Elvira Rostanzo1, Anna Maria Aloisi2. 1. Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. 2. Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. annamaria.aloisi@unisi.it.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Discussion about the potential addictive role of certain types of food and their link with obesity has recently increased. Researchers have developed instruments to specifically assess food addiction (FA). The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the prevalence of food addiction in a nonclinical sample of the Italian population. METHODS: All participants (n = 148: 46 males, 102 females) completed the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS 2.0) and provided self-reported measures and demographic information. They were divided into three age groups. RESULTS: The prevalence of FA was 15.5% of our sample (82.6% of the subjects diagnosed with FA were female). The FA symptoms mean was 1.90 (SD = 2.87). In both sexes, participants aged 18-30 had the highest diagnosis of FA, with 52.1% of all FA subjects being females aged 18-30. According to the Body Mass Index (BMI), all the males diagnosed with FA were overweight or obese, as were most (63.2%) of the FA females. CONCLUSIONS: Future food education policies could consider FA assessment together with that of other eating disorders, even among nonclinical subjects in order to anticipate diagnosis and improve treatment.
OBJECTIVE: Discussion about the potential addictive role of certain types of food and their link with obesity has recently increased. Researchers have developed instruments to specifically assess food addiction (FA). The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the prevalence of food addiction in a nonclinical sample of the Italian population. METHODS: All participants (n = 148: 46 males, 102 females) completed the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS 2.0) and provided self-reported measures and demographic information. They were divided into three age groups. RESULTS: The prevalence of FA was 15.5% of our sample (82.6% of the subjects diagnosed with FA were female). The FA symptoms mean was 1.90 (SD = 2.87). In both sexes, participants aged 18-30 had the highest diagnosis of FA, with 52.1% of all FA subjects being females aged 18-30. According to the Body Mass Index (BMI), all the males diagnosed with FA were overweight or obese, as were most (63.2%) of the FA females. CONCLUSIONS: Future food education policies could consider FA assessment together with that of other eating disorders, even among nonclinical subjects in order to anticipate diagnosis and improve treatment.
Authors: Elvira Rostanzo; Marco Marchetti; Ilenia Casini; Anna Maria Aloisi Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-12-04 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Cristina Romero-Blanco; Antonio Hernández-Martínez; María Laura Parra-Fernández; María Dolores Onieva-Zafra; María Del Carmen Prado-Laguna; Julián Rodríguez-Almagro Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-03-24 Impact factor: 3.390