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The Clinical Approach to Food Addiction, Informed Consent & Hunger

By Medically reviewed by Dr. Tro Kalayjian, DO ·

Originally published

Watch Tro Kalayjian, DO, at Low Carb Denver 2023, with historical context from related clinician-education announcements.

At Low Carb Denver 2023, Tro Kalayjian, DO, delivered a presentation titled “The Clinical Approach to Food Addiction, Informed Consent & Hunger.” The full 37-minute recording was published by Low Carb Conferences.

Tro Kalayjian, DO, presenting at Low Carb Denver 2023. Video published by Low Carb Conferences.

What the presentation addressed

The presentation title brings together three subjects: a clinical approach to food addiction, informed consent, and hunger.

Watch the full recording for Dr. Tro’s complete presentation.

Trust, rapport, and patient experience

Before the 2023 Symposium for Metabolic Health in Boca, Toward Health previewed a food-addiction workshop and lecture that Dr. Tro planned to lead.

“There is a lot of emotion involved. How do we get it out of them and build that trust and rapport?”

The preview said the sessions would discuss assessment and diagnostic tools intended to help clinicians better understand what their patients were experiencing. It also attributed to Dr. Tro a discussion of hopelessness, self-blame, shame, guilt, and other emotional or psychological factors that may be present for some people struggling with food addiction.

Including the patient perspective

The Boca workshop also included Amy Eiges, then a Toward Health health coach and program director. Her planned presentation was titled “Top 10 Things NEVER to Say to a Patient with Food Addiction or Obesity.”

Amy described her own experiences with clinicians and reported losing more than 220 pounds after finding clinicians who were a better fit for her. Her account was presented as a personal experience, not a result readers should expect.

“Helping people heal their relationship to food is as important as what that food is.”

The original announcement used her perspective to emphasize that clinician language, trust, and a patient’s experience were part of the broader discussion.

Professional education and training

The Boca event preview described a workshop for doctors, trainers, dietitians, and other practitioners. Its planned format included short lectures, handouts, and a question-and-answer session.

A separate Toward Health announcement said Dr. Tro had been invited to teach “The Clinical Approach to Food Addiction” in Nutrition Network’s Addictive Eating online training. The current Nutrition Network course page continues to list his module.

Related resources

For related Toward Health material, see Understanding Hunger: Why Your Hunger Has Nothing to Do with Willpower, the 2025 TOWARD food-addiction and binge-eating study summary, and the 2020 case-series summary.

If you are looking for structured care, explore the Toward Health Food Addiction Program.



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