Foods That Lie: How to Stop Overeating and Eat Like a Normal Person

Stop binge eating without willpower — by understanding flavor.

Winner, National Indie Excellence Award, Addiction & Recovery category (2025)

I spent years dieting, losing weight, gaining weight, restricting, binge eating, and everything in between. Then I spent years trying to stop dieting, yet somehow failed at that too. Through it all, I became fatter, sicker, and more and more ashamed.

But an idea about deceptive flavor changed everything.

Foods That Lie explains how deceptive flavor signals in the modern food environment create unpredictable reward patterns similar to gambling machines, triggering temporary bodily changes that increase appetite and drive overeating.

It concludes with a simple method to break free.

This isn’t another mindful eating or intuitive eating book. It is an information-based approach centered around acquiring an accurate understanding of the problem.

I am an ordinary mother from New Zealand, with no relevant work experience or nutritional qualifications. What I do have, however, is almost two decades entangled in what can only be described as a dietary nightmare — and the complete and utter joy of being free of it.

Whether you are struggling with so-called ‘emotional eating,’ ‘stress eating,’ ‘sugar addiction,’ ‘yo-yo dieting,’ ‘binge eating disorder,’ ‘compulsive eating,’ 'junk food addiction' or are simply wondering how to stop eating so much, Foods That Lie provides the missing piece that makes permanent change possible.

“I found this book through the r/BingeEatingDisorder subreddit, where several people mentioned it had helped them. I’d already been through treatment with a psychologist, a nutritionist, and a doctor — so I figured one more resource couldn’t hurt.

I started reading with low expectations. I’d been struggling with binge eating for years, and honestly didn’t think a book could change much. But I was wrong – this book ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.” — Abril S


“I will not be surprised to see scientists test Libby’s hypothesis from various angles in the coming years. In the meantime, if you have issues with eating, buy this book, test Libby’s hypothesis, and write a review. You’ll be happy you did.” — Fred Provenza, Professor Emeritus, Utah State University