Meule, A., & Kübler, A. (2012). Food cravings in food addiction: the distinct role of positive reinforcement. Eating Behaviors, 13(3), 252–255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2012.02.001 From the research article’s abstract: “Craving for a particular substance is an essential characteristic of addictive behavior. Increasing evidence suggests that food cravings and excessive food consumption could similarly be due to addictive processes. Recently, the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) was introduced for identifying individuals with addictive eating patterns. We conducted an online study (n = 616, 75.8% female) in which participants filled out the YFAS and the Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T). Participants diagnosed as being addicted to food using the YFAS had higher scores on all food craving subscales except for anticipation of positive reinforcement that may result from eating. In a subsequent regression analysis, all food craving subscales positively predicted food addiction symptoms while positive reinforcement negatively predicted food addiction symptoms.
Does co-morbid depression alter the inverse relationship between obesity and substance use disorders?
Gearhardt, A. N., et al. (2012). Does co-morbid depression alter the inverse relationship… Drug Alcohol Depend, 124(1–2), 185–188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.01.002 From the epidemiological study’s abstract: “Our findings provide support for the proposal that excess food consumption and excess drug use appear to compete over shared neurobiology. depression did not alter the inverse relationship.”
Overlaps in the nosology of substance abuse and overeating: the translational implications of “Food Addiction”
Avena, N. M., Bocarsly, M. E., Hoebel, B. G., & Gold, M. S. (2011). Overlaps in the nosology of substance abuse and overeating: the translational implications of “food addiction”. Curr Drug Abuse Rev, 4(3), 133-139. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874473711104030133 From the abstract: “Using criteria set forth in the DSM-IV for substance-use disorders, we review data that have emerged from animal models suggesting that overeating, in the form of binge eating, fits some of the criteria for substance abuse. Further, we discuss preclinical data revealing that the addiction-like behavioral changes observed in response to overeating are concomitant with neurochemical changes that are similar to those observed in response to drugs of abuse.” Study link
Common cellular and molecular mechanisms in obesity and drug addiction
Kenny, P. J. (2011). Common cellular and molecular mechanisms in obesity and drug addiction. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 12(11), 638–651. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3105 From the research article’s abstract: “The hedonic properties of food can stimulate feeding behaviour even when energy requirements have been met, contributing to weight gain and obesity. Similarly, the hedonic effects of drugs of abuse can motivate their excessive intake, culminating in addiction. Common brain substrates regulate the hedonic properties of palatable food and addictive drugs, and recent reports suggest that excessive consumption of food or drugs of abuse induces similar neuroadaptive responses in brain reward circuitries. Here, we review evidence suggesting that obesity and drug addiction may share common molecular, cellular and systems-level mechanisms.”
Common cellular and molecular mechanisms in obesity and drug addiction
Kenny, P. J. (2011). Common cellular and molecular mechanisms in obesity and drug addiction. Nature reviews. Neuroscience, 12(11), 638–651. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3105 From the literature review’s abstract: “Common brain substrates regulate the hedonic properties of palatable food and addictive drugs and excessive consumption induces similar neuroadaptive responses in brain reward circuitries.”
Sweet Preference, Sugar Addiction and the Familial History of Alcohol Dependence: Shared Neural Pathways and Genes
Fortuna, J. L. (2010). Sweet preference, sugar addiction and the familial history of alcohol dependence. J Psychoactive Drugs, 42(2), 147-151. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2010.10400687 From the review article’s abstract: “The biological children of alcoholic parents are at greater risk to have a strong sweet preference involving the A1 allele gene and the dopamine 2 receptor gene.”
Food Addiction and Obesity: Evidence from Bench to Bedside
Liu, Y., von Deneen, K. M., Kobeissy, F. H., & Gold, M. S. (2010). Food Addiction and Obesity: Evidence from Bench to Bedside. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 42(2), 133–145. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2010.10400686 From the research article’s abstract: “Obesity has become a major health problem and epidemic. However, much of the current debate has been fractious and etiologies of obesity have been attributed to eating behavior or fast food, personality issues, depression, addiction, or genetics. One of the interesting new hypotheses for epidemic obesity is food addiction, which is associated with both substance-related disorder and eating disorder. Accumulating evidences have shown that there are many shared neural and hormonal pathways as well as distinct differences that may help researchers find why certain individuals overeat and become obese. Functional neuroimaging studies have further revealed that good or great smelling, looking, tasting, and reinforcing food has characteristics similar to that of drugs of abuse. Many of the brain changes reported for hedonic eating and obesity are also seen in various forms of addictions.
Evidence that ‘food addiction’ is a valid phenotype of obesity
Davis, C., et al. (2011). Evidence that ‘food addiction’ is a valid phenotype of obesity. Appetite, 57(3), 711–717. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2011.08.017 From the study’s abstract: “Those who met the diagnostic criteria for FA had a significantly greater co-morbidity with Binge Eating Disorder, depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder compared to their age- and weight-equivalent counterparts.”
Post-traumatic stress disorder and disordered eating: Food Addiction as self-medication
Brewerton, T. D. (2011). Post-traumatic stress disorder and disordered eating: Food Addiction as self-medication. J Womens Health (Larchmt), 20(8), 1133-1134. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2011.3050 Editorial
Beyond alcohol and drug addiction. Does the negative trait of low distress tolerance have an association with overeating?
Kozak, A. T., & Fought, A. (2011). Beyond alcohol and drug addiction. Does the negative trait of low distress tolerance have an association with overeating? Appetite, 57(3), 578–581. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2011.07.008 From the research article’s abstract: “Low distress tolerance is an inability to withstand negative emotions. The connection between low distress tolerance and addiction to cigarettes, alcohol, and illegal drugs has been established. The purpose of the current study was to extend this work to overeating, which is an important symptom of food addiction. We investigated whether low distress tolerance was related to overeating as measured by the emotional and external eating scales of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire and the disinhibition scale of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire. Participants were 225 college students with a median age of 19; 32% were overweight or obese. Linear regression models adjusting for sex and BMI demonstrated significant inverse associations among distress tolerance and emotional eating (P = 0.001), external eating (P = 0.002), and disinhibition (P < 0.001). These initial results suggest the importance of additional research in the area of low distress tolerance, overeating, and food addiction.”