“Sugar addiction is the driver of the chronic diseases that we face.” Professor Tim Noakes

In a candid, no-holds-barred live interview with registered dietitian Tamzyn Murphy from the Nutrition Network, renowned sports scientist and medical icon Professor Tim Noakes delivered a powerful indictment against what he sees as the true root cause of modern illness: addiction to sugar and refined carbohydrates.

This wasn’t a vague discussion on “cutting back” or “moderation.” Noakes called it what it is: an addiction one that hijacks brain chemistry, fuels the diabesity epidemic, and remains stubbornly unacknowledged by mainstream medicine and global health systems.

Addiction, Not Willpower

Noakes, who has spent decades challenging flawed dogmas from low-fat dietary guidelines to over-hydration in athletes spoke openly about his own journey as a sugar addict. He described a life powered by high-carb fueling strategies in sport, a deteriorating health trajectory, and the shocking realization at age 61 that he had developed type 2 diabetes.

His turning point?

“The ones who reversed their diabetes didn’t just cut carbs, they overcame their food addiction.”

In his view, the real barrier to health isn’t just poor advice or bad habits, it’s biochemical dependence.

Designed to Addict

The conversation highlighted a disturbing truth: ultra-processed foods are engineered to keep us hooked. Drawing a straight line from the tobacco industry to the modern food system, Noakes argues that it’s no accident we’re addicted.

“Ultra-processed foods make you eat 500 to 1,000 calories more per day. They’re not satiating. They’re built to addict you.”

Even for those not clinically addicted, the metabolic damage is widespread: increased hunger, blood sugar crashes, inflammation, and the erosion of control.

The Global Denial

Why, then, does sugar addiction remain absent from the DSM and ICD diagnostic manuals?

Noakes didn’t shy away from the answer: institutional neglect, commercial interests, and systemic censorship.

“There’s no profit in reversing diabetes through diet. That’s why conferences focus on insulin and metformin, not food.”

The pharmaceutical and processed food industries dominate research funding and clinical narratives, leaving the public uninformed and untreated.

Prevention Starts in the Womb

Perhaps most controversially, Noakes emphasized that addiction risk starts before birth:

“Sugar addiction begins with the mother… and wean onto real food, not ultra-processed slop.”This statement echoes earlier advocacy by Dr. Jason Fung, who warned of “marinating fetuses in glucose and insulin.” Noakes argues we need upstream action maternal education, food policy reform, and community-level prevention to halt the cycle.

What Real Treatment Looks Like

True recovery, Noakes insists, cannot rely on discipline or dietary tweaks. It requires abstinence, structure, and professional guidance.

“The addiction is always there. If I take one bite, it’s back. You need total removal.”

He supports models like 12-step recovery, clinician-led interventions, and group support not just elite inpatient clinics, but scalable, community-driven solutions.Which is exactly why Nutrition Network has launched its Professional Training in Sugar and Carbohydrate Addiction.

A Call to Action for Clinicians

Whether you’re a doctor, nurse, dietitian, coach, or counselor, the burden of addiction is already in your waiting room. Most clients won’t say “I’m addicted” they’ll say “I’m tired,” “I’m overweight,” or “I have cravings I can’t control.”

You have a choice:

• Keep treating symptoms

Or learn to diagnose and address the real root cause

Train Now. Transform Lives.

The Nutrition Network’s Professional Training in Sugar and Carbohydrate Addiction is the first of its kind offering evidence-based, clinically practical tools to:

• Screen for addiction vs. harmful use
  
• Support patients with real recovery models
  
• Lead in a space medicine is failing to address
  

➡️ Enroll Now to join the next wave of clinicians leading the paradigm shift.30% early bird discount available before the 28th of the month.
Bundle available with upcoming Diagnostician Certification – email [email protected] for access.

“It won’t come from the top. This change will come from people on the ground clinicians like you.”
— Prof Tim Noakes