The Association between Grazing and Food Addiction: The Italian Version of the Repetitive Eating Questionnaire (Rep(Eat)-Q) and Its Relationships with Food Addiction Criteria.

BACKGROUND: Among the dysfunctional eating behaviors associated with excessive food intake, a construct that is gaining increasing attention is grazing-the constant, continuous, compulsive, and repetitive consumption of small/moderate amounts of food. Furthermore, in some cases, grazing seems to indicate a dependence on food and/or eating. Currently, the Repetitive Eating Questionnaire (Rep(Eat)-Q) appears to be the only questionnaire that comprehensively measures grazing, including its repetitive and compulsive eating component. Therefore, in a sample of individuals with severe obesity, the objective of this study was twofold: (A) to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Rep(Eat)-Q, and (B) to analyze the association between grazing and food addiction (FA). METHOD: A cross-sectional research design was used. A total of 402 inpatients with severe obesity (BMI > 35) were recruited. Participants underwent a series of questionnaires to investigate structural validity and convergent validity and association with FA criteria. RESULTS: The factorial structure of the Rep(Eat)-Q is robust and showed fit indexes: CFI = 0.973; RMSEA = 0.074; 90%CI [0.056-0.091]; and SRMR = 0.029. Also, it exhibited good internal consistency and convergent validity. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis highlights a specific association between certain FA criteria and grazing. CONCLUSIONS: The Rep(Eat)-Q can be considered to be a concise, robust, reliable, and statistically sound tool to assess repetitive eating, specifically grazing. Its strong psychometric properties offer significant advantages for both research and clinical applications. Furthermore, in a sample of individuals with severe obesity, the results suggest that individuals with problematic grazing exhibit a typical behavioral profile of subjects with FA, indicating that FA can manifest through problematic grazing as well.

Physiopathology and Treatment of Obesity and Overweight: A Proposal for a New Anorectic.

The "new epidemic," as WHO calls obesity, is caused by overeating, which, having exceeded the body's actual needs, accumulates in the form of health-damaging fat deposits. Moving more and eating less is the main remedy, but eating belongs to vital instincts, which are beyond the control of reason. In this sense, eating is different from drinking and breathing because without food it is possible to survive for a few weeks, without water for a few days, without oxygen for a few minutes. The first part of this article provides an overview of obesity and its treatment, focusing on the new anorectic anticipated in the title. The second part focuses on compulsive obesity, typically represented by constitutional obesity and food addiction. The article concludes with a discussion of the pharmacological treatment of compulsive diseases, to which some forms of obesity belong.

Brazilian Version of the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Individuals with Severe Obesity.

PURPOSE: Adapting and validating the Portuguese version of Br-YFAS 2.0-Obes to allow it to be used by the Brazilian candidates for bariatric surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 329 individuals with body mass indexes (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2, candidates for bariatric surgery at a reference hospital in Brazil. They were given a questionnaire that identified sociodemographic data, and the YFAS 2.0 scale, Portuguese version (BR-YFAS2.0-Obes), was applied to assess their food dependence levels. The Food Craving Questionnaire - Trait: The FCQ-T-reduced was subsequently used for a correlation analysis. RESULTS: The patients' average BMI was 41.6 ± 8.8 kg/m2. Br-YFAS2.0-Obes presented an average of 4.9 ± 3.1 for the FA diagnostic criteria. The resulting values of the Comparative Fit Index, Tucker Lewis Index, and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual were 0.990, 0.986, and 0.074, respectively. The internal consistency analysis of the 11 domains presented a Kuder-Richardson α of 0.82. The convergent validity, obtained through an analysis of the Pearson correlation coefficient, was r = 0.43 (p < 0.001). It was found that an increase in the number of Br-YFAS 2.0-Obes symptoms is associated with an increase in the FCQ-T-r mean. CONCLUSION: Much like the YFAS 2.0 in other languages, the BR-YFAS 2.0-Obes presented adequate convergent validity, reliability, and one-factor structure results, which makes it suitable for Brazilian candidates for bariatric surgery or any individual who is within BMI > = 30 kg/m2.

