Exploring weight control as motivation for illicit stimulant use

Bruening, Amanda B.; Perez, Marisol; Ohrt, Tara K.

doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2018.06.002

Cited by 33 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Furthermore, participants who screened positive for an ED and self‐reported any lifetime ED diagnosis had higher odds of stimulant use, while those with a positive ED screen also had higher odds of cocaine use. Both cocaine and stimulants may be used as mechanisms for weight control and weight loss given their appetite suppressant side effects (Bruening et al, 2018; Jeffers et al, 2013; Jeffers & Benotsch, 2014). Given the weight loss outcomes associated with the use of specific illicit drugs (e.g., stimulants, cocaine, methamphetamines), future research should investigate illicit drug use among individuals with EDs across BMI and weight categories to identify potential unique patterns of use.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given the prior research showing a positive association between EDs and substance use, it was hypothesized that college students who screen positive for an ED and self‐report any lifetime ED diagnosis would be more likely to report illicit drug use. This may be due to the potential purpose of the illicit drug use (e.g., appetite suppressant; Bruening, Perez, & Ohrt, 2018; Jeffers, Benotsch, & Koester, 2013; Jeffers & Benotsch, 2014), as well as the overlap of impulsivity in ED symptomology and illicit drug use across genders (Curzio et al, 2018; Dawe & Loxton, 2004; Fattore & Melis, 2016; Stoltenberg, Batien, & Birgenheir, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Associations between eating disorders and illicit drug use among college students

Ganson

Murray

2021

Intl J Eating Disorders

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Objective To estimate the associations between a positive eating disorder screen and any lifetime eating disorder diagnosis and illicit drug use among a large, diverse sample of college students. Method We analyzed data from the national (United States), cross‐sectional 2018–2019 Healthy Minds Study (HMS; n = 42,618; response rate: 16%). HMS collects information on the physical, mental, and social health of college students. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the association between a positive eating disorder screen (measured using the SCOFF) and any self‐reported lifetime eating disorder diagnosis and self‐reported illicit drug use in the past 30 days (any illicit drug use and use of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, stimulants, ecstasy, opioids, benzodiazepines), while adjusting for potential confounders. Results Among the sample, 54.34% (n = 28,608) were female and the mean age of participants was 23.30 (SE ± 0.05) years. Logistic regression analyses revealed unique associations between a positive eating disorder screen and any lifetime eating disorder diagnosis and illicit drug use among the sample of college student participants. A positive eating disorder screen was most strongly associated with methamphetamine use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.43–10.78), and any lifetime eating disorder diagnosis was most strongly associated with benzodiazepine use (AOR 3.42, 95% CI 2.28–5.13). Discussion Illicit drug use is common among college students who screen positive for an eating disorder and report any lifetime eating disorder diagnosis. The co‐occurring nature of eating disorders and illicit drug use may complicate treatment and lead to compounded adverse health outcomes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations between eating disorders and illicit drug use among college students

Ganson

Murray

2021

Intl J Eating Disorders

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“…Conversely, regular fasting was associated with nearly two-fold greater odds of marijuana use and nearly fivefold greater odds of other illicit drug use among women. While cigarette smoking [64] may be used to augment weight loss efforts given their appetite suppressant qualities, it may be that illicit drugs (e.g., stimulants, cocaine, ecstasy) are more effective for weight loss and suppressing appetite [65][66][67]. Relatedly, marijuana use is common among college age young adults [29], and fasting may be a mechanism to compensate for additional caloric intake given the common effect of increased appetite while under the influence of marijuana.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence and demographic, substance use, and mental health correlates of fasting among U.S. college students

