Episode 284: Clinician's Corner | Shame, Stigma & Ultra-Processed Food Use Disorder

Episode 284: Clinician's Corner | Shame, Stigma & Ultra-Processed Food Use Disorder

From Food Junkies Podcast by Clarissa Kennedy

June 4, 2026 · 50 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of shame and stigma on recovery from ultra-processed food use disorder.

In this episode of Clinician's Corner, Molly and Clarissa get real about one of the most pervasive and painful barriers in recovery from ultra-processed food use disorder: shame and stigma. Fresh off facilitating two back-to-back retreats (with Vera joining both!), they bring the depth of those in-person conversations directly to you. This is the kind of episode that meets you where you are — no toxic positivity, no oversimplified "just love yourself" advice, and absolutely no shaming you into change. In this episode, you'll hear: The ancient roots of stigma and how it evolved from physical branding to the labels we carry today How external stigma becomes internalized — and why that inner critic is the real battleground Why shame is rarely a catalyst for sustainable change (and why "hitting bottom" is not a recovery strategy) The ways shame quietly shrinks our lives: postponing travel, relationships, photos, joy — until we're "fixed" Whether shame can ever be an ally, and when it becomes maladaptive Why self-compassion is the antidote to shame — but it's not the whole story The difference between doing this work cognitively vs. somatically, and why both matter What it looks like…

People in this episode

Host: Clarissa Kennedy

Guest: Molly

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