[Food addictions]. / Les addictions alimentaires.

Addictions are invading our daily lives. Eating and body image have become major preoccupations. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are eating disorders with a high risk of chronicity and death. Curing them and preventing their recurrence requires a solid therapeutic alliance that aims to work around individual symptoms. The low self-esteem associated with these disorders may contribute to their maintenance, despite their negative impact on quality of life. One of the challenges of treating these disorders is to help patients find the motivation to seek treatment.

Assessing Discriminant Validity through Structural Equation Modeling: The Case of Eating Compulsivity.

Food addiction (FA) and disordered eating behaviors related to obesity are gaining attention in clinical and research fields. The modified Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (mYFAS2.0) is the gold standard questionnaire to measure FA, while another tool is the Measure of Eating Compulsivity 10 (MEC10). Discriminant validity is present when two measures of similar but distinct constructs show a correlation that is low enough for the factors to be regarded as distinct. However, the discriminant validity of these measures has never been tested. Through a cross-sectional study design, 717 inpatients (females: 56.20%, age: 53.681 ± 12.74) with severe obesity completed the MEC10, Binge Eating Scale (BES), and mYFAS2.0. A structural equation model (SEM) was fitted, freely estimating latent correlations with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The results confirmed the scales' excellent psychometric properties. Importantly, latent factor correlations between MEC10 and mYFAS2.0 (est = 0.783, 95% CI [0.76, 0.80]) supported their discriminant validity. In contrast, the latent correlation of MEC10 and BES (est = 0.86, 95% CI [0.84, 0.87]) exceeded the recommended thresholds, indicating the absence of discriminant validity and suggesting a potential overlap, consistent with previous evidence. In conclusion, MEC10 demonstrates excellent psychometric properties but is more a measure of BED and not FA.

On the prevalence of 'food addiction' in persons with bulimia nervosa.

A meta-analysis by Praxedes and colleagues published in this journal reports that the prevalence of 'food addiction' as measured with the Yale Food Addiction Scale is lower than 50% in persons with bulimia nervosa and higher in persons with binge eating disorder. However, closely examining the supplementary material of that article reveals that these numbers cannot possibly be correct. Instead, most studies indicate that the prevalence of 'food addiction' is higher than 80% in persons with bulimia nervosa and, thus, higher than in persons with other eating disorders.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with food addiction in Brazilian women living in poverty.

Food addiction (FA) has been widely investigated. For the first time, two studies reported its association with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) in the general population and populations with mental disorders and undergoing bariatric surgery. However, the relationship between FA and DM2 needs to be better explored in different social contexts and population groups. Given this, the present study aims to evaluate whether DM2 diagnosis is associated with FA diagnosis in women living in poverty. This is a cross-sectional, population-based study conducted in a Brazilian capital city. FA was assessed by the modified Yale Food Addiction Scale (mYFAS) 2.0, and DM2 diagnosis was assessed by self-reporting of previous medical diagnosis. The association was assessed by multivariable Poisson regression with robust variance estimation adjusted for age, poverty situation, race/skin colour, physical activity and BMI. A total of 1878 women were included, of whom 15·1 % had FA and 3·2 % had a medical diagnosis of DM2. In the multivariable analysis, the medical diagnosis of DM2 was associated with FA (prevalence ratio, PR: 2·18; 95 % CI (1·26, 3·76)). The DM2 diagnosis was also identified to be associated with role interference (PR: 1·93; 95 % CI (1·01, 3·67)) symptom of FA. In conclusion, a positive association between FA and DM2 in women living in poverty was observed, information that adds to the current evidence already available in the literature, pointing to a new line of research and integrated care.

Using latent class analysis to identify different clinical profiles according to food addiction symptoms in obesity with and without binge eating disorder.

