In this talk, Dr. Ashley Gearhardt will discuss the currrent science on ultra-processed foods ability to trigger addictive processes and discuss how this may be considered in clinical treatment contexts.
Speaker
Dr. Ashley Gearhardt is a Professor of Psychology in the Clinical Science area at the University of Michigan. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Yale University with training on the underpinnings of both excess food and alcohol consumption. Dr. Gearhardt currently investigates the contribution of reward dysfunction (e.g., craving, liking) to eating-related problems across the lifespan. She uses a multi-method approach to explore the neurobiological, psychological, and behavioral factors that contribute to problematic eating behavior. Dr. Gearhardt also investigates the role of addictive processes in compulsive overeating and is the Director of the Food Addiction Science and Treatment Laboratory. She created the Yale Food Addiction Scale, which has been cited over 1000 times and has been translated into over a dozen languages. Her research has received funding from the National Institute of Health and the American Heart Association. She has published over 190 peer-reviewed articles and has been identified as one of the world’s top 2% of scientists. Her research has been featured on media outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, the Today Show, and Time Magazine. She has testified at both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives on the scientific evidence demonstrating parallels between ultra-processed foods and addictive substances.