- Ellen Bennett
- Hussein M Magdi
- Fiachra Mcenaney
- Maxine Whelan
- Deborah Lycett
- Jen Unwin
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1871164/abstract
This study evaluates a short screening tool called CRAVED, which is designed to identify addictive-like eating behaviors related to ultra-processed foods. It compares CRAVED with two established measures: the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS 2.0) and the Binge Eating Scale (BES), in a sample of 117 adults taking part in a community-based program.
The results show that higher CRAVED scores are linked with higher scores on both YFAS and binge eating measures. The tool was able to reasonably identify people who met YFAS criteria for food addiction, with acceptable accuracy and good sensitivity at a cutoff of three or more items. The study concludes that CRAVED may be a useful quick screening tool for identifying addictive-like eating behaviors, but it is not a replacement for full diagnostic assessment and needs further testing in larger groups.