The Hunger Trap Podcast
I co-created The Hunger Trap Podcast in 2020 with my friend and co-host Diana Bowman to explore eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and diet culture through a lens that blended honesty, humanity, and just enough irreverence to make difficult conversations feel accessible. As people with lived experience of anorexia, we deeply respected the expert-led voices already in the space—but we felt there was room for something more personal. What was missing was the human element: real conversations that acknowledged both the seriousness of these conditions and the lived realities behind them.
Over the course of 75 episodes, we created and hosted one of the only podcasts of its kind to regularly feature individuals with lived eating disorder experience alongside leading clinicians, researchers, and published authors. We handled every aspect of production ourselves, from researching and booking guests to editing episodes (first in GarageBand, later in Audacity), marketing across social platforms, and growing a dedicated niche audience within the eating disorder recovery community. I’m proud of every episode we produced, all of which are available on Apple and Spotify. Below are four episodes that remain personal favorites.
Comorbid ADHD and ED With Dr. Roberto Olivardia
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In this episode, we talk with Dr. Roberto Olivardia about the often-overlooked connection between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and eating disorders—and why that overlap matters so much when it comes to treatment. He breaks down the unique challenges of this dual diagnosis and what more effective, compassionate care can look like. Dr. Olivardia also shares personal insights about living with ADHD himself and how he’s learned to work with it—not against it—to build a fulfilling and productive life.
A Pyramid Scheme: Evolution of the U.S. Food Pyramid Throughout History
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In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Jessica Mudry—Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the School of Professional Communication at Ryerson University—for a fascinating deep dive into how the U.S. government became involved in people’s food choices in the first place. We unpack how everything from German capitalism to wartime policy shaped modern food guidelines, ushered in calorie and macro counting, and how powerful food lobbyists convinced us that slogans like “milk does a body good” were nutritional gospel. It’s smart, eye-opening, and guaranteed to change the way you think about what’s on your plate.
Perimenopause and Menopause: This Is Not Your Gramma's Problem
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In this episode, we chat with fitness expert Amanda Thebe about her book Menopocalypse: How I Learned to Thrive During Menopause and How You Can Too and dig into what perimenopause and menopause really look like—no whispers, no shame. We cover both the physiological and psycho-emotional shifts, explore the connection between eating disorders and times of change, and share practical tips for not just surviving, but thriving during this phase of life. And to listeners with a 2 or 3 at the start of your age who think you can skip this episode: don’t. The more you know now, the more you’ll flourish later.
Sex, Anorexia, and Rock ’n’ Roll: One Man’s Eating Disorder Story
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Writer and Boston Globe music critic Ken Capobianco joins us for a funny, candid, and surprisingly profound conversation about how decades of anorexia led to a stroke in his forties—and ultimately, an awakening and a second chance at life. We talk about everything from the influence of ultra-skinny rock icons like Prince and Mick Jagger on Ken’s body ideals to the ways the medical community continues to misunderstand, overlook, and fail men and young boys with eating disorders. It’s sharp, honest, and full of insight you won’t stop thinking about once the episode ends.
