Secondary analysis of YFAS 2.0 symptom counts, impairment/distress, and food addiction severity in adults with overweight/obesity

Food addiction is considered an important link for a better understanding of psychiatric and medical problems triggered by dysfunctions of eating behaviors, e. g., obesity, metabolic syndrome, binge eating disorder, or bulimia nervosa. At behavioral level, food addiction has high degrees of similarity with other eating disorders, a phenomenon that creates difficulties in finding specific diagnostic criteria. Food addiction has been also described as “eating addiction” or “eating dependence” by several researchers, who placed the emphasis on the behavior and not on the food itself. High-sodium foods, artificially flavored-foods, rich carbohydrate- and saturated fats-containing foods are triggers for the activation of the same neural pathways, therefore they act similarly to any drug of abuse. Food addiction is considered a disorder based on functional negative consequences, associated distress and potential risks to both psychological well-being and physical health. A clinical scale was validated for the quantification of the eating addiction severity, namely the Yale Food Addiction Severity Scale (YFAS), constructed to match DSM IV criteria for substance dependence. Using this instrument, a high prevalence of food addiction was found in the general population, up to 20% according to a meta-analytic research. The pathogenesis of this entity is still uncertain, but reward dysfunction, impulsivity and emotion dysregulation have been considered basic mechanisms that trigger both eating dysfunctions and addictive behaviors. Genetic factors may be involved in this dependence, as modulators of higher carbohydrate and saturate fat craving. Regarding the existence of potential therapeutic solutions, lorcaserin, antiepileptic drugs, opioid antagonists, antiaddictive agents are recommended for obesity and eating disorders, and they may be intuitively used in food addiction, but clinical trials are necessary to confirm their efficacy. In conclusion, a better understanding of food addiction's clinical profile and pathogenesis may help clinicians in finding prevention- and therapeutic-focused interventions in the near future.

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The relationship between food addiction and patterns of disordered eating with exercise dependence: in amateur endurance athletes

Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity ◽

10.1007/s40519-019-00794-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (6) ◽

pp. 1573-1582 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Carolin Hauck ◽

Melanie Schipfer ◽

Thomas Ellrott ◽

Brian Cook

Keyword(s):

Food Addiction ◽

Endurance Athletes ◽

Exercise Dependence ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Significant Relationships ◽

Yale Food Addiction Scale ◽

German Speaking ◽

Yfas 2.0 ◽

First Time

Abstract Purpose Examine the prevalence and potential relationships among food addiction (FA)—as measured by Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS 2.0), eating disorders (ED)—as measured by Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale (EDDS)—and exercise dependence (EXD)—as measured by Questionnaire to Diagnose Exercise Dependence in Endurance Sports (FESA), for the first time worldwide, in amateur endurance athletes. Methods A total of 1022 German-speaking endurance athletes (44% male, Ø 36 years, Ø BMI 23 kg/m2) replied to an online questionnaire consisting of demographics, related parameters, and the German versions of YFAS 2.0, EDDS, and FESA. Results Prevalence of FA, ED, and EXD was 6.2, 6.5, and 30.5%. The probability for FA increases with BMI, thoughts about food and EXD score, and decreases with age and when an ED is present. People with FA and people with ED vs. people with both, FA&ED, differed significantly in this cohort. Strong significant relationships were found between FA and EXD (X2 (1) = 15.117, p < 0.001, n = 1022). Conclusions A considerable number of amateur endurance athletes may suffer from FA. The association between FA and EXD is stronger than between ED and EXD, indicating FA as a potentially more relevant subject—than ED—for prevention or therapy in people with EXD. Further studies are needed to investigate parameters and relationships between the possibly involved types of ED, FA, and EXD. Level of evidence Level III, well-designed cohort analytic study.

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Validation of the Italian version of the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (I-YFAS 2.0) in a sample of undergraduate students

Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity ◽

10.1007/s40519-017-0421-x ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 527-533 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Matteo Aloi ◽

Marianna Rania ◽

Rita Cristina Rodríguez Muñoz ◽

Susana Jiménez Murcia ◽

Fernando Fernández-Aranda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Undergraduate Students ◽

Food Addiction ◽

Italian Version ◽

Yale Food Addiction Scale ◽

Yfas 2.0

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The validation of the Malay Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0: factor structure, item analysis and model fit

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980019002684 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 402-409

Author(s):

Yogarabindranath Swarna Nantha ◽

Ahalya Kalasivan ◽

Mahalakshmi Ponnusamy Pillai ◽

Poopathy Suppiah ◽

Salmiah Md Sharif ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Factor Structure ◽

