Greetings Friends & Colleagues,

How exciting that food addiction is on the precipice of being acknowledged as a substance use disorder! Finally!
Last month, the Food Addiction Institute (FAI) was present at the American Psychiatry Association (APA) in San Francisco. There Dr. Ashley N. Gearhardt et al. presented the application (to be issued later this summer) for including food addiction in the DSM as a substance use disorder. Attending the presentation at the APA conference were over 300 psychiatrists.

When asked if food addiction was a substance use disorder, 98% answered a resounding yes.

When asked to vote on whether food addiction should be in the DSM, 75% voted yes, and 25% voted to be placed in the research category.

Presenting with Dr. Gearhardt were Nora Volkow, George F. Koob, and Gene Jack Wang. Dr.Robert Lustig and Susan Peirce Thompson were there, as well as Allan Chanoch Barkat, who has been instrumental in the entire process of the APA application. The next step is gathering support for the APA application for food addiction to be recognized as a substance use disorder. Let your voice be heard!

We are encouraging all interested to submit the FAI questionnaire. Whether you´re a food/sugar addict, supporter, or professional in the field, fill out the questionnaire. This will be sent with our statement of the need to accept food addiction as a substance use disorder. To support this effort, we´re launching “Join the Movement – Food Addiction is Real!” Send in the questionnaire to participate.

Please join your voice with FAI at this critical time. Fill out and send in the questionnaire.

Currently available on the website is a series of podcasts that FAI and the INFACT School are co-sponsoring: “Food Addiction; the Problem and the Solution.”

As always, the INFACT school offers education and certification for food addiction professionals.

Best,
Esther Helga Guðmundsdóttir,
Chair, Food Addiction Institute