The Association Between an Addictive Tendency Toward Food and Metabolic Characteristics in the General Newfoundland Population

Abstract

Background: Our previous study of 29 obese food addiction (FA) patients found that FA is associated with lipid profiles and hormones which may be a factor in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and insulin resistance (IR). However, there is currently no data available regarding the relationship between FA symptoms and metabolic characteristics of CVD and IR in the general population. We designed this study to investigate the correlation between FA symptoms with lipid profiles and IR in men and women of the general Newfoundland population.Methods: 710 individuals (435 women and 275 men) recruited from the general Newfoundland population were used in analysis. FA symptoms were evaluated using the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS). Glucose, insulin, HDL, LDL, total cholesterol and triglycerides levels were measured. IR was evaluated using the homeostatic model of assessment (HOMA). Participants were grouped by sex and menopausal status. Age, physical activity, calories and total % body fat were controlled.Results: Partial correlation analysis revealed that in men, YFAS symptom counts were significantly correlated with HOMA-β (r = 0.196, p = 0.021), triglycerides (r = 0.140, p = 0.025) and inversely correlated with HDL (r = −0.133, p = 0.033). After separating by menopausal status, pre-menopausal women exhibited no correlations and post-menopausal women had a significantcorrelation with triglycerides (r = 0.198, p = 0.016).Conclusion: FA is significantly correlated with several markers of metabolic disturbance in men and to a lesser extent, post-menopausal women, in the general population. Further research is required to explain sex specific associations and elucidate any potentially causal mechanisms behind this correlation.

Food Addiction Correlates with Psychosocial Functioning More Than Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Obesity

“…However, they found no significant difference between BMI-matched individuals with and without FA in terms of insulin resistance and lipid profiles. 38 In this study, after adjustment for age and sex, mean serum insulin, HbA1c, lipid parameters, HOMA-IR, and VAI measurements were not statistically different between the two groups while FPG was lower in patients with FA. Lower FPG levels might be related to the higher insulin secretion due to the compensatory mechanism to the food addicted behaviors, although we did not find any significant change in serum insulin levels.…”

“…36,37 There is evidence indicating the association between insulin signaling, dopamine-mediated reward circuits, and FA. 36,37 Nelder et al 38 reported that in adult males despite not meeting the criteria for a FA diagnosis, YFAS symptom scores correlated positively with HOMA-B and serum TG levels while inversely with the serum HDL cholesterol levels. In postmenopausal women but not in premenopausal women, serum TG levels were positively correlated with YFAS symptom scores.…”