Background and aims: Existing research suggests that food addiction (FA) is associated with binge eating disorder (BED) and obesity, but the clinical significance of this relationship remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the different clinical profiles of FA symptoms among patients who have obesity with/without BED using latent class analysis (LCA). Methods: 307 patients (n = 152 obesity and BED, n = 155 obesity without BED) completed a battery of self-report measures investigating eating psychopathology, depression, emotional dysregulation, alexithymia, schema domains, and FA. LCA and ANOVAs were conducted to identify profiles according to FA symptoms and examine differences between classes. Results: LCA identified five meaningful classes labeled as the "non-addicted" (40.4%), the "attempters" (20.2%), the "interpersonal problems" (7.2%), the "high-functioning addicted" (19.5%) and the "fully addicted" (12.7%) classes. Patients with BED and obesity appeared overrepresented in the "high-functioning addicted" and "fully addicted" classes; conversely, patients with obesity without BED were most frequently included in the "non-addicted" class. The most significant differences between the "high-functioning addicted" and "fully addicted" classes versus the "non-addicted" class regarded heightened severity of eating and general psychopathology. Discussion and conclusions: The results bring to light distinct clinical profiles based on FA symptoms. Notably, the "high-functioning addicted" class is particularly intriguing as its members demonstrate physical symptoms of FA (i.e., tolerance and withdrawal) and psychological ones (i.e., craving and consequences) but are not as functionally impaired as the "fully addicted" class. Identifying different profiles according to FA symptoms holds potential value in providing tailored and timely interventions.

[Psychometric validation of the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C) in Spanish in a Mexican population]. / Validación psicométrica de la escala Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C) al idioma español en población mexicana.

Introduction: Introduction: Mexico is one of the countries with the highest prevalence of childhood obesity worldwide. The increase of addictive behaviors at an early age is a possible cause of its development. The Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C) allows identifying children with food addictive behaviors. Objective: to validate the YFAS-C scale in Spanish in a population sample of Mexican children and adolescents. Material and methods: an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was performed. The study sample consisted of 448 children from seven to 14 years of age. The first stage involved translation into Spanish; a second stage involved the solution of questions with discrepancies; then, a reverse translation into the original language and a review by experts on the subject of eating disorders in pediatric population were performed; and in the last stage, a pilot test in order to culturally adapt the instrument and the evaluation of the psychometric properties was carried out. Results: using the principal component extraction method, four components were identified that explained 47.1 % of the sample variance. In the confirmatory factor analysis, it was found that the goodness-of-fit indices met the required values (CFI = 0.906: GFI = 0.932; AGFI = 0.915, SRMS = 0.007 and RMSEA = 0.043). Conclusions: a validated Spanish version of the YFAS-C scale was obtained for Mexican children and adolescents to assess food addiction.

Introducción: Introducción: México es uno de los países con mayor prevalencia de obesidad infantil a nivel mundial. El aumento de comportamientos adictivos a temprana edad es una posible causa de su desarrollo. La escala de adicción a los alimentos para niños Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C) permite identificar a los niños con conductas adictivas. Objetivo: validar la escala YFAS-C en español en una muestra de niñas/niños y adolescentes mexicanos. Material y métodos: se realizó un análisis factorial exploratorio y confirmatorio, con una muestra de estudio conformada por 448 niños de siete a 14 años de edad. En la primera etapa se realizó la traducción al español; en la segunda etapa, la solución de preguntas con discrepancias; posteriormente, una traducción inversa al idioma original y una revisión por expertos en el tema de trastornos alimenticios en población pediátrica; y en la última etapa, una prueba piloto con el fin de adaptar culturalmente el instrumento y la evaluación de las propiedades psicométricas. Resultados: utilizando el método de extracción de componentes principales, se identificaron cuatro componentes que explicaron el 47,1 % de la varianza muestral. En el análisis factorial confirmatorio se encontró que los índices de bondad de ajuste cumplieron con los valores requeridos (CFI = 0,906; GFI = 0,932; AGFI = 0,915; SRMS = 0,007; RMSEA = 0,043). Conclusiones: se obtuvo una versión validada al español de la escala YFAS-C para niñas/niños y adolescentes mexicanos que permitirá evaluar la adicción a la comida.

