Why Diets Fail (with Addiction Psychologist, Shahroo Izadi)

Why Diets Fail (with Addiction Psychologist, Shahroo Izadi)

From Own Your Health by Own Your Health

March 8, 2026 · 49 min

About this episode

Katie Brindle and Shahroo Izadi discuss the connection between addiction and our relationship with food, exploring why diets often fail and how to overcome shame and cravings.

Why do so many of us feel powerless around food? In this episode of Own Your Health , Katie Brindle is joined by psychologist, behavioural change specialist and author Shahroo Izadi to explore the surprising connection between addiction, shame, and our relationship with food. Drawing on her experience working in drug and alcohol recovery within the NHS and prisons, Shahroo explains why the way we talk to ourselves about food often mirrors the way people speak about addiction - and why shame is one of the biggest barriers to lasting change. Katie and Shahroo unpack why diets so often fail, why late-night cravings feel impossible to resist, and how compassion and behavioural psychology can help us break patterns that feel completely out of our control. They also explore how modern life, from stress and scrolling to busy schedules and disrupted routines, is affecting our nervous systems, our digestion, and our ability to make healthy choices. More information here: https://katiebrindle.com/ Subscribe to my newsletter: https://katiebrindle.com/newsletter-s ... Buy 'Yang Sheng: The Art of Chinese Self-Healing' at https://www.hayoumethod.com/product/y ... Buy the Hayo'u tools at…

People in this episode

Host: Katie Brindle

Guest: Shahroo Izadi

Topics covered

  • food addiction
  • behavioral psychology
  • diet failure
  • shame
  • compassion
  • modern life impact

Keywords

  • food
  • addiction
  • diet
  • shame
  • behavioral change
  • psychology
  • cravings
  • health choices

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NHS, Hayo'u

Books & works: Yang Sheng: The Art of Chinese Self-Healing

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