Sukesh Setu, Vishnuvardhan G, Vidhyavathi M
Psychiatry, Rajarajeswari Medical College & Hospital, Bengaluru, IND.
Cureus. 2024 Nov 24;16(11):e74370. doi: 10.7759/cureus.74370. eCollection 2024 Nov.
Background Food addiction (FA), where an individual displays a loss of control over the consumption of calorie-dense foods (refined carbohydrates, fats), is proposed to be like substance-use disorders with the experience of cravings, reduced control over intake, increased impulsivity, and altered reward-sensitivity. FA may also be associated with obesity. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of FA in urban and rural areas, and the proportion of obesity in young adults with FA. Methods This cross-sectional study involved 480 participants (240 each from urban and rural populations). Sociodemographic information and anthropometric measurements were recorded. The Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), designed to assess signs of addictive-like eating behaviour, was used to determine which individuals had FA. Results Young adults (208 males and 272 females) with an average age of 21.6 years were included. FA was found in 40 (16.7%) urban and 28 (11.7%) rural subjects. Among 68 subjects with FA, 48 (70.5%) were obese and 20 (29.4%) were non-obese. The most frequent FA symptom in the urban and rural subjects was a persistent desire to eat or a repeated failure to quit in 228 (95%) and 192 (80%) subjects, respectively, followed by the development of tolerance in 108 (45.0%) and 60 (25%) subjects, respectively. Conclusion Food addiction is common in young adults and is higher in urban than in rural populations. The association of FA with indicators of obesity is high. Studying the prevalence of FA in different population groups can also enable a better understanding of the concept and its pathophysiology.
背景 食物成瘾（FA）是指个体对高热量食物（精制碳水化合物、脂肪）的摄入失去控制，被认为类似于物质使用障碍，会出现渴望、进食控制能力下降、冲动性增加以及奖赏敏感性改变等情况。FA 也可能与肥胖有关。本研究旨在确定城市和农村地区 FA 的患病率，以及患有 FA 的年轻成年人中的肥胖比例。方法 这项横断面研究涉及 480 名参与者（城市和农村人口各 240 名）。记录了社会人口统计学信息和人体测量数据。使用旨在评估成瘾样饮食行为迹象的耶鲁食物成瘾量表（YFAS）来确定哪些个体患有 FA。结果 纳入了平均年龄为 21.6 岁的年轻成年人（208 名男性和 272 名女性）。在 40 名（16.7%）城市受试者和 28 名（11.7%）农村受试者中发现了 FA。在 68 名患有 FA 的受试者中，48 名（70.5%）肥胖，20 名（29.4%）非肥胖。城市和农村受试者中最常见的 FA 症状分别是 228 名（95%）和 192 名（80%）受试者持续想吃或反复戒不掉食物，其次分别是 108 名（45.0%）和 60 名（25%）受试者出现耐受性。结论 食物成瘾在年轻成年人中很常见，城市患病率高于农村。FA 与肥胖指标的关联度很高。研究不同人群中 FA 的患病率也有助于更好地理解这一概念及其病理生理学。
