Kalon, E., Hong, J. Y., Tobin, C., & Schulte, T. (2016). Psychological and Neurobiological Correlates of Food Addiction. International Review of Neurobiology, 129, 85–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.irn.2016.06.003 From the research article’s abstract: “Food addiction (FA) is loosely defined as hedonic eating behavior involving the consumption of highly palatable foods (ie, foods high in salt, fat, and sugar) in quantities beyond homeostatic energy requirements. FA shares some common symptomology with other pathological eating disorders, such as binge eating. Current theories suggest that FA shares both behavioral similarities and overlapping neural correlates to other substance addictions. Although preliminary, neuroimaging studies in response to food cues and the consumption of highly palatable food in individuals with FA compared to healthy controls have shown differing activation patterns and connectivity in brain reward circuits including regions such as the striatum, amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, insula, and nucleus accumbens. Additional effects have been noted in the hypothalamus, a brain area responsible for regulating eating behaviors and peripheral satiety networks. ”
Chapter Four – Psychological and Neurobiological Correlates of Food Addiction
Kalon, E., Hong, J. Y., Tobin, C., & Schulte, T. (2016). Psychological and Neurobiological Correlates of Food Addiction. International review of neurobiology, 129, 85–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.irn.2016.06.003 From the chapter review’s abstract: “Neuroimaging studies in individuals with FA compared to healthy controls have shown differing activation patterns and connectivity in brain reward circuits including regions such as the striatum, amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, insula, and nucleus accumbens.”
Childhood trauma in obese and overweight women with food addiction and clinical-level of binge eating
Imperatori, C., Innamorati, M., Lamis, D. A., Farina, B., Pompili, M., Contardi, A., & Fabbricatore, M. (2016). Childhood trauma in obese and overweight women with food addiction and clinical-level of binge eating. Child abuse & neglect, 58, 180–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.06.023 From the clinical study’s key finding: “CT severity was moderately and positively associated with both FA (r=0.37) and BE (r=0.36) severity.”
Childhood trauma in obese and overweight women with food addiction and clinical-level of binge eating
Imperatori, C., Innamorati, M., Lamis, D. A., Farina, B., Pompili, M., Contardi, A., & Fabbricatore, M. (2016). Childhood trauma in obese and overweight women with food addiction and clinical-level of binge eating. Child Abuse & Neglect, 58, 180–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.06.023 From the research article’s abstract: “Childhood trauma (CT) is considered a major risk factor for several disorders as well as for the development of eating psychopathology and adult obesity. The main aims of the present study were to assess in overweight and obese women: (i) the independent association between CT and food addiction (FA), and (ii) CT in patients with both FA and clinical-level of binge eating (BE), versus patients who only engage in FA or BE. Participants were 301 overweight and obese women seeking low-energy-diet therapy. All of the patients were administered self-report measures investigating FA, BE, CT, anxiety and depressive symptoms. CT severity was moderately and positively associated with both FA (r = 0.37; p < 0.001) and BE (r = 0.36; p < 0.001) severity. The association between FA and CT remained significant after controlling for potential confounding variables.
Food addiction and the outcome of bariatric surgery at 1-year: Prospective observational study
Sevinçer, G. M., Konuk, N., Bozkurt, S., & Coşkun, H. (2016). Food addiction and the outcome of bariatric surgery at 1-year: Prospective observational study. Psychiatry Research, 244, 159-164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2016.07.022 From the research article’s abstract: “Purposes: The objectives of the current study were to determine the prevalence of food addiction in bariatric surgery candidates and whether food addiction is associated with weight loss after bariatric surgery. Methods: This prospective observational study was performed on morbidly obese patients who had been found suitable for bariatric surgery. Follow-up was conducted at the 6 and 12 month post-surgery. The Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) was used to determine food addiction. Results: One hundred seventy-eight patients were included. Pre-operative food addiction was found in 57.8% of patients. Food addiction prevalence decreased at the 6 and 12 month follow ups, to 7.2% and 13.7% respectively. There were no statistically differences between those with food addiction and those without addiction with regard to weight loss measured as percent of excess BMI at the 12 month follow-up. Conclusion:
Sugar addiction: the state of the science
Westwater, M. L., Fletcher, P. C., & Ziauddeen, H. (2016). Sugar addiction: the state of the science. European Journal of Nutrition, 55(Suppl 2), 55-69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1229-6 From the research article’s abstract: “Purpose As obesity rates continue to climb, the notion that overconsumption reflects an underlying ‘food addiction’ (FA) has become increasingly influential. An increasingly popular theory is that sugar acts as an addictive agent, eliciting neurobiological changes similar to those seen in drug addiction. In this paper, we review the evidence in support of sugar addiction. Methods We reviewed the literature on food and sugar addiction and considered the evidence suggesting the addictiveness of highly processed foods, particularly those with high sugar content. We then examined the addictive potential of sugar by contrasting evidence from the animal and human neuroscience literature on drug and sugar addiction. Results We find little evidence to support sugar addiction in humans, and findings from the animal literature suggest that addiction-like behaviours, such as bingeing, occur only in the context of intermittent access to sugar.
