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Are GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro helping—or harming—people with food addiction and emotional eating?

In this powerful and deeply nuanced conversation, psychotherapist Esther Kane, MSW sits down with Dr. Vera Tarman, world-renowned food addiction expert and author of Food Junkies, to explore the real impact of GLP-1 medications on the body, brain, emotions, and long-term recovery.

We go far beyond weight loss and ask the hard questions:

• What happens to food addiction when appetite is chemically suppressed?
• Why do cravings often return stronger when the medication stops?
• Are GLP-1 drugs creating emotional blunting, depression, or anhedonia?
• Who truly benefits from these medications—and who is being left behind?
• Are there ethical, limited situations where GLP-1s can be helpful?

This episode is especially important for anyone who:

• Struggles with food addiction or emotional eating
• Has a history of trauma, anxiety, or depression
• Feels conflicted about taking weight loss medications
• Wants root-cause healing, not just symptom management

💛 This is a compassionate, trauma-informed conversation about choice, awareness, and true recovery—not shame or quick fixes.

⏱️ Timestamps & Chapters

00:00 – Introduction: Why this conversation matters now
01:00 – Who is Dr. Vera Tarman & her work in food addiction
02:10 – Why GLP-1 drugs are being prescribed “like candy”
03:30 – The antidepressant parallel: are we repeating history?
05:00 – Who profits from weight loss drugs? (Let’s get political)
08:10 – Side effects doctors aren’t talking about
09:25 – Polypharmacy & medication stacking concerns
11:40 – How the food industry benefits from GLP-1s
12:45 – Are addictive foods still the real problem?
14:20 – When GLP-1s might be life-saving
16:05 – Why food addiction doesn’t disappear on medication
18:30 – Emotional blunting, anhedonia & loss of joy
20:15 – Mental health risks for people already struggling
22:05 – What to focus on instead of weight loss drugs
23:50 – Food addiction recovery vs. quick fixes
25:40 – Muscle loss, bone density & long-term health risks
28:10 – Why discomfort is part of healing
31:45 – Trauma, the body, and the capacity to heal
34:35 – Emotional eating as communication, not failure
36:45 – What cravings are really asking for
38:55 – Root-cause healing vs. symptom suppression
41:25 – Resilience, recovery, and real freedom from food addiction
42:30 – Final thoughts & resources

📚 Resources Mentioned

📘 Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction – Dr. Vera Tarman
🎧 Food Junkies Podcast
👥 Facebook Group: I’m Sweet Enough: Sugar-Free for Life

Links

To watch episodes on Esther's YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@compassionateconversations441

www.estherkane.com

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Esther Kane, MSW, RCC