The most recommended food addiction books

Who picked these books? Meet our 11 experts.

11 authors created a book list connected to food addiction, and here are their favorite food addiction books.
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The Case Against Sugar

By Gary Taubes,

Book cover of The Case Against Sugar

Larissa Zimberoff Author Of Technically Food: Inside Silicon Valley's Mission to Change What We Eat

From the list on people who love to eat (in the future).

Who am I?

My world is motivated by food: what to eat, when to eat, where to eat. At least since I was 12, when I was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes. This is when I learned the “boring” things like carbs, fat, protein, and fiber. Scrutiny of my diet, and the food I ate, became a passion and finally my career. Not only in what I buy at the grocery store or put on my plate, but in the topics I write about. For me, food comes with its life-sustaining compliment: Insulin. How will techno foods be processed in my body? This question drives me to understand future foods at a molecular level, and then to share what I’ve learned in my writing. 

Larissa's book list on people who love to eat (in the future)

Why did Larissa love this book?

Can you recall dipping your finger into a pile of sugar and placing it on your tongue?

Sugar is a magical ingredient that does far more than sweeten. It keeps food moist and soft and it extends the shelf-life in packaged foods. These are just a few reasons why we’re hooked on sugar and Gary Taubes takes us deep into sugars’ history.

What he uncovers is the opposite of sweet. We’re hooked, he tells us, and it’s the reason our chronic conditions are still on the rise. Taubes’ book pulls you along following the investigative journey on how sugar rose to dominance and what it’s doing to human health.

By Gary Taubes,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Case Against Sugar as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

More than half a billion adults and 40 million children on the planet are obese. Diabetes is a worldwide epidemic. Evidence increasingly shows that these illnesses are linked to the other major Western diseases: hypertension, heart disease, even Alzheimer's and cancer, and that shockingly, sugar is likely the single root cause. Yet the nutritional advice we receive from public health bodies is muddled, out of date, and frequently contradictory, and in many quarters still promotes the unproven hypothesis that fats are the greatest evil.

With expert science and compelling storytelling, Gary Taubes investigates the history of nutritional science which, shaped…


Women Food and God

By Geneen Roth,

Book cover of Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything

Julie S. Kraft Author Of The Gift of Recovery: 52 Mindful Ways to Live Joyfully Beyond Addiction

From the list on women growing in recovery.

Who am I?

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist and have been helping addicts thrive in recovery since 2009. My first book, The Mindfulness Workbook for Addiction, has sold over 70,000 copies and been published in several countries. Books can offer inspiration, comfort, support, and relief during recovery. In my writing, as in my work with clients, I hope to offer a path to greater fulfillment and joy after addiction.

Julie's book list on women growing in recovery

Why did Julie love this book?

So many women in recovery from addiction have also experienced disordered eating. The food behaviors might exist alongside your other addiction, be your primary concern, or emerge in recovery as a new attempt to cope with the feelings that are left behind. Geneen Roth is, in my opinion, the guru of emotional eating recovery. All of her many books are worth exploring, but I chose this one because of its deeply spiritual message. While she doesn’t use the word “mindfulness” explicitly, Roth encourages a mindful relationship with food and with your body: “Because when you evoke curiosity and openness with a lack of judgment, you align yourself with beauty and delight and love—for their own sake” (p. 106).

By Geneen Roth,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Women Food and God as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Embraced by Oprah, the #1 New York Times bestselling guide that explains the connection between eating and emotion from Geneen Roth—noted authority on mindful eating.

No matter how sophisticated or wealthy or broke or enlightened you are, how you eat tells all.

After three decades of studying, teaching, and writing about our compulsions with food, bestselling author Geneen Roth adds a powerful new dimension to her work in Women Food and God. She begins with her most basic concept: the way you eat is inseparable from your core beliefs about being alive. Your relationship with food is an exact mirror…


Book cover of The Wreckage of My Presence: Essays

Tracy Dawson Author Of Let Me Be Frank: A Book about Women Who Dressed Like Men to Do Shit They Weren't Supposed to Do

From the list on by funny, feminist, truth-telling women.

Who am I?

I am a writer, actor, and comedian. I began on the Second City mainstage in Toronto. I was a writer and an actor on the Canadian television series, Call Me Fitz and I won the Gemini Award and the Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for my work opposite Jason Priestley on that show. Let Me Be Frank is my first book and it brings together so much of what I love to write and read: feminism, women, history, underdogs, and humor.

