Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson: Why Some Foods Are Harder to Quit Than Cocaine

Mar 27, 2025

Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson, PhD, is an expert in ultra-processed food addiction and the founder of Bright Line Eating. In this enlightening conversation, she explains why some foods can be more addictive than cocaine, highlighting recent international efforts to recognize food addiction. Thompson's research showcases the success of her program, with participants achieving notable weight loss while navigating their relationship with food. She emphasizes the need for community support and funding for clinical research to tackle this pressing public health issue.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Navigating Food Addiction: Global Insights

01:47 • 9min

Confronting Food Addiction

10:34 • 21min

Understanding Food Addiction and Recovery Practices

31:54 • 2min

The Influence of Ultra-Processed Foods and GLP-1 Drugs

34:10 • 12min

Overcoming Addiction: The Journey Beyond Processed Foods

46:20 • 3min

Dr. Susan Pierce Thompson delivers a powerful exploration into the complex reality of ultra-processed food addiction and the revolutionary approaches that enable sustainable recovery and weight loss. With her unique background as both a recovered drug addict and a brain scientist, Thompson brings extraordinary credibility to this conversation about why some foods trigger addictive patterns more powerfully than even cocaine or methamphetamine.

The podcast reveals exciting developments in how the scientific community is finally recognizing the legitimacy of ultra-processed food addiction. Thompson describes the recent consensus reached by 40 international experts working to have this condition recognized by the World Health Organization—a critical step toward better treatment protocols and policy changes. This recognition isn't just academic—it could transform how schools, healthcare systems, and governments approach our relationship with food.

Thompson's Bright Line Eating program demonstrates what's possible when we apply addiction medicine principles to our relationship with food. Their groundbreaking six-year follow-up research shows participants maintaining an average 14% weight loss—outperforming even the most celebrated weight loss medications without their side effects or costs. The "bright lines" approach creates clear boundaries around sugar, flour, meals, and quantities, helping participants develop automatic habits that remove the exhausting decision fatigue around eating.

Perhaps most compelling is Thompson's raw comparison between drug addiction and food addiction recovery. After 30 years of sobriety from substances, she shares why food addiction presented an even greater challenge: "There's nowhere safe to go in society when you're in recovery from food... your whole life is a cue to break your abstinence." Unlike recovering drug addicts who can avoid trigger environments, food addicts face constant exposure, making their recovery journey uniquely difficult but ultimately more rewarding.

Whether you're struggling with your relationship with food or simply curious about the science behind sustainable weight loss, this conversation offers profound insights that might forever change how you view ultra-processed foods and the possibility of true freedom from food obsession.

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