Food Addiction in Sleeve Gastrectomy Patients with Loss-of-Control Eating.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Food addiction and binge eating share overlapping and non-overlapping features; the presence of both may represent a more severe obesity subgroup among treatment-seeking samples. Loss-of-control (LOC) eating, a key marker of binge eating, is one of the few consistent predictors of suboptimal weight outcomes post-bariatric surgery. This study examined whether co-occurring LOC eating and food addiction represent a more severe variant post-bariatric surgery.

METHODS:

One hundred thirty-one adults sought treatment for weight/eating concerns approximately 6 months post-sleeve gastrectomy surgery. The Eating Disorder Examination-Bariatric Surgery Version assessed LOC eating, picking/nibbling, and eating disorder psychopathology. Participants completed the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II), and the Short-Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36).

RESULTS:

17.6% met food addiction criteria on the YFAS. Compared to those without food addiction, the LOC group with food addiction reported significantly greater eating disorder and depression scores, more frequent nibbling/picking and LOC eating, and lower SF-36 functioning.

CONCLUSION:

Nearly 18% of post-operative patients with LOC eating met food addiction criteria on the YFAS. Co-occurrence of LOC and food addiction following sleeve gastrectomy signals a more severe subgroup with elevated eating disorder psychopathology, problematic eating behaviors, greater depressive symptoms, and diminished functioning. Future research should examine whether this combination impacts long-term bariatric surgery outcomes.

• Authors: Valentina Ivezaj, Ashley A Wiedemann, Jessica L Lawson, Carlos M Grilo
• Journal: Obesity surgery (Obes Surg) Vol. 29 Issue 7 Pg. 2071-2077 (07 2019) ISSN: 1708-0428 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 30847764 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Binge-Eating Disorder (complications, epidemiology, psychology, surgery)
• Bulimia (complications, epidemiology, psychology, surgery)
• Depression (complications, epidemiology, surgery)
• Feeding Behavior (psychology)
• Female
• Food Addiction (complications, epidemiology, psychology, surgery)
• Gastrectomy (methods, statistics & numerical data)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Obesity, Morbid (complications, epidemiology, psychology, surgery)
• Postoperative Period
• Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
• Self-Control (psychology)
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Treatment Outcome
• Young Adult