Tracy's book list on by funny, feminist, truth-telling women

Why did Tracy love this book?

As cliché as it sounds, I truly did laugh and cry my way through this excellent book of essays by actress and comedian Casey Wilson. Wilson is an excellent storyteller and someone who is just profoundly, naturally funny. But she does not shy away from some heartbreaking and emotionally raw material too, which, quite frankly, is my jam. I did that thing where you get both the book and the audiobook, so when you are walking the dog you can still be reading. I highly recommend following suit because Wilson is such a  delight to listen to. I may have had to pull my car over while listening one day because it was not safe to drive whilst weeping uncontrollably.  

By Casey Wilson,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Wreckage of My Presence as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Magnificent." -People Magazine

The instant New York Times bestseller: Laugh-out-loud, deeply insightful, and emotion-filled essays from multitalented actress, comedian, podcaster, and writer Casey Wilson.

Casey Wilson has a lot on her mind and she isn't afraid to share. In this dazzling collection, each essay skillfully constructed and brimming with emotion, she shares her thoughts on the joys and vagaries of modern-day womanhood and motherhood, introduces the not-quite-typical family that made her who she is, and persuasively argues that lowbrow pop culture is the perfect lens through which to examine human nature.

Whether she's extolling the virtues of eating in bed,…


Mindful Eating

By Jan Chozen Bays,

Book cover of Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food

Karyn D. Hall Author Of The Radically Open DBT Workbook for Eating Disorders: From Overcontrol and Loneliness to Recovery and Connection

From the list on recovery from eating disorders.

Who am I?

I’ve been interested in psychological health since I was in high school and continue to search for interventions and preventions to alleviate mental illness and build mental health. I’m a licensed psychologist and coach focusing on evidenced based treatments, with a special interest in how people connect and the impact of loneliness. Despite a growing population, more people are feeling lonely, including adolescents, and loneliness can often be a root cause of mental suffering. Loneliness is common among individuals with anorexia and other eating disorders as well as chronic depression. Addressing how to connect and how they may be blocking connections can be a complicated but needed process. My work is focused in this area.

Karyn's book list on recovery from eating disorders

Why did Karyn love this book?

Our survival and health depends on the food we eat, yet so many have a conflicted relationship with food. In Mindful Eating, the author helps the reader regain joy in eating through eating mindfully. She discusses the nine types of hunger as well as six guidelines for mindful eating. A Zen teacher, her writing is clear and easy to understand. 

By Jan Chozen Bays,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mindful Eating as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Turn food from foe to friend with this bestselling guide to developing healthy eating habits through mindfulness practices—from a beloved Zen teacher

Food. It should be one of life’s great pleasures, yet many of us have such a conflicted relationship with it that we miss out on that most basic of satisfactions.  But it is possible—and not really all that difficult—to reclaim the joy of eating, according to Dr. Jan Bays. Mindfulness is the key. Her approach involves bringing one's full attention to the process of eating—to all the tastes, smells, thoughts, and feelings that arise during a meal. She…


Bright Line Eating

By Susan Peirce Thompson,

Book cover of Bright Line Eating: The Science of Living Happy, Thin and Free

Vera Tarman, MD Author Of Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction

From the list on capturing sugar and food addiction.

Who am I?

I am an addictions physician with a passion for the field of food addiction. I have spoken, taught, and written about this subject for over 15 years. I am the author of Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction; have a thriving free Facebook group: I'm Sweet Enough: Sugar-Free for Life (which you are invited to join), and a podcast called Food Junkies—to catch up on the latest in the field. I am also a food addict in recovery for over 15 years and have maintained a 100-pound weight loss since then.

Vera's book list on capturing sugar and food addiction

Why did Vera love this book?

This book is written by the founder of the very successful weight loss food program, Susan Peirce Thompson. She covers the science and clinical picture of food addiction. Which she believes is essential for long-term successful weight loss.

This book is very public/reader-friendly. She is also a food addict in recovery and is very open about her trials and tribulations. I find her very engaging and personable.

