Food Addiction: Its Prevalence and Significant Association with Obesity in the General Population

Abstract

Background‘Food addiction’ shares a similar neurobiological and behavioral framework with substance addiction. However whether, and to what degree, ‘food addiction’ contributes to obesity in the general population is unknown.Objectivesto assess 1) the prevalence of ‘food addiction’ in the Newfoundland population; 2) if clinical symptom counts of ‘food addiction’ were significantly correlated with the body composition measurements; 3) if food addicts were significantly more obese than controls, and 4) if macronutrient intakes are associated with ‘food addiction’.DesignA total of 652 adults (415 women, 237 men) recruited from the general population participated in this study. Obesity was evaluated by Body Mass Index (BMI) and Body Fat percentage measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. ‘Food addiction’ was assessed using the Yale Food Addiction Scale and macronutrient intake was determined from the Willet Food Frequency Questionnaire.ResultsThe prevalence of ‘food addiction’ was 5.4% (6.7% in females and 3.0% in males) and increased with obesity status. The clinical symptom counts of ‘food addiction’ were positively correlated with all body composition measurements across the entire sample (p<0.001). Obesity measurements were significantly higher in food addicts than controls; Food addicts were 11.7 (kg) heavier, 4.6 BMI units higher, and had 8.2% more body fat and 8.5% more trunk fat. Furthermore, food addicts consumed more calories from fat and protein compared with controls.ConclusionOur results demonstrated that ‘food addiction’ contributes to severity of obesity and body composition measurements from normal weight to obese individuals in the general population with higher rate in women as compared to men.

Prevalence of Food Addiction Among Low-Income Reproductive-Aged Women

“…The prevalence we detected in this study is somewhat lower than that observed predominately among non-Hispanic whites. 2,6,7 However, the median YFAS symptom count in our study is similar to a prior study conducted among young adults.…”

“…6 Based on this scale, the prevalence of food addiction has been reported in 11.4% of college students 6 and 6.7%-8.4% of middle-aged women. 2,7 However, these studies were conducted among predominately non-Hispanic whites and thus have limited generalizability. Moreover, the prevalence of food addiction among low-income reproductive-aged women is not known.…”

Five years of the Yale Food Addiction Scale: Taking stock and moving forward

“…Macronutrient intake was estimated as percent of total calorie intake from those data. Participants with food addiction had higher relative calorie intake from fat and protein, but not carbohydrates, as compared with those with no food addiction [41].…”

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“…In the most recent study reviewed, 38% of a sample of obese adolescent inpatients at a weight loss clinic could be said to have a food addiction. Pedram et al [13] found that those cases 5.4% of cases who were obese showed an increasing trend towards a food addiction with higher body mass among 652 adults. Further, those food addicts consumed more calories from protein and fat compared with controls, and clinical counts of food addiction correlated positively with body composition measures when the entire sample was observed.…”