The Body Image Conversation Recovery Keeps Skipping
When someone enters treatment for a substance use disorder, the questions tend to follow a familiar script. What were you using? How much? How long? What’s your plan to stay stopped? Here’s a question that rarely makes the intake form: How do you feel about your body, and did that have anything to do with […]
Using Dimensional Over Categorical Thinking When It Comes to Eating Behaviors
Three recent papers I’ve been part of all circle the same idea from different angles: the people who struggle most with eating are often the ones who don’t fit the diagnostic boxes we’ve built for them. Here’s a recap of that work, and why I think the future of this field is dimensional rather than […]
Why “One Size Fits All” Eating Disorder Treatment Is Failing & What We Should Do Instead
For decades, we’ve been telling people with eating disorders essentially the same thing: learn to eat all foods in moderation, challenge your food rules, and the problem will resolve. This message has become gospel in the eating disorder field. And for decades, treatment outcomes have remained stubbornly poor. A new meta-analysis published in 2025 finally […]
The Six Food Addiction “Camps”
After years of working in the nutrition field and straddling the worlds of eating disorder treatment and addiction recovery, I’ve observed a fascinating continuum of approaches to food addiction. As someone who’s spent over a decade trying to bridge these sometimes opposing philosophies, I’ve noticed six distinct camps that have emerged. Each has its merits, […]
When Calorie Counting Backfires
Calorie Counting: A Double-Edged Sword in Nutrition and Mental Health Calorie counting has been a cornerstone of mainstream nutrition education for decades. Many people were taught to think of food as numbers: input and output, “calories in, calories out,” as if the body were a simple machine. While tracking calories can help individuals develop awareness […]
Promising Results for Ultra-Processed Food Addiction Treatment: New 12-Month Study
I’m pleased to share groundbreaking research that significantly advances addressing ultra-processed food addiction (UPFA). As a researcher and clinician who has dedicated years to bridging the gap between eating disorder treatment and addiction frameworks, this new study holds particular significance for our field. The Research Breakthrough Our international research team recently published findings in Frontiers […]
Holiday Eating & Mental Health: Conversation with Dr. David Wiss
Join us for an insightful conversation with Dr. David Wiss, a mental health scientist and registered dietitian nutritionist. Together, we will explore the complex relationship between holiday eating, mental health, and addiction recovery. Dr. Wiss will share his personal journey from addiction to becoming a pioneer in nutrition and mental health and offer practical strategies […]
Can Culinary Medicine Improve Mental Health?
We understand the connection between nutrition and mental health at Nutrition in Recovery. However, a lack of energy and motivation, decision fatigue, and poor executive functioning can all make food preparation challenging for individuals struggling with their mental health. Culinary medicine is a form of hands-on nutrition education that shows promise in improving outcomes in […]
Using Mindfulness to Avoid the Extremes of Hunger and Fullness
In our fast-paced world, ignoring the natural signals our bodies send us about hunger and fullness is easy. We may eat when we’re not hungry or push past the point of satisfaction, leading to discomfort and guilt. Mindfulness offers a powerful tool to help us reconnect with these signals, allowing us to avoid the extremes […]
Understanding Body Image as a Component of Personal Identity
Body image is an integral part of personal identity, reflecting how we think, feel, perceive, and behave concerning our bodies. Unfortunately, body image disturbance and outright body hatred have become all too common in today’s society. This pervasive issue is often closely linked with disordered eating, though not everyone with body image concerns has an […]
