Wang, G. J., Geliebter, A., Volkow, N. D., Telang, F. W., Logan, J., Jayne, M. C., Galanti, K., Selig, P. A., Han, H., Zhu, W., Wong, C. T., & Fowler, J. S. (2011). Enhanced striatal dopamine release during food stimulation in binge eating disorder. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 19(8), 1601–1608. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2011.27 From the research article’s abstract: “Subjects with binge eating disorder (BED) regularly consume large amounts of food in short time periods. The neurobiology of BED is poorly understood. Brain dopamine, which regulates motivation for food intake, is likely to be involved. We assessed the involvement of brain dopamine in the motivation for food consumption in binge eaters. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans with [11C]raclopride were done in 10 obese BED and 8 obese subjects without BED. Changes in extracellular dopamine in the striatum in response to food stimulation in food-deprived subjects were evaluated after placebo and after oral methylphenidate (MPH), a drug that blocks the dopamine reuptake transporter and thus amplifies dopamine signals. Neither the neutral stimuli (with or without MPH) nor the food stimuli when given with placebo increased extracellular dopamine.
Can Food and Addiction Change the Game?
Gearhardt, A. N., & Brownell, K. D. (2013). Can food and addiction change the game? Biol Psychiatry, 73(9), 802–803. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.07.024 From the commentary’s text: “Potentially Effective Food-Based Policy Approaches include taxing addictive foods, restricting access, limiting marketing, and eliminating addictive foods from schools.”
Food addiction and body-mass-index: A non-linear relationship
Meule, A. (2012). Food addiction and body-mass-index: a non-linear relationship. Medical Hypotheses, 79(4), 508–511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2012.07.005 From the research article’s abstract: “Excessive food consumption has been recognized to show similarities with substance dependence. Subsequently, it has been proposed that food addiction might contribute to the obesity epidemic. Recent studies using questionnaires for the assessment of food addiction have found statistically significant, but negligible positive correlations with body-mass-index (BMI). Moreover, group comparisons between food-addicted and non-addicted individuals in normal-weight or obese samples did not show differences in BMI. However, the prevalence of food addiction diagnoses is remarkably increased in obese individuals. In the current article, it is suggested that there might be a cubic relationship between food addiction and BMI. Food addiction symptomatology may remain stable in the under- and normal-weight range, increase in the overweight- and obese range, and level off at severe obesity. Empirical data in support of this view are presented.”
Factor Structure and Item Analysis of the Yale Food Addiction Scale in Obese Candidates for Bariatric Surgery
Meule, A., Heckel, D., & Kübler, A. (2012). Factor structure and item analysis of the Yale Food Addiction Scale in obese candidates for bariatric surgery. European Eating Disorders Review, 20(5), 419–422. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2189 From the research article’s abstract: “Converging research suggests phenomenological and neurobiological similarities between excessive food consumption and addictive behaviour in substance dependence. Recently, the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) has been proposed for the assessment of addictive eating behaviour. The German version of the YFAS was administered to obese individuals seeking bariatric surgery (N = 96). Factor structure, internal consistency, and item statistics were analysed. Forty participants (41.70%) received a food addiction diagnosis. The one-factorial structure of the YFAS, which has been found in non-clinical samples, could be confirmed. All but three items had factor loadings >.50. Internal consistency was α = .82. Item analysis revealed that items related to unsuccessful attempts to cut down and consumption despite physical and emotional problems were endorsed by the majority of participants. Findings support the use of the YFAS in clinical populations, while applicability of some items differs between clinical and non-clinical samples.”
Factor Structure and Item Analysis of the Yale Food Addiction Scale in Obese Candidates for Bariatric Surgery
Meule, A., Heckel, D., & Kübler, A. (2012). Factor structure and item analysis of the Yale Food Addiction Scale in obese candidates for bariatric surgery. European Eating Disorders Review, 20(5), 419–422. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2189 From the research article’s abstract: “Converging research suggests phenomenological and neurobiological similarities between excessive food consumption and addictive behaviour in substance dependence. Recently, the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) has been proposed for the assessment of addictive eating behaviour. The German version of the YFAS was administered to obese individuals seeking bariatric surgery (N = 96). Factor structure, internal consistency, and item statistics were analysed. Forty participants (41.70%) received a food addiction diagnosis. The one-factorial structure of the YFAS, which has been found in non-clinical samples, could be confirmed. All but three items had factor loadings >.50. Internal consistency was α = .82. Item analysis revealed that items related to unsuccessful attempts to cut down and consumption despite physical and emotional problems were endorsed by the majority of participants. Findings support the use of the YFAS in clinical populations, while applicability of some items differs between clinical and non-clinical samples.”