Independent associations of food addiction and binge eating measures with real-time eating behaviors and contextual factors: An exploratory ecological momentary assessment study.

Food addiction (FA) is a concept centered around the addictive potential of highly palatable processed foods, though there is debate over the discriminative validity of FA as a distinct construct from binge-eating symptomatology. This study explored how trait measures of FA and binge-eating symptoms independently and interactively predicted eating behaviors and posited correlates of FA and binge eating measured via ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Adult participants (N = 49) who met the criteria for FA and/or binge-eating disorder completed baseline measures of FA (Yale Food Addiction Scale [YFAS 2.0]) and binge-eating symptoms (Eating Pathology Symptom Inventory [EPSI] binge eating scale) followed by a 10-day EMA protocol. Generalized linear mixed models examined the independent effects of YFAS 2.0, EPSI, and their interaction predicting EMA outcomes. Higher YFAS 2.0 symptom count scores were uniquely related to greater EMA-measured overeating, loss of control eating, negative and positive affect, and impulsivity when controlling for EPSI scores. Conversely, higher EPSI scores were uniquely related to greater EMA-measured eagerness and urge to eat, and expectancies that eating would improve mood. No interaction effects were significant. These results highlight potential distinctions between phenomena captured by FA and other measures of binge eating, in that FA symptoms may be a marker of heightened binge-eating severity, emotional arousal, and impulsivity.

The qualitative evaluation of food addiction across the lifespan.

Although it remains controversial, food addiction (FA) research has expanded substantially and empirical evidence for FA is growing. While quantitative studies have explored the prevalence and correlates of FA during childhood and adolescence, little is known about the perceived lived experience of FA across the lifespan, nor how experiences and perceptions of FA may change over time. For this study, 16 participants who met symptom threshold criteria for FA on the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 completed in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews focused on their perceptions of the development of FA overtime, and perceived risk and protective factors. Thematic analysis was used to develop themes about the lived experience of FA in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Overall, highly palatable foods were viewed as the most problematic, while minimally processed foods were less associated with impairment and distress. Themes in childhood included a strong desire for highly processed foods and the perception that parental control over food choices could be either protective or risky for the later development of FA depending on which foods were available at home. In adolescence and young adulthood, increasing autonomy over food choices and the high availability of highly processed foods in the college environment were viewed as risk factors. Additionally, weight gain was a prominent theme. Finally, adulthood was characterized by more severe manifestations of FA, and the stress of adult responsibilities (e.g., work, parenting) contributed to this perception. This research sets the stage for future quantitative studies to explore these novel findings at the population level.

The prevalence of hyperpalatable food intake among individuals with food addiction seeking bariatric surgery.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of food addiction among patients seeking bariatric surgery is approximately 30 %. While hyper-palatable foods (HPF) have been identified as the potential 'substance' in food addiction and a contributor to severe obesity, consumption of HPF among individuals with food addiction, including those seeking bariatric surgery, is unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the consumption of HPF among individuals seeking bariatric surgery with food addiction, compared to those without food addiction. METHODS: Participants were N = 54 individuals with severe obesity seeking bariatric surgery. The Yale Food Addiction Scale was used to identify individuals with food addiction (FA) (37 % of sample). Dietary recalls were used to quantify HPF intake. Analyses were conducted to characterize average HPF intake and to determine whether there were significant differences between HPF intake among those with FA compared to those without FA, and whether HFP intake was correlated with FA symptoms. RESULTS: On average, 71 % of participants' daily calorie intake was from HPF. There were no significant differences in HPF items intake among individuals with and without FA (70.46 % vs 71.34; p = 0.85). A positive correlation between number of FA symptoms and the intake of HPF high in fat and sugar ([0.3]; p = 0.03) was observed. CONCLUSION: In this pilot study, HPF consumption among individuals with and without FA seeking bariatric surgery was high overall, however there were no differences across groups. In addition, intake of HPF with fat and sugar was associated with the number of symptoms of food addiction. More studies with a larger sample are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.

