolute God send of a book. The first time I listened to this book searching for a solution to my food problem, I didn't believe sugar addiction was a real thing. after 2 years of agony and suffering, I listened to it again, I was finally ready to accept the truth. This book has solved the mystery for me and completely changed my life!!

7 people found this helpful

best food book I ever read

finally an explanation of why people, including myself, are addicted to food and guides on how to overcome it

3 people found this helpful

Excellent

Excellent scientific explanation of food addiction. Excellent personal account of her own struggles. Excellent description of the solution to food addiction.

2 people found this helpful

If you are NOT a food addict, do not listen to this!

As a curious person, who understands how it feels (and has experienced), overindulgence, I downloaded this book.

What a mistake.

For those of us, who are healthy, yet have occasional weak moments, this book provided a negative impact.

I liken it to a manual to teenage girls who love themselves, about how to develop an eating disorder.

In sum, it’s a manual on disordered eating.

Not a guide on healthy eating.

The latter would be useful.

The former is toxic and sick.

1 person found this helpful

THE WORST BOOK A FOOD ADDICT COULD READ.

I am a food addict since I was very young. I read over 20 books about food and can tell you this is the worst book you could read.

Why ?

• It's a book anti- motivation. It won't motivate you. It will tell you that you will suffer your whole life. What addict wants to read that they will suffer all their life and this will never finish ?

• The book it's a waste of time. It wont tell you nothing. It won't tell you what to do, how to do it, or what to eat, or how to quit.
It's only talking about how wonderfull they are and how much you need their therapy.

Basically this book was written to become popular and attract new customers to their clinic. They dont have not interested to help you.

And why will I want to go to their clinic if their motto is : " You need me to finish with your addiction, and you'll suffer your whole life" ?

From the 20 books I read I recommend : Julia Ross. Two books : " The Mood Cure" and " The Craving cure". In that order.

Why ? Cause she never says " come to my therapy". She never says " you need therapy", she says "you can do it by yourself ".
She doesnt say " you'll suffer all your life and your cravings will never leave". She says " I promise you won't have more cravings and you won't suffer more for food".
She motivates you all the time to do it by yourself. And if you can't finally make it then you may need help BUT you don't have to. She tells you step by step ( really well ) how to get your life back.
I can say she changes my life. It's been a whole month eating healthy and correctly and avoiding junk food.
I learned how to eat ( yes, she teaches you how to eat, what to eat, and even put you recipes), I learned diet doesnt work. I learned I ate really bad and had so much deficit of many things like calcium and protein for example ( and was causing me PMS ).
After a month following her steps this is the first month I didn't have PMS, depression, and migraines. No paid. I had a normal period 😭.

Yes, she teaches you that eating unhealthy is causing all that. She teaches you how to finish with many sicknesses you may have: anxiety, depression, PMS. Fibromalgia, tiredness, thyroid, hormones problems etc etc etc

She didnt pay me to say this. This is my honest opinion after reading many books. And I would like to help you too because you may be interested in this book because you have a problem with the food like me. And I dont want this book to take away the motivation you have to start eating correctly.
Julia Ross, both books, are really helping me to finish with my addiction. While the other books I read don't.

And this in particular, "Food Junkies" made me cry. This is the book a food addict doesn't need to read.

1 person found this helpful

Great information!

This book was what I needed !! So glad I listened! Now to practice!!! Thanks!

1 person found this helpful