169. Appetite Literacy: Understanding Hunger, Fullness, and the Brain with Dr. Ashley White
The Obesity Doctor PodcastShow Notes
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Ashley White to explore a concept that’s missing from most conversations about obesity treatment: appetite literacy.
Together, we talk about why hunger, fullness, cravings, and wanting aren’t problems to suppress, but physiological signals to understand—and how dieting, stress, and modern food environments disrupt those signals. We explore how appetite is regulated in the brain, why willpower-based models fall short, and how appetite literacy fits into modern obesity care, including the use of GLP-1 medications.
This is a grounded, science-based conversation about working with biology rather than fighting it—and why skill-building matters just as much as treatment tools.
Dr. White is a physician certified in family medicine and emergency medicine through the College of Family Physicians of Canada, with board certification in obesity medicine through the American Board of Obesity Medicine and a Master’s in Public Health with a specialization in global health. Her 15-year career spans community health work in Afghanistan, health equity policy at the Public Health Agency of Canada, rural emergency medicine, and pioneering integrated addiction treatment in primary care. She currently serves as Medical Lead in Canada for HeliosX and is the founder of The Shift Clinic, launching December 2025.
Connect with Dr. Ashley White: Instagram: @ashleywhite.md The Shift Clinic: www.theshift.clinic Website: www.ashleywhitemd.com
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