Internal Consistency ◽

Food Addiction ◽

Primary Care Clinic ◽

Care Clinic ◽

Primary Care Population ◽

Yale Food Addiction Scale ◽

Yfas 2.0

AbstractObjective:The development of a second version of the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) coincides with the latest updates in the diagnosis of addiction as documented in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The objective of the present study was to translate the YFAS 2.0 into the Malay language and test its psychometric properties in a primary-care population.Design:Patients were assessed for food addiction utilizing the Malay YFAS 2.0. The participants were also assessed for eating disorder using the validated Malay Binge Eating Scale. The psychometric properties of the YFAS 2.0 were determined by analysing factor structure, overall item statistics, internal consistency and construct validity.Setting:Between 2017 and 2018, participants were chosen from a regional primary-care clinic in the district of Seremban, Malaysia.Participants:Patients (n 382) from a regional primary-care clinic.Results:The prevalence of food addiction was 5·0%. A two-factor structure of the YFAS was confirmed as the most optimal solution for the scale via confirmatory factor analysis. In both its diagnostic and symptom count version, the YFAS 2.0 had good internal consistency (Kuder–Richardson α > 0·80 and McDonald’s ω > 0·9).Conclusions:We validated a psychometrically sound Malay version of the YFAS 2.0 in a primary-care population. Both diagnostic and symptom count versions of the scale had robust psychometric properties. The questionnaire can be used to develop health promotion strategies to detect food addiction tendencies in a general population.

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The Prevalence of ‘‘Food Addiction’’ during the COVID-19 Pandemic Measured Using the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS 2.0) among the Adult Population of Poland

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13114115 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 4115

Author(s):

Magdalena Zielińska ◽

Edyta Łuszczki ◽

Anna Bartosiewicz ◽

Justyna Wyszyńska ◽

Katarzyna Dereń

Keyword(s):

Eating Behaviors ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Food Addiction ◽

Adult Population ◽

World Health ◽

Future Research ◽

Average Weight ◽

Daily Routine ◽

Yale Food Addiction Scale ◽

Yfas 2.0

The announcement of the coronavirus pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), ongoing restrictions and isolation led to a break with the daily routine, and suspension of social contacts, but also imposed new challenges on the population related to maintaining healthy eating habits. The purpose of the study was to assess the prevalence of “food addiction” (FA) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland in relation to several variables including depression. The method of analysis was a questionnaire containing original questions and the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS). A total of 1022 Polish residents aged 18–75 participated in the study (N = 1022; 93.7% women, 6.3% men). The prevalence of FA during the COVID-19 pandemic measured with the YFAS 2.0 scale was 14.1%. The average weight gain during the pandemic in 39% of respondents was 6.53 kg. Along with the increase in the value of the BMI index, the intensity of “food addiction” increased in the study group. People with depression had statistically significantly more FA symptoms than healthy people. This work may motivate future research to evaluate the association and potential overlap of “food addiction” and problem eating behaviors during the pandemic and the obesity problem.

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„Food Addiction”, gezügeltes Essverhalten, mentaler Gesundheitsstatus und Heißhungersymptome bei morbider Adipositas

Adipositas - Ursachen Folgeerkrankungen Therapie ◽

10.1055/s-0037-1617719 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 10 (04) ◽

pp. 215-220 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

A Weiß ◽

Th. Ellrott ◽

C. Hauck

Keyword(s):

Short Form ◽

Food Addiction ◽

Dsm 5 ◽

Yale Food Addiction Scale ◽

Sf 36 ◽

Yfas 2.0

ZusammenfassungAufgrund hoher Prävalenz von Adipositas wird mit „Food Addiction” (FA) ein möglicherweise ursächliches Konstrukt aus dem Formenkreis der Suchterkrankungen erforscht. Dieses Konstrukt basiert in Analogie zu bestehenden Suchterkrankungen auf Kriterien des DSM-5. In vorliegender Studie wurde untersucht, inwieweit „Food Addiction” bei morbider Adipositas in Zusammenhang mit gezügeltem Essverhalten, mentalem Gesundheitsstatus und Heißhungerattacken steht. 64 Personen beantworteten Fragen zur Heißhungersymptomatik (analog DSM-5), füllten die Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) 2.0, den erweiterten Fragebogen zum Essverhalten (FEV+) und den Short-Form (SF)-36 aus. 29,7 % wiesen eine „Food Addiction” mit durchschnittlicher Symptomzahl von 3 auf. Der Summenscore rigider Kontrolle (FEV+) konnte die Anzahl an „Food Addiction”-Symptomen vorhersagen. Die Anzahl an „Food Addiction”-Symptomen konnte den Summenscore der mentalen Lebensqualität (SF-36) und die Anzahl an Heißhungersymptomen (DSM-5) vorhersagen. Letzteres könnte auf eine relevante Schnittmenge von „Food Addiction” und Essstörungen hinweisen, so dass weitere Forschung zur Zuordnung von „Food Addiction” als eigene, neue oder Teil einer der bestehenden Essstörungen besteht.

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