By Susan Peirce Thompson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bright Line Eating as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Over 99% of people who try to lose weight don't succeed. They don't get slender and they don't stay slender long term. The average dieter spends a significant amount of money and makes four or five new attempts each year. Four or five new attempts each year with almost no hope of success. Only 1% of people will get down to their goal weight on traditional diets. Susan Peirce Thompson. Ph.D., suggests that there's something fishy going on here, something important we're not paying attention to. We don't have an obesity problem; we have an obesity mystery-and she has a…


The Daniel Plan

By Rick Warren, Daniel G. Amen, Mark Hyman

Book cover of The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life

Wendy Speake Author Of The 40-Day Sugar Fast: Where Physical Detox Meets Spiritual Transformation

From the list on overcoming food addiction with faith.

Who am I?

Before becoming an author, my career was as an actress in Hollywood. I stepped off of the stage and onto the page in 2016 and have never looked back. Telling stories about real life has allowed me to not only entertain but also encourage my literary audience. After writing parenting books I transitioned into devotionals and Bible studies for Christian women.

Wendy's book list on overcoming food addiction with faith

Why did Wendy love this book?

The Daniel Plan is far more than a diet plan. It is an appetizing approach to achieving a healthy lifestyle by optimizing the five key essentials of faith, food, fitness, focus, and friends. Unlike the thousands of other books on the market, this book is not about a new diet, guilt-driven gym sessions, or shame-driven fasts. Your path to holistic health begins here, as Pastor Rick Warren and fitness and medical experts Dr. Daniel Amen and Dr. Mark Hyman guide you to incorporate healthy choices into your current lifestyle.

The concepts in this book will encourage you to deepen your relationship with God and develop a community of supportive friends who will encourage you to make smart food and fitness choices each and every day.

By Rick Warren, Daniel G. Amen, Mark Hyman

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Daniel Plan as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The Daniel Plan is far more than a diet plan. It is an appetizing approach to achieving a healthy lifestyle by optimizing the five key essentials of faith, food, fitness, focus, and friends.

Unlike the thousands of other books on the market, this book is not about a new diet, guilt-driven gym sessions, or shame-driven fasts. Your path to holistic health begins here, as Pastor Rick Warren and fitness and medical experts Dr. Daniel Amen and Dr. Mark Hyman guide you to incorporate healthy choices into your current lifestyle.

The concepts in this book will encourage…


She's Come Undone

By Wally Lamb,

Book cover of She's Come Undone

Barbara Boehm Miller Author Of When You See Her

From the list on plus-sized protagonists.

Who am I?

Being overweight presents an intriguing paradox: being physically large and hard to miss, but also being essentially invisible and easy to ignore. Having struggled with weight for my entire life, I’m very familiar with this juxtaposition of opposites. I wanted to write a novel with a plus-sized protagonist set in a different time, the late 1970s in this case, before the notions of size positivity and body diversity had come to life in society’s collective imagination. For me, this was a way of making fat people more visible in books, especially as main characters. I put together this list of books for the same reason. 

Barbara's book list on plus-sized protagonists

Why did Barbara love this book?

Published more than 30 years ago, in 1992, this book is a long-time favorite of mine, the first that I can remember reading that had a fat protagonist.

I do wish, however, that the main character, Dolores Price, did not have to lose weight as part of her story. I suppose we, as a society, were all in agreement at the time that the fat version of her could not have achieved any lasting satisfaction.

This novel is a coming-of-age story about a fierce woman who fights long and hard, makes many mistakes, and succeeds in building a life worthy of her. Though every element of this novel may not have aged well, I love this main character as much today as I did then and have reread this book many times.

By Wally Lamb,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked She's Come Undone as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Dolores Price is the wry and overweight, sensitive and pained, cynical heroine of this novel. The story follows her from four to 40, from her shattered family life through the hellish circles of sexual and food abuse to her gradual recovery and her fight to love again.


Fat Chance

By Robert H. Lustig,

Book cover of Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease

Vera Tarman, MD Author Of Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction

From the list on capturing sugar and food addiction.

Who am I?

I am an addictions physician with a passion for the field of food addiction. I have spoken, taught, and written about this subject for over 15 years. I am the author of Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction; have a thriving free Facebook group: I'm Sweet Enough: Sugar-Free for Life (which you are invited to join), and a podcast called Food Junkies—to catch up on the latest in the field. I am also a food addict in recovery for over 15 years and have maintained a 100-pound weight loss since then.

Vera's book list on capturing sugar and food addiction

Why did Vera love this book?

This is a must-read by anti-sugar advocate Robert Lustig. He is a paediatric endocrinologist who became famous with the viral YouTube video: Sugar the Bitter Truth.

