Today we are joined by Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP. He is a man of great learning with a deep interest in metabolic health and nutrition. He got interested in metabolic health while working in adult pain. He saw that 91% of his patients were overweight. Through observation and experimentation, he found that metabolic inflammation was at the epicenter of pain, addiction, and obesity. Ever since, he has kept working to share what he found and to learn more. His work led him to see that social isolation is an extremely significant factor in addiction/overeating. We also talk in detail about what different foods do to your metabolism. We cover why insulin matters as a marker for the disease. And we cover why feeling full (satiety) is key when you recover from food addiction.
Frequently asked questions
What is metabolic inflammation, and why does it matter?
In Dr. Padda’s work, metabolic inflammation is the common ground under pain, addiction and obesity. He found it by watching his own patients. Working in adult pain, he saw that 91% of them were overweight. Observation and experimentation led him to place metabolic inflammation at the epicenter of all three. He does not treat each one as a separate problem.
Can loneliness cause overeating?
Yes. Dr. Padda’s work led him to conclude that social isolation is an extremely significant factor in addiction. Overeating is one form of it. In this episode he explains why the drive to overeat is not only about the food on the plate. He also explains why isolation belongs in the talk about weight and metabolic health.
Why does insulin matter in metabolic disease?
Dr. Padda treats insulin as a marker for the disease itself, not a side detail. In this episode he explains in detail why insulin matters as that marker. He also covers what different foods do to your metabolism. And he covers the role of satiety (feeling full) in getting over food addiction. Metabolic inflammation is the thread he traces through pain, addiction and obesity. It is the disease that marker points to.
How do you recover from food addiction?
Satiety is central. Dr. Padda explains in detail why satiety (feeling full, and staying full) is essential to getting over food addiction. He also shows how what different foods do to your metabolism makes that easier or harder. Social isolation is part of the same picture, because it is a significant factor in overeating.
Related reading
Medically reviewed by Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP
Interventional pain physician, addiction medicine specialist and obesity medicine diplomate.
Licensed in Missouri and Illinois.
Last reviewed June 4, 2026