Brain PET Imaging in Obesity and Food Addiction: Current Evidence and Hypothesis
Iozzo, P., Guiducci, L., Guzzardi, M. A., & Pagotto, U. (2012). Brain PET imaging in obesity and food addiction: current evidence and hypothesis. Obesity facts, 5(2), 155–164. https://doi.org/10.1159/000338328 From the literature review’s abstract: “This review summarizes the current evidence, supporting the concepts that regions involved in the somatosensory response to food sight, taste, and smell are activated by palatable foods and may be hyperresponsive in obese individuals, areas controlling executive drive seem to overreact to the anticipation of pleasure during cue exposure, and those involved in cognitive control and inhibitory behavior may be resistant to the perception of reward after food exposure in obese subjects.”
Brain PET Imaging in Obesity and Food Addiction: Current Evidence and Hypothesis
Iozzo, P., Guiducci, L., Guzzardi, M. A., & Pagotto, U. (2012). Brain PET imaging in obesity and food addiction: current evidence and hypothesis. Obesity Facts, 5(2), 155–164. https://doi.org/10.1159/000338328 From the research article’s abstract: “The ongoing epidemics of obesity is one main health concern of the present time. Overeating in some obese individuals shares similarities with the loss of control and compulsive behavior observed in drug-addicted subjects, suggesting that obesity may involve food addiction. Here, we review the contributions provided by the use of positron emission tomography to the current understanding of the cerebral control of obesity and food intake in humans. The available studies have shown that multiple areas in the brain are involved with the reward properties of food, such as prefrontal, orbitofrontal, somatosensory cortices, insula, thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and others.
Food and drug cues activate similar brain regions: A meta-analysis of functional MRI studies
Tang, D. W., Fellows, L. K., Small, D. M., & Dagher, A. (2012). Food and drug cues activate similar brain regions: a meta-analysis of functional MRI studies. Physiology & Behavior, 106(3), 317–324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.03.009 From the research article’s abstract: “In healthy individuals, food cues can trigger hunger and feeding behavior. Likewise, smoking cues can trigger craving and relapse in smokers. Brain imaging studies report that structures involved in appetitive behaviors and reward, notably the insula, striatum, amygdala and orbital frontal cortex, tend to be activated by both visual food and smoking cues. Here, by carrying out a meta-analysis of human neuro-imaging studies, we investigate the neural network activated by: 1) food versus neutral cues (14 studies, 142 foci) 2) smoking versus neutral cues (15 studies, 176 foci) 3) smoking versus neutral cues when correlated with craving scores (7 studies, 108 foci). PubMed was used to identify cue-reactivity imaging studies that compared brain response to visual food or smoking cues to neutral cues. Fourteen articles were identified for the food meta-analysis and fifteen articles were identified for the smoking meta-analysis.
The Obesity Epidemic and Food Addiction: Clinical Similarities to Drug Dependence
Fortuna, J. L. (2012). The obesity epidemic and food addiction: clinical similarities to drug dependence. J Psychoactive Drugs, 44(1), 56-63. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2012.662092 From the clinical review’s abstract: “Palatable foods have palliative properties and can be viewed as a form of self medication. elevated blood glucose levels catalyze the absorption of tryptophan and its subsequent conversion into the mood-elevating chemical serotonin.”
Food cravings in food addiction: The distinct role of positive reinforcement
Meule, A., & Kübler, A. (2012). Food cravings in food addiction: the distinct role of positive reinforcement. Eating Behaviors, 13(3), 252–255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2012.02.001 From the research article’s abstract: “Craving for a particular substance is an essential characteristic of addictive behavior. Increasing evidence suggests that food cravings and excessive food consumption could similarly be due to addictive processes. Recently, the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) was introduced for identifying individuals with addictive eating patterns. We conducted an online study (n = 616, 75.8% female) in which participants filled out the YFAS and the Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T). Participants diagnosed as being addicted to food using the YFAS had higher scores on all food craving subscales except for anticipation of positive reinforcement that may result from eating. In a subsequent regression analysis, all food craving subscales positively predicted food addiction symptoms while positive reinforcement negatively predicted food addiction symptoms.