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Food Addiction Institute
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ABOUT

History

The Food Addiction Institute was first conceived and founded by Phil Werdell, MA, a long time food addiction professional and a leader in the field. It began in 2005 as a conversation among food addiction professionals and recovering food addicts about what was needed to effectively address the food addiction crisis within the obesity epidemic. In the early years, FAI efforts focused primarily on collecting research that was slowly being generated that supported the validity of identifying food addiction as a distinct medical condition and food addicts as people deserving of and indeed requiring a distinct approach to treatment. At the same time, the Institute began to collect descriptions of best practices from leading treatment professionals. A growing list of publications helpful to patients and clients, and to healthcare providers was assembled, and has continued to grow as interest in the area has grown. In January 2017, the FAI Board of Directors significantly updated its mission statement. It now reflects a greater emphasis on serving the needs of those afflicted with food addiction even as it continues to offer useful information to healthcare providers and researchers. The Food Addiction Institute has now also committed itself to playing a much stronger advocacy role.

Phil Werdell

Meet the Board of Directors

Cynthia Myers-Morrison

Chair

Michael Prager

Vice Chair

Mona Y. Obaid

Treasurer

Sachir Ajlouni

Board Member

Susan Branscome

Board Member

Cynthia Myers-Morrison, EdD

Board Member

Bonnie Nolan

Board Member

Theresa Wright

Board Member

Mark Cheren

Board Member

Judy Wolfe

Board Member

Daria Green

Board Member

David Wolfe

Board Member

Board Member

Food Addiction is a substance use disorder
family harvesting vegetables

About FAI

The Food Addiction Institute, founded in 2005, is an independent, non-profit
organization whose mission is to support availablility of treatment for food addiction recovery.
 
To accomplish our mission FAI
works towards the following:

* Supply resources for those who may be food addicted. * Provide public and professional resources about food addiction as a substance use disorder aligned with the DSM-5-TR. * Contribute to expanding knowledge about effective, abstinent based treatment for food addiction recovery. * Create a forum for the development and dissemination of innovative and effective public health strategies related to the prevention, identification and treatment of food addiction. * Offer information about evidence-based treatment that incorporates abstinent approaches for recovery from food addiction. * Expand availability of Certified Food Addiction Professionals to effectively treat food addiction.

child eating apple
salad
seniors sharing meal
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