The Medical AI Podcast Episode 52: Can AI Help People Change Their Eating Habits? With Dr Sera Lavelle
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Mar 1, 2025 Dr. Sera Lavelle, a clinical psychologist with 17 years of experience in treating emotional eating and the founder of an AI-integrated app, discusses the alarming rise of obesity and its link to emotional and impulsive eating. She highlights how traditional weight loss methods often fail and introduces her innovative AI app that combines motivational interviewing and mindful eating. Sera also tackles the app's safety features and its potential to complement treatments like Ozempic, paving the way for a new approach to tackling emotional eating.
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Obesity As A Psychological Byproduct
- Dr Sera Lavelle views obesity often as a psychological byproduct rather than just a metabolic issue.
- She emphasizes addressing emotional drivers of eating rather than only giving nutrition advice.
Obesity And Eating Disorders Linked
- Higher population obesity correlates with more eating disorders, suggesting linked societal drivers.
- Lavelle argues both problems share emotional and cultural roots tied to food abundance and comfort.
Biology Shapes Eating Vulnerability
- Biological differences like genes and dopamine responses affect eating behavior and vulnerability.
- Some people have a hardwired compulsive disposition making binge eating more likely.