A Systematic Review of Pediatric Obesity and Family Communication Through the Lens of Addiction Literature

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untitled

2016

“…While not yet proven, bearing in mind food preferences and eating practices are clearly largely socially constructed behaviors, and food cues and consumption can activate neural circuits that appear related to drug addiction 30 -exposing young people to a carefully conceived food selection and regimen, limiting their exposure to marketing messages of foods engineered to increase palatability, and helping them to make carefully informed decisions starting in their formative years is strongly indicated. Reducing stressors, and treating signs of depression and anxiety, and sleep deprivation, as well as possible signs of food addiction among young people, family communication interventions to improve children's unhealthy eating behaviors, using cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing is suggested 5 to also likely to be advantageous. Creating a culture of health, and making healthy choices the easy choice is strongly indicated as well.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is the Failure to Lose Weight among the Obese Partly Because Obesity is an Addictive Disease?

Marks¹

2016

Obesity is a worldwide health issue that shows no signs of abating despite concerted efforts in the past decade to understand the determinants of this growing problem, as well as efforts to prevent or reduce the problem. Associated with high rates of morbidity, and lower than anticipated life quality and years of life, 1 as well as significant impacts in middle life on working ability, 2 the costs to the individual and society are increasingly exorbitant, with no respite in sight. So why do individuals become obese and why do the obese often fail to lose weight and maintain this, and why are rates of this problem increasing across the globe-within such a limited time frame? Does some form of addiction contribute to the onset, manifestation and inability to successfully change compulsive eating patterns without relapse in today's society where processed foods are engineered to enhance the desire for fat and sugar? If an addiction is a behavior repeated in face of contradictory evidence-in this case behaviors involving the overconsumption of specific food, 3 the chronic use of certain foods and lack of engagement in physical activity-does this tend to result in weight gain, rather than weight loss or maintenance, followed by high levels of body dissatisfaction, poor self-concept, and reduced emotional wellbeing, plus other health, family, social, and quality of life problems as in the case of substance dependence? Similarly is the fact that the changes needed to reverse this situation are not always forthcoming or sustained when adopted 4 due to similar neurological changes in certain brain pathways or structures. While addiction has a genetic basis, is it possible that the rise in obesity that prevails globally, is not due solely to changes in the gene pool, or lack of physical activity, but because some foods are engineered to provide comfort, or stimuli that are deemed satisfying to the brain, and that potentially tend to rewire the brain as with chemical substances, thus making them highly sought after, as proposed by Mogul et al. 5 According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, an addiction refers to a continual pursuit of a behavior that is increasingly harmful. 6 In addition, accompanying alterations in the brain's reward system, motivation, and related pathways, can conceivably impact how an individual thinks, feels, and makes judgments. This situation can presumably affect their ability to engage in healthful activities, and to make careful decisions. According to Gearhardt et al., 7 previous research has consequently supported the need for further examination of the apparent association between features of addiction to psychoactive substances and excess food intake. While not as obvious as mainstream chemicals, certain foods that have addictive properties and that are highly marketed and part of the social norm may increase the struggle to lose weight, even if one or more of these food addictions results in a variety of irreversible health challenges, and social problems. Alternately, Topcu et a...

“…Sociological factors-that prevail in early childhood and beyond, such as trauma. l. Alcohol may be deemed satisfying to the brain, thus making it highly sought after, as proposed by Mogul et al 21 m. Alcohol use may alter cognitions, and ability to monitor/change behaviors readily.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Obesity, depression, and alcohol linkages among women

Marks¹

2018

| http://medcraveonline.com lifespan. Alcohol usage was the topic of interest, given the possible relevant relationship between food addictions and obesity, depression and alcohol use, and depression and obesity, among women, which has not been well studied. Method Data were sought on PUBMED and the internet using the key terms, obesity, alcohol, women, and depression. English language reports dating back to 1980 were sought, regardless of type. Selected were those pertinent to the ensuing discussion, and these are presented in narrative form, given the lack of depth on any of the specific topics of interest. Results General observations Despite the paucity of data pertaining to the current topics of interest, some of these research efforts do show women tend to be more vulnerable than men in terms of becoming or being obese, especially with regards to extreme obesity, 6 although reasons for this are not clear. However, because women also show greater levels of disability from complications related to obesity, some studies have specifically focused on examining gender-related factors that may explain women's higher rates of obesity. In this regard some data point to the presence of depression or depressive symptoms, given that for every age group, women with depression appear more likely to be obese than women without depression. The proportion of adults with obesity also rose as the severity of depressive symptoms increased in a related analysis. 8 Other data showed 55% of adults taking antidepressant medications, still reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms, and were obese, suggesting other obesity associated factors should be explored. One that has also been explored is alcohol.