Get your conference ticket here: https://tinyurl.com/IFACC-2026-Tickets

A few years ago, I was presenting Bright Line Eating weight-loss data at Obesity Week, a major research conference. My poster was next to one about childhood obesity, and the researcher presenting became fascinated by our program. She wanted to collaborate on a pilot study to help children struggling with food addiction and obesity.

I said no.

Why We Need to Talk About Food Addiction in Children

I’ve always worried about parents pressuring their children to follow Bright Line Eating when they don’t want to, or children wanting to change their eating without their parents’ support. Bright Line Eating is for people who want it and are willing to work it. And I couldn’t be sure that introducing it into complicated family dynamics wouldn’t cause harm. 

The researcher looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Doing nothing is doing harm.”

I’ve never forgotten those words.

The Consequences of Childhood Obesity

The research is sobering. Childhood obesity frequently persists into adolescence and adulthood, and children struggling with obesity face increased risks of depression, poor self-image, and other mental health challenges.

The physical consequences can be serious, too. Type 2 diabetes that develops in childhood or adolescence can progress more aggressively than adult-onset diabetes, leading to earlier complications like blindness, kidney failure, or amputations. Researchers are even finding signs of cardiovascular disease in young people—plaque in arteries that looks like it’s been accumulating for fifty years rather than five.

The earlier these problems develop, the harder they can be to reverse. Prevention is critical.

Why Early Exposure Matters

One important area of research involves the prenatal environment. Glucose—blood sugar—passes through the placenta from mother to baby, raising the baby’s blood sugar. But insulin doesn’t cross over—it’s too big a molecule. As the fetal pancreas develops, it begins producing its own insulin in response to glucose. Persistently elevated blood sugar can lead to excessive insulin production, a condition called hyperinsulinemia.

Elevated maternal blood sugar has been linked to increased risks of excessive fetal growth and metabolic problems later in life. That’s why maintaining healthy blood sugar levels during pregnancy matters.

Animal studies raise another concern. Rats fed highly palatable, calorie-dense foods, sometimes called a cafeteria diet, can develop powerful preferences for those foods and resist returning to a healthier diet.

While we can’t assume the same outcomes in humans, these findings raise important questions about children growing up surrounded by ultra-processed foods. What happens when those foods become the foundation of their eating habits?

Protecting Children Through Research and Policy

We’re often willing to protect children in ways we might not protect ourselves. We restrict advertising and access to cigarettes and alcohol, for example. And pregnant women often stop drinking or smoking for their developing fetus. What might change if we better understood food addiction in children?

That’s why I’m so excited about the upcoming International Food Addiction Children’s Conference, an online gathering of researchers and advocates from around the world.

The speaker lineup is extraordinary. Dr. Nicole Avena will discuss sugar addiction in teenagers. Erica LaFata, who trained with food addiction researcher Ashley Gearhardt, will be presenting. We’ll also hear from international children’s health experts and Michael Moss, author of Hooked. Mauro Brero from UNICEF will speak, bringing an international perspective on childhood obesity, ultra-processed foods, and food policy.

I’m particularly interested in policy discussions about ultra-processed foods and their potential addictiveness, including the work of UNICEF and the World Health Organization.

The conference takes place on November 14, 2026. Registration is inexpensive, recordings will be available, and I’ve included a link below to register. I don’t receive anything for recommending it. I simply believe this work is tremendously important.

We know how hard food addiction can be to overcome once it’s established. What if we could prevent it from developing in the first place?

The more we learn, the greater our responsibility to act.

Get your conference ticket here: https://tinyurl.com/IFACC-2026-Tickets