The Neuroscience & Psychology of Food Addiction: Eating, Weight Loss, & Body Image with Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson

What if food addiction, emotional eating, or feeling out of control around food aren’t failures of willpower, but predictable brain-based survival responses… and understanding the neuroscience is the key to lasting change?This was one of the most surprising and emotionally rich conversations I’ve had both because of the science and the depth of lived experience Dr. Susan brings.Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson, PhD is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Brain & Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester, a New York Times bestselling author, and a leading expert in the psychology of eating.🎙️ Episode 45: The Neuroscience & Psychology of Food Addiction: Eating, Weight Loss, & Body Image with Dr. Susan Peirce ThompsonIf you’ve been searching for “food addiction,” “emotional eating,” or “how to change your relationship with food,” this episode is exactly what you need.In this episode, you’ll learn:🧠 What’s happening in your brain when you eat🧠 Why food addiction is neurologically different from “bad habits”🧠 Why willpower alone often fails to create lasting change🧠 How reward pathways and dopamine shape eating behaviorWe also cover:🧠 How body image is formed in the brain🧠 The psychological risks of restriction-based approaches🧠 First steps toward rebuilding a healthier relationship with foodFood addiction, emotional eating, and body image struggles are deeply rooted in the brain’s reward and survival systems. In this neuroscience-driven episode of Mind Over Grey Matter, Alex Nashton and Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson explore how dopamine, brain chemistry, and neuroplasticity influence eating behavior and weight regulation. This conversation reframes food addiction as a brain-based pattern rather than a moral failure, offering compassionate, science-backed tools for sustainable change. If you’ve struggled with cravings, shame, or repeated cycles of dieting, this episode provides clarity, relief, and a new path forward.🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts.Want more science-backed tools for rewiring your brain and transforming your life?• Follow Alex on Instagram @alex_nashton• Follow the show @mindovergreymatterpodcast• Explore more resources, workshops, and programs at www.alexnashton.comApply for 1:1 Coaching with Alex Join Alex's free challenge: 5 Days to Overcome AnxietyEpisode Resources:Food Addiction QuizFollow Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson on InstagramLearn more about Bright Line Eating Learn more about Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson here Read Dr. Susan’s books hereKeywords: neuroplasticity, how to rewire your brain, neural pathways, change your brain, emotional rewiring, neuroscience of food addiction, dopamine and eating behavior, emotional eating psychology, sustainable weight loss neuroscience, body image and the brain, cravings and habit loops, brain-based behavior change, rewiring relationship with food#FoodAddictionRecovery #NeuroscienceOfEating #EmotionalEatingHealing #BrainBasedWeightLoss #DopamineAndHabits #BodyImagePsychology #MindOverGreyMatter #Neuroplasticity