2021

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Background Fasting is an unhealthy behavior that has been frequently used as part of weight loss attempts. To date, little research has been conducted to determine the prevalence and substance use and mental health correlates of fasting among college students. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and associations between any (≥ 1 time) and regular (≥ 13 times) occurrences of fasting in the past 4 weeks and substance use and mental health correlates among a large sample of college students from 2016 to 2020. Methods Data from four academic survey years (2016–2020; N = 8255) of the national (USA) Healthy Minds Study were analyzed. Unadjusted prevalence of any and regular fasting by survey year and gender was estimated. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate the associations between any and regular fasting and the demographic (age, body mass index, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, highest parental education), substance use (cigarette use, marijuana use, other illicit drug use, alcohol use), and mental health (depression, anxiety, eating disorder symptoms, suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury) correlates. Results Any fasting in the past 4 weeks was common among both men (14.77%) and women (18.12%) and significantly increased from 2016 (10.30%) to 2020 (19.81%) only among men. Regular fasting significantly increased among both men and women from 2016 (men: 1.46%; women: 1.79%) to 2020 (men: 3.53%; women: 6.19%). Among men and women, both any and regular fasting in the past 4 weeks were associated with higher odds of all mental health symptoms, including a positive depression, anxiety, and eating disorder screen, suicidal ideation, and non-suicidal self-injury. Among women, but not men, any and regular fasting in the past 4 weeks were associated with higher odds of marijuana use and other illicit drug use (e.g., cocaine, ecstasy). Conclusions The results from this study underscore both the high and increasing prevalence of fasting among a national sample of college students, as well as the substance use and mental health symptoms associated with this behavior. Healthcare professionals both on and off campus should consider screening for fasting behaviors among college students and provide appropriate intervention when needed.

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“…In a study of women in SUD treatment ( n = 297), a third reported starting drug use (in part) to lose weight and nearly half were concerned that gaining weight could trigger relapse [ 75 ]. In a non-treatment sample of drug-using women (college setting), 15.3% reported drug use for weight control purposes [ 76 ]. Patients with co-occurring SUD and ED are more sensitive to reward, have more difficulty engaging in goal-directed activity, are more impulsive, and have less access to emotion regulation skills [ 77 ].…”

Section: Substance Use Disordersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Separating the Signal from the Noise: How Psychiatric Diagnoses Can Help Discern Food Addiction from Dietary Restraint

Wiss

Brewerton

2020

Nutrients

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Converging evidence from both animal and human studies have implicated hedonic eating as a driver of both binge eating and obesity. The construct of food addiction has been used to capture pathological eating across clinical and non-clinical populations. There is an ongoing debate regarding the value of a food addiction “diagnosis” among those with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa binge/purge-type, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Much of the food addiction research in eating disorder populations has failed to account for dietary restraint, which can increase addiction-like eating behaviors and may even lead to false positives. Some have argued that the concept of food addiction does more harm than good by encouraging restrictive approaches to eating. Others have shown that a better understanding of the food addiction model can reduce stigma associated with obesity. What is lacking in the literature is a description of a more comprehensive approach to the assessment of food addiction. This should include consideration of dietary restraint, and the presence of symptoms of other psychiatric disorders (substance use, posttraumatic stress, depressive, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity) to guide treatments including nutrition interventions. The purpose of this review is to help clinicians identify the symptoms of food addiction (true positives, or “the signal”) from the more classic eating pathology (true negatives, or “restraint”) that can potentially elevate food addiction scores (false positives, or “the noise”). Three clinical vignettes are presented, designed to aid with the assessment process, case conceptualization, and treatment strategies. The review summarizes logical steps that clinicians can take to contextualize elevated food addiction scores, even when the use of validated research instruments is not practical.

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Exploring weight control as motivation for illicit stimulant use

Cited by 33 publications

References 28 publications

Associations between eating disorders and illicit drug use among college students

Associations between eating disorders and illicit drug use among college students

Prevalence and demographic, substance use, and mental health correlates of fasting among U.S. college students

Separating the Signal from the Noise: How Psychiatric Diagnoses Can Help Discern Food Addiction from Dietary Restraint

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