Food addiction and its impact on weight status in children and adolescents: The mediating role of responsive eating pattern.

AIMS: This research explores the relationships between food addiction (FA), eating behaviours, and weight status in school-aged children and adolescents, aiming to understand how FA influences weight. METHODS: By using a cross-sectional design, 426 healthy children and their parents were enroled in Eastern China. FA was assessed using the Chinese version of the Dimensional Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children 2.0 (dYFAS-C 2.0), while eating patterns were identified using latent profile analysis (LPA) derived from the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ). Weight status was indicated by Body Mass Index Z Score (BMIZ) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). The associations among FA, eating patterns, and weight status were explored using structural equation modelling (SEM). RESULTS: Two eating patterns, the Responsive and the Controlled Eating Patterns, were identified. The Responsive Eating Pattern was characterized by high food responsiveness, enjoyment of food, emotional eating, fast eating, low satiety responsiveness, and food fussiness and was associated with FA and weight status (p < 0.001). The SEM results showed the Responsive Eating Pattern partially mediated the relationship between FA and weight status, with a mediation effect of 1.183 (95% CI [0.784, 1.629]) for BMIZ and 0.043 (95% CI [0.025, 0.063]) for WHtR. CONCLUSION: Increased FA is associated with a higher weight status through a specific eating behaviour pattern characterized by high responsiveness to food, emotional and rapid eating habits, and low satiety. The findings suggest that targeted interventions should take these eating behaviour patterns into account to reduce the impact of FA on weight status among children and adolescents.

Food addiction behavior in patients with newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The concept of food addiction describes the difficulties of some individuals with regard to food consumption. OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of food addiction and its association with body mass index (BMI), calorie consumption and therapeutic control in patients with newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 1,080 patients with T2DM were included. The degree of metabolic control was determined with the levels of glycated hemoglobin, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and blood pressure. Daily caloric consumption was estimated with a semi-quantitative questionnaire of food consumption frequency. RESULTS: Nearly all patients showed overweight (40.5 %) and obesity (49.1 %). The frequency of food addiction was 54.2 % (56.9 % in women and 48.9 % in men). Food addiction was associated with BMI (OR = 1.89, p ≤ 0.05), high caloric intake (OR = 1.14, p ≤ 0.05) and glycated hemoglobin > 7 % (OR = 1.43, p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Food addiction is common in patients with overweight/obesity and newly-diagnosed T2DM, and is associated with higher-than-recommended caloric consumption, obesity degree and poor metabolic control.

ANTECEDENTES: El concepto de adicción a la comida describe las dificultades de algunos individuos respecto al consumo de comida. OBJETIVO: Determinar la frecuencia de la adicción a la comida y su asociación con el índice de masa corporal (IMC), consumo de calorías y control terapéutico en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DMT2) de diagnóstico reciente. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se incluyeron 1080 pacientes con DMT2. Se determinó el grado de control terapéutico con niveles de hemoglobina glicada, colesterol de baja densidad y presión arterial. El consumo diario de calorías fue estimado con un cuestionario semicuantitativo de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos. RESULTADOS: Casi todos los pacientes mostraron sobrepeso (40.5 %) y obesidad (49.1 %). La frecuencia de adicción a la comida fue de 54.2 % (56.9 % en mujeres y 48.9 % en hombres). La adicción a la comida se asoció a IMC (RM = 1.89, p ≤ 0.05), alto consumo calórico (RM = 1.14, p ≤ 0.05) y hemoglobina glicada > 7 % (RM = 1.43, p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSIONES: La adicción a la comida es frecuente en pacientes con sobrepeso/obesidad y DMT2 recientemente diagnosticada y se asocia al consumo calórico superior a lo recomendado, grado de obesidad y pobre control terapéutico.

