Media
My advice has been featured in media articles by publications from Marie Claire to Wales Online. Here are some examples.
If you have a media enquiry, I’d love to hear from you.
Please contact info@theappetitedoctor.co.uk
Why you’re hungry all the time – and what you can do about it
“Exploring the Psychology of Appetite”
Is anybody else nervous about the end of lockdown?
When my Twitter timeline filled with voices sharing how much they missed their family (same) and how anxious they felt (surprisingly, for once, not same), I realised I was instead filled with an innate sense of calm. But where had it come from? While my perfect circumstantial storm may have played some part, it likely isn’t the full explanation as to why I’ve been feeling so good in lockdown, says Dr Helen McCarthy, a clinical psychologist and author of How To Retrain Your Appetite (an exploration of the psychology of eating).
Mail Online featured an article by journalist Sarah Finley who interviewed me about the psychology of Emotional Eating
Emotional eating means eating in response to emotional states rather than because you’re physically hungry.
When you are physically hungry, it’s food you need to satisfy the hunger, but when you’re eating because you feel sad, angry or anxious, the food will never really satisfy you.
‘I Wish I Was Skinny’: How To Speak To Children About Body Image And Weight
I’m standing in front of my daughter holding her puffer jacket in front of her. She scowls and shakes her head, arms crossed: “I’m not wearing it,” she says, gritting her teeth. “It makes me look all fat and puffy.” I don’t know what to say to her. All I can think is: “You’re six! Is this when it starts?”
Words whizz through my head like wildfire: anorexia, body image, gender stereotypes. I think about those shocking statistics that showed children as young as four and five attended clinics for eating disorders.
Lose weight WITHOUT dieting: Psychologist reveals how decoding your ‘appetite pendulum’ prevents you from overeating
A weight-loss psychologist has created an appetite pendulum – which can help you to recognise how much food your body actually needs, in order to lose weight without dieting.
Dr Helen McCarthy, based in Bristol, told Femail that we’ve all been trained to eat at certain times, rather than when we’re hungry and we overeat when we don’t need to.
How To Raise A Little Feminist – It’s Never Too Early For Equality
Sad but true, gender stereotyping begins in the womb
On my daughter’s fifth birthday I gave her a necklace that said: “Though she be but little, she is fierce”. The quote comes from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream – and I couldn’t have found a more inspirational message.
Treating yourself is best way to fast-track your weight loss, psychologist says
Denying yourself Easter eggs is only going to end in an almighty binge, so why bother?
WHETHER you’re religious or not, Easter is all about spending time with loved ones – and eating eggs.
But everywhere you look, you’ll find dieting companies and fitness influencers giving “advice” on how to get through the holiday with your diet still intact.
Why you SHOULD break your diet for Easter: Psychologist reveals why denying yourself chocolate treats can lead to weight gain in the long-run
Dr Helen McCarthy,’the Appetite Doctor’, encourages eating chocolate on diets
If you’ve been avoiding treats during Lent, it becomes hard to stick to those good resolutions with a weekend of Easter eggs and roast dinners ahead.
While some people may try to avoid tucking into chocolate over the bank holiday, if they’re watching their waistline, a clinical psychologist told Femail that cutting out sweet treats altogether could ultimately hamper your weight loss attempts.
Wales Online – The power of plants: How veganism conquered the mainstream
Veganism isn’t a new diet but it’s suddenly become more popular than ever
You just can’t escape it right now. As far as diets go, veganism has never been more popular.
If 2017 was the year vegan got sexy, 2018 seems likely to be the year it gets massive. Instagram and YouTube are full of huge accounts showcasing manicured and mouthwatering meat-free treats, Netflix is loaded up with exposés of the alleged horrors of the dairy industry, and every supermarket and restaurant chain worth its heart-friendly salt alternative has vegan choices sitting prominently on their aisles and menus.
Bristol Post – Is the way we talk about food making us Bristolians fat?
A Bristol psychologist is taking us on a crash course on how to banish the guilty feelings we have around food.
We are almost halfway through February and for those of you going strong with your New Year’s resolutions to get fit and healthy, well done.
However, for those of you who feel like you have given up or are struggling, I feel your pain.
Women’s Health – How To Deal With Hunger Pangs For When You Can Think of Nothing Else But Snacks
We’ve all been there – an empty feeling in your stomach, a noisy rumbling at the most unwelcome of moments and hunger pangs so fierce that suddenly that out-of-date yoghurt pot seems remarkably appetising.
Wales Online – This is how you handle Christmas party season if you’re trying to lose weight
Multiple festive lunches and buffets from now until the end of December make losing weight and staying healthy a nightmare.
But a leading psychologist says it is entirely possible for people to continue eating the foods they love without piling on the pounds.
The Sun – Here’s how you can have your Christmas treats AND stay healthy – including mince pies and Prosecco
According to Dr Helen McCarthy, a psychologist, mindful eating over the festive period can help stop you over-indulging on everything you see.
Bristol Post – My day with the appetite doctor: What it taught me and how it could help you
Feeling the post-Christmas slump? Bristol’s own Appetite Doctor could help.
Television
Helen appeared on “Save Money Lose Weight” in January 2020 with Dr Ranj Singh in a piece on willpower. Here she is testing one of the gadgets featured in the piece which claim to help with willpower.
In Print
I was interviewed for January 2020’s Healthy Food Guide magazine, and my client Chris was featured in the article talking about how Appetite Retraining transformed her relationship with food, and she lost a stone into the bargain without any feelings of deprivation
My Appetite Pendulum is featured in the January 2020 ‘If I could tell you one thing’ column of Sainsbury’s magazine
Veggie – Which snack is right for you?
Marie Claire – Six smart habits from people who never diet
Ten Tastiest Titles to kick-start the new you” by Garry Bushell
12th January 2019
Western Mail article, How to Think Yourself Slim by Jenny White
12th January 2019