Cherikh, F., Frey, S., Bel, C., Attanasi, G., Alifano, M., & Iannelli, A. (2020). Behavioral Food Addiction During Lockdown: Time for Awareness, Time to Prepare the Aftermath. Obes Surg, 30(9), 3585-3587. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-020-04649-3 From the article’s text: “More than a quarter of the respondents have currently no physical activity, corresponding to another quarter feeling that they lost control of their usual alimentation habits.”
The Mediating Effects of Eating Disorder, Food Addiction, and Insomnia in the Association between Psychological Distress and Being Overweight among Iranian Adolescents
Lin, C. Y., Cheung, P., Imani, V., Griffiths, M. D., & Pakpour, A. H. (2020). The Mediating Effects of Eating Disorder, Food Addiction, and Insomnia in the Association between Psychological Distress and Being Overweight among Iranian Adolescents. Nutrients, 12(5), 1371. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12051371 From the research article’s abstract: “With obesity and excess weight remaining a serious concern worldwide, investigating the mechanisms underlying this is of great importance. Psychological distress is a possible trigger contributing to excess weight for adolescents. Moreover, the association between psychological distress and excess weight may be mediated by eating disorder, food addiction, and insomnia. The present study utilized parallel mediation analysis to assess the aforementioned associations and possible mediation effects among Iranian adolescents. Through stratified and clustered sampling, adolescents (N = 861; mean ± SD age = 15.9 ± 3.2; 372 males) participated and were followed for a one-year period. Excess weight (standardized body mass index, z-BMI); psychological distress (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21); eating disorder attitudes (Eating Attitude Test-26); food addiction (Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children); and insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index) were assessed.
Remission of Food Addiction Does Not Induce Cross-Addiction After Bariatric Surgery
Chiappetta, S., Stier, C., Hadid, M. A., Malo, N., Theodoridou, S., Weiner, R., & Weiner, S. (2020). Remission of Food Addiction Does Not Induce Cross-Addiction after Sleeve Gastrectomy and Gastric Bypass: A Prospective Cohort Study. Obesity Facts, 13(3), 307–320. https://doi.org/10.1159/000506838 From the prospective cohort study’s abstract: “In the YFAS, the percentage of patients diagnosed with food addiction decreased from 69 to 10%, and the mean symptom count decreased from 3.52 ± 1.95 to 1.26 ± 0.99 at T24 (p < 0.0001); these values did not differ between the surgical groups (p = 0.784).”
Development of the Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale Version 2.0 summary version in a representative sample of Czech population
Pipová, H., Kaščáková, N., Fürstová, J., & Tavel, P. (2020). Development of the Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale Version 2.0 summary version in a representative sample of Czech population. Journal of Eating Disorders, 8, 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-020-00292-6 From the research article’s abstract: “Background: Food addiction describes a psychological and behavioral eating pattern that is similar to abusing drugs. The Czech Republic’s prevalence of obesity belongs to the highest in Europe. Methods: We used the nationally representative non-clinical sample of 1841 respondents (N = 1841; 48,8% of men and 51.2% of women). Participants filled the sociodemographic questionnaire, Czech version of mYFAS 2.0 and the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) to test the hypothesis. Results: Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed that the single-factor model of Czech version of mYFAS 2.0 had adequate fit indices (χ2 (55) = 9670.8, p < 0.001; CFI, TLI > 0.95; SRMR < 0.07; and RMSEA < 0.08). The sample reliability in our research corresponded to Cronbach’s α = 0.89 (95% CI 0.88–0.90). The youngest population (aged 15–19) had a significantly higher score of mYFAS 2.0, than the older age groups. People living alone scored significantly higher than the married respondents. The middle-income groups scored significantly lower in mYFAS 2.0 than the lowest income group. Occasional (social) smokers showed a higher mYFAS 2.0 score in comparison with non-smokers. A difference regarding attachment styles has also been revealed, respondents characterized by insecure attachment styles showed a higher YFAS score. Conclusion: The findings reinforce future work on the Czech version of mYFAS 2.0, including validation and using mYFAS 2.0 to explore food addiction and its related variables and attachment styles in the Czech environment.”
Addiction and its reward process through polymorphisms of the D2 dopamine receptor gene: a review
Noble, E. P. (2000). Addiction and its reward process through polymorphisms of the D2 dopamine receptor gene: a review. European Psychiatry, 15(2), 79–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0924-9338(00)00208-X From the research article’s abstract: “Since 1990, association studies have amassed strong evidence implicating the D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2) gene in alcoholism. Specifically, the Taql A minor (A1) allele of the DRD2 gene has been associated with alcoholism. The DRD2 gene has also been found to be involved in other substance use disorders including cocaine, nicotine and opioid dependence, and obesity. Beyond association studies, pharmacologic studies have shown reduced brain D2 dopamine receptor numbers in A1+ allele carriers (A1A1 and A1A2 genotypes) compared to A1– allele carriers (A2A2 genotype). Through a number of other approaches, different phenotypes have also been identified in subjects with the A1+ and A1– alleles. These include metabolic, neurophysiological, neuropsychological, personality, stress and treatment studies.