This book covers the science of sugar and its detrimental effects on the body. This is a staple its the food addiction field. For a scientific book, it is readable and mind-boggling.

By Robert H. Lustig,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Fat Chance as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Sugar is toxic, addictive and everywhere. So what chance do you have of living sugar-free?

With busy lives and little time left for cooking we find ourselves relying on a diet of processed food. But this is what's responsible for our chronically expanding waistlines, soaring levels of diabetes and a catalogue of diseases.

Dr Robert Lustig reveals the truth about our sugar-laden food:

Why conventional low-fat weight loss advice won't work: not every calorie is the same, and skipping lunch doesn't mean it's ok to eat dessert Why too much sugar can cause serious illness even if you are not…


The Daniel Fast Cookbook

By Cindy Anschutz,

Book cover of The Daniel Fast Cookbook: Meal Plans and Recipes to Bring You Closer to God

Wendy Speake Author Of The 40-Day Sugar Fast: Where Physical Detox Meets Spiritual Transformation

From the list on overcoming food addiction with faith.

Who am I?

Before becoming an author, my career was as an actress in Hollywood. I stepped off of the stage and onto the page in 2016 and have never looked back. Telling stories about real life has allowed me to not only entertain but also encourage my literary audience. After writing parenting books I transitioned into devotionals and Bible studies for Christian women.

Wendy's book list on overcoming food addiction with faith

Why did Wendy love this book?

Nourish your body and your faith with recipes and devotions for the Daniel Fast. In the court of King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel was pressured to worship false gods and eat forbidden foods―but he stayed true to God, eating no meat, wine, or choice foods for weeks. Follow in Daniel’s footsteps and draw nearer to God with The Daniel Fast Cookbook. This meal plan and recipe book guides you through a partial fast, consuming only what the Lord has naturally provided―and experiencing Him like never before.

Two Daniel Fast meal plans come with dozens of plant-based, gluten-free recipes for tasty, fast-friendly food. Daily devotions help you lean on prayer and scripture when fasting becomes challenging. With The Daniel Fast Cookbook, you can focus less on figuring out the rules of the Daniel Fast―and more on growing in faith.

By Cindy Anschutz,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Daniel Fast Cookbook as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Nourish your body and your faith with recipes and devotions for the Daniel Fast

In the court of King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel was pressured to worship false gods and eat forbidden foods―but he stayed true to God, eating no meat, wine, or choice foods for weeks. Follow in Daniel’s footsteps and draw nearer to God with The Daniel Fast Cookbook. This meal plan and recipe book guides you through a partial fast, consuming only what the Lord has naturally provided―and experiencing Him like never before.

Two Daniel Fast meal plans come with dozens of plant-based, gluten-free recipes for tasty, fast-friendly food.…


Saving Sara

By Sara Somers,

Book cover of Saving Sara: A Memoir of Food Addiction

Vera Tarman, MD Author Of Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction

From the list on capturing sugar and food addiction.

Who am I?

I am an addictions physician with a passion for the field of food addiction. I have spoken, taught, and written about this subject for over 15 years. I am the author of Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction; have a thriving free Facebook group: I'm Sweet Enough: Sugar-Free for Life (which you are invited to join), and a podcast called Food Junkies—to catch up on the latest in the field. I am also a food addict in recovery for over 15 years and have maintained a 100-pound weight loss since then.

Vera's book list on capturing sugar and food addiction

Why did Vera love this book?

An excellent, well-written memoir of what it is like to be a food addict. Sara Somers tells her story of discovery and how she finds recovery. You really feel the drama of what it is like to eat, to overeat to the point of shame and sickness, and then that is possible to recover from even the worst case. A book to identify and feel inspired to change.

By Sara Somers,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Saving Sara as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For nearly fifty years, Sara Somers suffered from untreated food addiction. In this brutally honest and intimate memoir, Somers offers readers an inside view of a food addict's mind, showcasing her experiences of obsessive cravings, compulsivity, and powerlessness regarding food. Saving Sara chronicles Somers's addiction from childhood to adulthood, beginning with abnormal eating as a nine-year-old. As her addiction progresses in young adulthood, she becomes isolated, masking her shame and self-hatred with drugs and alcohol. Time and again, she rationalizes why this time will be different, only to have her physical cravings lead to ever-worse binges, to see her promises…