The Neurobiology of “Food Addiction” and Its Implications for Obesity Treatment and Policy
Carter, A., Hendrikse, J., Lee, N., Yücel, M., Verdejo-Garcia, A., Andrews, Z. B., & Hall, W. (2016). The Neurobiology of “Food Addiction” and Its Implications for Obesity Treatment and Policy. Annu Rev Nutr, 36, 105-128. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nutr-071715-050909 “There is a growing view that certain foods, particularly those high in refined sugars and fats, are addictive and that some forms of obesity can usefully be treated as a Food Addiction.” — From the Abstract
Addictive-Like Eating, Body Mass Index, and Psychological Correlates in a Community Sample of Preadolescents
Laurent, J. S., & Sibold, J. (2016). Addictive-Like Eating, Body Mass Index, and Psychological Correlates in a Community Sample of Preadolescents. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 30(3), 216–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2015.06.010 From the research article’s abstract: “The two main objectives were to identify addictive-like eating in youth and determine the relationship between addictive-like eating, hedonic hunger, and psychological variables. A cross-sectional design was used. Each subject’s objective heights and weights were measured. Subjects completed questionnaires about anxiety, depression, appetitive responsiveness, addictive-like eating, other forms of disordered eating, and exercise patterns. Sixty-five children, ages 9 to 14 years, participated in the study. The mean body mass index percentile for age and gender was 69%. Thirty-eight percent of the children were either overweight or obese. Sixteen percent reported three or more addictive-like eating behaviors, and 4% met the criteria for “food addiction.” Addictive-like eating was significantly correlated with appetitive responsiveness but not body mass index, anxiety, depression, or other measures of disordered eating. Addictive-like eating occurs in children as young as 9 years and appears to be a different type of disordered eating. The hedonic value and proximity of food is a contributor to addictive-like eating behaviors.”
Recent studies of the effects of sugars on brain systems involved in energy balance and reward: Relevance to low calorie sweeteners
Murray, S., Tulloch, A., Criscitelli, K., & Avena, N. M. (2016). Recent studies of the effects of sugars on brain systems involved in energy balance and reward: Relevance to low calorie sweeteners. Physiology & Behavior, 164(Pt B), 504–508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.04.004 From the research article’s abstract: “The alarmingly high rates of overweight and obesity pose a serious global health threat. Numerous factors can result in weight gain, one of which is excess consumption of caloric sweeteners. In an effort to aid weight loss efforts, many people have switched from caloric sweeteners to low calorie sweeteners, which provide sweet taste without the accompanying calories. In this review, we present an overview of the animal literature produced in the last 5 years highlighting the effects of sugar consumption on neural pathways involved in energy balance regulation and reward processing. We also examine the latest evidence that is beginning to elucidate the effects of low calorie sweeteners on these neural pathways, as well as how homeostatic and hedonic systems interact in response to, or to influence, sugar consumption.”
Food Addiction: definition, measurement and prevalence in healthy subjects and in patients with eating disorders
Imperatori, C., Fabbricatore, M., Vumbaca, V., Innamorati, M., Contardi, A., & Farina, B. (2016). Food Addiction: definition, measurement and prevalence in healthy subjects and in patients with eating disorders. Rivista di Psichiatria, 51(2), 60–65. https://doi.org/10.1708/2246.24196 From the research article’s summary: “The construct of “Food Addiction” (FA) has been introduced in the last decades to better understand abnormal eating patterns in obese and overweight people and in patients with Eating Disorders (EDs). Despite a substantial parallelism between drug addiction and FA, there is still no agreement in considering FA an independent ED or a useful convincing concept. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to aggregate available data, in order to increase knowledge about: 1) definition, measurement and general features of FA; 2) prevalence of FA in clinical and non-clinical samples.