Exploratory study of the prevalence of food addiction and its relationship with executive functioning, depression, and reinforcement sensitivity in a sample of Mexican adults.

Introduction: The study of food addiction (FA) has become relevant due to its high prevalence, the negative impact on quality of life, and its association with neuropsychological and psychiatric symptoms. Several studies have provided scientific support for these associations, however, the results are contradictory. Additionally, studies have unsuccessfully elucidated the true nature of the failures in executive functioning in people with FA symptomatology, particularly when it comes to executive deficits. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to establish whether the presence of executive dysfunction, depressive symptoms and binge eating problems, as well as high reward sensitivity entails a greater severity in FA traits and high body mass index (BMI) in a sample of Mexican adults. Methods: The sample consisted of Mexican men and women between 21-59 years (n = 36); who completed self-report questionnaires and performance tests to measure the study variables. Additionally, BMI was estimated with self-reported height and weight. Results: Our results showed that a high number of FA symptoms were associated with higher executive dysfunction scores, greater reward sensitivity, and more severe depressive and binge eating problems. Furthermore, factors that are more strongly associated with higher scores of FA include severe executive deficits, greater activation of the punishment avoidance system, and persistence in the search for reward when the depressive symptoms increased. The factors that best explained changes in the estimated BMI of women were a decreased crystallized intellectual capacity and the inability to control food intake as the number of FA symptoms increased. Discussion: In summary, the cognitive functioning profile characterized by general failure of the executive functioning, as well as a greater activation of the Punishment Avoidance System and persistence in the search for reward, were associated with greater severity of FA symptoms, especially when the depressive symptomatology was severe. In parallel, the psychopathology in participants associated with FA confirms the contribution of anxious and depressive symptomatology and borderline personality traits which could facilitate the expression of clinically relevant FA symptoms in women. Finally, we found that decreased crystallized intellectual capacity and inability to control food intake were linked to higher BMI when the number of FA symptoms increased.

Plasma concentration of leptin is related to food addiction in gambling disorder: Clinical and neuropsychological implications.

Background: Data implicate overlaps in neurobiological pathways involved in appetite regulation and addictive disorders. Despite different neuroendocrine measures having been associated with both gambling disorder (GD) and food addiction (FA), how appetite-regulating hormones may relate to the co-occurrence of both entities remain incompletely understood. Aims: To compare plasma concentrations of ghrelin, leptin, adiponectin, and liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP-2) between patients with GD, with and without FA, and to explore the association between circulating hormonal concentrations and neuropsychological and clinical features in individuals with GD and FA. Methods: The sample included 297 patients diagnosed with GD (93.6% males). None of the patients with GD had lifetime diagnosis of an eating disorder. FA was evaluated with the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0. All patients were assessed through a semi-structured clinical interview and a psychometric battery including neuropsychological tasks. Blood samples to measure hormonal variables and anthropometric variables were also collected. Results: From the total sample, FA was observed in 23 participants (FA+) (7.7% of the sample, 87% males). When compared participants with and without FA, those with FA+ presented both higher body mass index (BMI) (p < 0.001) and leptin concentrations, after adjusting for BMI (p = 0.013). In patients with FA, leptin concentrations positively correlated with impulsivity, poorer cognitive flexibility, and poorer inhibitory control. Other endocrine measures did not differ between groups. Discussion and conclusions: The present study implicates leptin in co-occurring GD and FA. Among these patients, leptin concentration has been associated with clinical and neuropsychological features, such as impulsivity and cognitive performance in certain domains.

Sex Differences in the Relationship between Chronotype and Eating Behaviour: A Focus on Binge Eating and Food Addiction.