Associations of food addiction with metabolic control, medical complications and depression among patients with type 2 diabetes
Nicolau, J., Romerosa, J. M., Rodríguez, I., Sanchís, P., Bonet, A., Arteaga, M., Fortuny, R., & Masmiquel, L. (2020). Associations of food addiction with metabolic control, medical complications and depression among patients with type 2 diabetes. Acta Diabetologica, 57(9), 1093–1100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-020-01519-3 From the research article’s abstract: “Food addiction (FA) is conceptualized as a behavioral pattern that is similar in some ways to addictions to alcohol and other substances. This disorder has not been well studied among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). We aimed to analyze if there is any relationship between FA and clinical or psychological variables among patients with T2DM. Three hundred patients with T2DM were analyzed cross-sectionally. Participants were evaluated for the presence of FA by completing the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 questionnaire. 29.3% of patients screened positive for FA. Patients with FA had a greater BMI (33.41 ± 7.5 vs. 31.6 ± 5.9 kg/m2; p = 0.04). HbA1c was higher among individuals with FA (7.9 ± 4.4 vs. 7.6 ± 1.4%, p = 0.008).
Comparison of women with high vs. low food addiction tendency: a pilot study with voxel-based morphometry
Schienle, A., Unger, I., & Wabnegger, A. (2020). Comparison of women with high vs. low food addiction tendency: a pilot study with voxel-based morphometry. Journal of Eating Disorders, 8, 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-020-00288-2 From the research article’s abstract: “Background: The concept of ‘food addiction’ (FA) posits that highly processed food with added fat and/or refined carbohydrates is capable of triggering addictive-like eating behavior. FA may be one possible phenotype in obesity. Methods: The present voxel-based morphometry (VBM) study compared data from three groups of women. One group scored high on the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) and was overweight (n = 21), whereas the two other groups had low YFAS scores and were either overweight (n = 21) or normal-weight (n = 21). Results: Overweight women with high YFAS scores had less grey matter volume (GMV) in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) than overweight women with low FA tendency, who in turn had less GMV in the IFG than the normal-weight group. The IFG is involved in response inhibition, which is relevant for the control of appetite and food intake. In the group with high FA tendency,
Food Addiction Correlates with Psychosocial Functioning More Than Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Obesity
Kiyici, S., Koca, N., Sigirli, D., Aslan, B. B., Guclu, M., & Kisakol, G. (2020). Food Addiction Correlates with Psychosocial Functioning More Than Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Obesity. Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, 18(3), 161–167. https://doi.org/10.1089/met.2019.0108 From the research article’s abstract: “To investigate the association of food addiction (FA) with the psychosocial functioning and metabolic parameters in obese patients seeking weight-loss treatment. Two hundred twenty-four obese patients (male/female: 28/196) with a mean age of 44.5 ± 13.4 years and body mass index (BMI) of 41.6 ± 7.2 were included in the study. After receiving sociodemographic data and medical history, detailed physical examination, including anthropometric measurements, was performed by an experienced physician. Blood samples were taken after 8–12 hr of fasting. The presence of FA was evaluated by using Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS). Psychological evaluation was performed by using a self-reported Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and health-related quality of life using the 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36). Seventy-two of 224 (32.1%) patients met the criteria for FA, according to YFAS. The mean age of patients with FA was younger compared with patients without FA (P < 0.001).
Food Addiction Correlates with Psychosocial Functioning More Than Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Obesity
Kiyici, S., Koca, N., Sigirli, D., Aslan, B. B., Guclu, M., & Kisakol, G. (2020). Food Addiction Correlates with Psychosocial Functioning More Than Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Obesity. Metabolic syndrome and related disorders, 18(3), 161–167. https://doi.org/10.1089/met.2019.0108 From the research study’s conclusions: “We found that FA frequency was very high in obese patients seeking treatment for weight loss, and it correlates with psychosocial functioning more than metabolic parameters.”
Determinants of Sweetness Preference: A Scoping Review of Human Studies
Venditti, C., Musa-Veloso, K., Lee, H. Y., Poon, T., Mak, A., Darch, M., Juana, J., et al. (2020). Determinants of Sweetness Preference: A Scoping Review of Human Studies. Nutrients, 12(3), 718. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12030718 From the research article’s abstract: “Factors associated with sweetness preference are multi-faceted and incredibly complex. A scoping review was undertaken to identify determinants of sweetness preference in humans. Using an online search tool, ProQuest ™, a total of 99 publications were identified and subsequently grouped into the following categories of determinants: Age, dietary factors, reproductive hormonal factors, body weight status, heritable, weight loss, sound, personality, ethnicity and lifestyle, previous exposure, disease, and ‘other’ determinants. Methodologies amongst studies were heterogenous in nature (e.g., there was variability across studies in the sweetness concentrations tested, the number of different sweetness concentrations used to assess sweetness preference, and the methods utilized to measure sweetness preference), rendering interpretation of overall findings challenging; however, for certain determinants, the evidence appeared to support predictive capacity of greater sweetness preference, such as age during certain life-stages (i.e., young and old), being in a hungry versus satiated state, and heritable factors (e.g., similar sweetness preferences amongst family members). r.”