Why 30–50% Don’t Respond: What We’re Missing in Eating Disorder Treatment

Why 30–50% Don’t Respond: What We’re Missing in Eating Disorder Treatment

From Food Addiction, the Problem and the Solution by Esther Helga Gudmundsdottir

February 17, 2026 · 1h 2m

About this episode

Dr. Kim Dennis discusses the complexities of eating disorder treatment and the often overlooked role of food addiction.

Dr. Kim Dennis brings a deeply integrative and courageous voice to the conversation on eating disorders, food addiction, trauma, and recovery. As a board-certified psychiatrist and the Co-Founder, CEO, and Chief Medical Officer of SunCloud Health (https://suncloudhealth.com/) she has spent more than two decades treating complex, co-occurring conditions—while also drawing from her own lived experience in long-term recovery from alcohol use disorder, bulimia, and food addiction. Dr. Dennis believes recovery must address the whole person: biological, psychological, social, and spiritual—not just symptoms or weight. A central theme of this episode is what happens when treatment doesn’t work. Dr. Dennis points to a sobering reality: 30–50% of people with eating disorders do not respond to gold-standard treatments, often leaving patients believing they are broken. She challenges that narrative and argues that food addiction—particularly addiction to sugar and ultra-processed foods—is a critical and often dismissed missing piece. Drawing parallels to Big Tobacco, she explains how corporate influence, stigma, and lack of diagnostic legitimacy have delayed research funding, insurance…

People in this episode

Host: Esther Helga Gudmundsdottir

Guest: Dr. Kim Dennis

Topics covered

  • eating disorders
  • food addiction
  • trauma
  • recovery
  • treatment challenges
  • neurobiology

Keywords

  • eating disorders
  • food addiction
  • treatment
  • trauma-informed care
  • neurobiology
  • sugar addiction
  • ultra-processed foods
  • recovery
  • dopamine pathways

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: SunCloud Health

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