BACKGROUND: Men are more likely than women to have subthreshold overeating disorders. Lifestyle plays a role as a determinant, while chronotype is an emerging factor. Chronotype explains the natural preferences of wakefulness and activity throughout the day: evening chronotypes (E-Types), those most productive in the evening, have been linked with unhealthy dietary patterns and a higher propensity to substance addiction than morning types (M-Types). METHODS: We carried out a cross-sectional study on 750 overweight or obese adults (70% females, 48 ± 10 years, BMI 31.7 ± 5.8 kg/m2). The Binge-Eating Scale, the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS 2.0), the reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (rMEQ), and the MEDAS questionnaire were used to assess binge eating, food addiction, chronotype, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet, respectively. RESULTS: No differences in BES binge-eating and FA food-addiction scores occurred between chronotypes, but we found significant interactions between sex × rMEQ score. While women showed the same prevalence for binge eating and food addiction across all chronotypes, binge eating and food addiction risk increased with reducing rMEQ score in men, indicating that being male and E-Type increases the risk association of binge eating and/or food addiction prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: chronotype is associated with binge eating and food addiction in men, emphasizing the link between chronobiology and sex differences as determinants in appetite and eating behaviour dysregulation and in overweight and obesity.

Examining the proportions of food addiction among women with and without polycystic ovarian syndrome who do and do not take hormonal birth control.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a reproductive disorder driven by insulin resistance. Insulin resistance may increase weight gain and increase the rewarding intake of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Individuals with PCOS may be more susceptible to the reinforcing properties of UPFs, increasing the risk to consume UPFs in addictive-like ways, operationalized by food addiction (FA). Additionally, hormonal birth control, commonly prescribed to women with PCOS, are found to increase food cravings and overeating. This study examined the relationships between PCOS status, FA, and hormonal birth control use. The study sample (N = 365, assigned female at birth) was drawn from Amazon Mechanical Turk, with half of the sample (n = 181) reporting having PCOS and the other half not (n = 184). Participants answered questions about women's reproductive health (i.e., PCOS, hormonal birth control use) and completed the modified Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (mYFAS 2.0). A chi-square test found that 51.9 % of participants with PCOS (M = 6.23, SD = 3.82) met diagnostic criteria for FA (assessed by the mYFAS 2.0) compared to 16.8 % of participants without PCOS (M = 2.47, SD = 3.39). A hierarchical linear regression found independent main effects of PCOS status (ß = 0.40, t(352) = 8.61, p < .001) and hormonal birth control use (ß = 0.16, t(351) = 3.59, p < .001), to be associated with higher mYFAS symptom count scores. No differences were found between the types of hormonal birth control participants reported taking. The finding suggests that FA is an overlooked, understudied psychological condition impacting these individuals in weight loss treatments. Future studies are needed to understand the relationship between FA and PCOS in clinical samples.

Food Addiction and Grazing-The Role of Difficulties in Emotion Regulation and Negative Urgency in University Students.

University students are a vulnerable population to the development of disordered eating, such as food addiction (FA) and grazing. FA is an emerging concept characterized by an intense desire to eat hyper-palatable foods. Grazing is characterized by the repetitive and unplanned ingestion of food throughout a period of time. Both FA and grazing have been associated with increased scores of negative urgency (NU) and difficulties in emotion regulation (ER). This study aims to evaluate the frequency of FA and grazing in a university population and to test the direct, total, and indirect effects-via FA-of ER and NU on repetitive eating and compulsive grazing. A total of 338 participants responded to a set of psychological measures assessing these variables. Thirty-six (10.7%) participants met the criteria for FA diagnosis and 184 (54.4%) presented grazing. Confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable fit indexes for the model tested (χ2(1695) = 3167.575; p < 0.001; CFI = 0.955; NFI = 0.908; TLI = 0.953; SRMR = 0.085; RMSEA = 0.051; CI 90% (0.048; 0.053); P[RMSEA ≤ 0.05] = 0.318) and suggested that FA partially mediated the effect of difficulties in ER and NU on grazing, specifically on compulsive grazing. The results indicate that individuals with difficulties in ER and impulse control under negative emotions are more likely to engage in grazing if food addiction scores are higher. These results highlight the importance of assessing these variables, particularly in at-risk populations such as university students.