Food Flashcards
What is addictive-like eating?
Individuals addicted to specific foods or eating behaviors, characterized by difficulties in control and health risks.
Paterson, Lacroix and von Ranson (2019) discuss the complexities in defining ‘addiction’ in relation to food.
List key features of food addiction.
- Consuming more food than intended
- Engaging in emotional eating
- Needing greater amounts of food over time
- Unsuccessful attempts to cut down on certain foods
- Spending a lot of time obtaining food, eating, or recovering from overeating
- Loss of control around food intake
- Functional or psychological preoccupation with food
- Reward-driven eating
- Increased weight / unhealthy diet
- Frequent food cravings
- Problems with specific foods.
Ifland et al. (2009) and Ruddock et al. (2015) outline these features.
What is the definition of addictive behaviors?
A repetitive habit pattern that increases the risk of disease and/or associated personal and social problems, often experienced as ‘loss of control’.
Marlatt et al. (1988) highlighted the characteristics of immediate gratification and delayed deleterious effects.
True or False: Food addiction is universally accepted as a behavioral addiction.
False. There is debate on whether it aligns more with behavioral addiction or DSM-5 substance use disorder.
Key debate 1 discusses the conceptualization of food addiction.
Fill in the blank: The Food Addiction Hypothesis suggests that highly-palatable, processed foods trigger similar symptoms and physiological processes shown in _______.
[drug addiction]
What are the characteristics of highly palatable foods according to Food Addiction Hypothesis (3)?
- Motivation for food linked with reward
- Cues from properties such as sight, smell, and taste
- Hedonic qualities can override the homeostatic system
- Activation of the dopamine reward circuitry.
Baik (2013) indicates common neural substrates for both food and drug addictions.
What is the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS)?
A scale developed to assess food addiction based on behavioral aspects, including consuming more food than intended and experiencing distress regarding eating behaviors.
Gearhardt et al. (2009; 2016) created the YFAS with specific questions to evaluate symptoms.
What is the prevalence of food addiction as reported by Pursey et al. (2014)?
A weighted mean prevalence of 19.9%, with higher levels reported among females, those over 35 years, and overweight/obese participants.
Prevalence rates suggest between 5-10% in community samples.
What relationship exists between food addiction and obesity?
Food addiction may not be a causal pathway for most individuals with obesity, which is a heterogeneous syndrome.
Ziauddeen & Fletcher (2013) discuss the addiction model’s limited relevance to obesity.
What are the DSM-5 criteria for Binge-Eating Disorder (BED)?
- Recurrent episodes of binge eating
- Lack of control over eating
- Associated with three or more of: eating rapidly, eating until uncomfortably full, eating large amounts without hunger, eating alone due to embarrassment, feeling disgusted or guilty after overeating.
Criterion A and B outline the main features of BED.
True or False: All individuals with Binge-Eating Disorder also have food addiction.
False. There is partial overlap, but not everyone with BED has food addiction.
Studies show varying rates of overlap between BED and food addiction.
What common experiences contribute to the development of food addiction in childhood according to lived experience narratives?
- Cravings and loss of control
- Constraints on access to processed foods
- Parental influence on eating behaviors
- Food insecurity.
Schiestl, Gearhardt & Wolfson (2024) highlight these factors in childhood experiences related to food addiction.
What is a significant finding regarding the qualitative research on lived experiences of food addiction?
There is only modest alignment between lived experiences and DSM-5 criteria, particularly concerning loss of control over eating.
Lacroix and von Ranson (2020) emphasize the inadequacy of DSM-5 in capturing the essence of addictive-like eating.
What is a common dietary change experienced during adolescence and early adulthood due to food availability?
Increased reliance on convenient high-processed foods (HPFs)
This change is often influenced by increased autonomy and less parental monitoring.
What environment is considered potentially triggering for individuals with a predisposition for food addiction (FA)?
The college environment due to easy access to cafeteria food and exposure to stress
This can exacerbate the challenges faced by those with FA.
What was often the first indication of food addiction (FA) in individuals?
Weight gain
Many individuals did not recognize eating as problematic until they experienced physical consequences.
During the transition to adulthood, what changes in eating habits are commonly reported?
Increased consumption of fast food and convenience foods
This often replaces home-cooked meals due to time constraints.
What were the worst symptoms of food addiction reported in adulthood?
Distress and impairment
Many individuals continued to attempt to diet or control their food addiction.
What factors contributed to the severity of food addiction in adulthood?
Increasing responsibilities, limited time, and increased stress
These factors led to changes in eating habits and greater reliance on high-processed foods.
What was the average percentage of female participants in the systematic review of treatments for food addiction?
69% female
The review included 812 participants across 9 studies.
What types of treatments were assessed for effectiveness in treating food addiction?
Medications, lifestyle modifications, surgical, and behavioral interventions
Effective interventions included medication, bariatric surgery, and lifestyle modifications.
What are the four key addiction behaviors focused on in clinical guidelines for treating food addiction?
Craving, impulsivity, compulsivity, and motivation
Each behavior has associated treatment strategies.
Which psychological treatment is aimed at addressing craving behavior in food addiction?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing
These treatments help develop coping strategies and emotion regulation.
Fill in the blank: Pharmaceutical treatments targeting the _______ system are used to address compulsivity in food addiction.
serotonin
These treatments are part of psychotherapeutic interventions targeting attention to stimuli.
True or False: The systematic review of treatments for food addiction included a majority of male participants.
False
The studies predominantly featured female participants.
What is one effective intervention for impulsivity in food addiction?
Group therapy focusing on mindfulness
This treatment helps individuals become more aware of their eating cues and reward sensitivity.
