ObjectivesWe propose that highly processed foods share pharmacokinetic properties (e.g. concentrated dose, rapid rate of absorption) with drugs of abuse, due to the addition of fat and/or refined carbohydrates and the rapid rate the refined carbohydrates are absorbed into the system, indicated by glycemic load (GL). The current study provides preliminary evidence for the foods and food attributes implicated in addictive-like eating.DesignCross-sectional.SettingUniversity (Study One) and community (Study Two).Participants120 undergraduates participated in Study One and 384 participants recruited through Amazon MTurk participated in Study Two.MeasurementsIn Study One, participants (n = 120) completed the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) followed by a forced-choice task to indicate which foods, out of 35 foods varying in nutritional composition, were most associated with addictive-like eating behaviors. Using the same 35 foods, Study Two utilized hierarchical linear modeling to investigate which food attributes (e.g., fat grams) were related to addictive-like eating behavior (at level one) and explored the influence of individual differences for this association (at level two).ResultsIn Study One, processed foods, higher in fat and GL, were most frequently associated with addictive-like eating behaviors. In Study Two, processing was a large, positive predictor for whether a food was associated with problematic, addictive-like eating behaviors. BMI and YFAS symptom count were small-to-moderate, positive predictors for this association. In a separate model, fat and GL were large, positive predictors of problematic food ratings. YFAS symptom count was a small, positive predictor of the relationship between GL and food ratings.ConclusionThe current study provides preliminary evidence that not all foods are equally implicated in addictive-like eating behavior, and highly processed foods, which may share characteristics with drugs of abuse (e.g. high dose, rapid rate of absorption) appear to be particularly associated with “food addiction.”

SUMMARYAims: To determine the impact of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) on the quality of life, to assess changes in the quality of life during treatment with esomeprazole and to define factors that can predict these changes. Methods: Patients with GERD (n ¼ 6215) were included in a prospective cohort study (ProGERD). All patients underwent endoscopy and received esomeprazole. At baseline and after 2 weeks of treatment, symptoms and quality of life were assessed. Factors that influenced changes in the quality of life were determined by multiple regression analyses. Results: At baseline, the quality of life in GERD patients was lower than that in the general population, and was similar to that in patients after acute coronary events. No differences in symptoms or quality of life were observed between the subgroups of patients with nonerosive GERD, erosive GERD and Barrett's oesophagus.After treatment with esomeprazole, the symptoms and quality of life were improved in all subscales within 2 weeks (P < 0.001). The mean score of the diseasespecific quality of life instrument (Quality of Life in Reflux and Dyspepsia Patients) increased from 4.6 to 6.2 points, representing a highly relevant clinical improvement. The generic quality of life (SF-36) reached levels similar to those in the general population, but, again, no difference was found between the three different subgroups of GERD patients. The main factors associated with an improvement in the quality of life after treatment were symptom relief, severe erosive reflux disease, absence of extra-oesophageal disorders, avoidance of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug intake and positive Helicobacter pylori status. Conclusions: GERD causes a significant impairment in the quality of life that can be attenuated or normalized within a time period as short as 2 weeks by treatment with esomeprazole. These findings were similar across the whole GERD patient spectrum.

The Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) operationalizes indicators of addictive-like eating, originally based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria for substance-use disorders. The YFAS has multiple adaptations, including a briefer scale (mYFAS). Recently, the YFAS 2.0 was developed to reflect changes to diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5. The current study developed a briefer version of the YFAS 2.0 (mYFAS 2.0) using the participant sample from the YFAS 2.0 validation paper (n = 536). Then, in an independent sample recruited from Mechanical Turk, 213 participants completed the mYFAS 2.0, YFAS 2.0, and measures of eating-related constructs in order to evaluate the psychometric properties of the mYFAS 2.0, relative to the YFAS 2.0. The mYFAS 2.0 and YFAS 2.0 performed similarly on indexes of reliability, convergent validity with related constructs (e.g. weight cycling), discriminant validity with distinct measures (e.g. dietary restraint) and incremental validity evidenced by associations with frequency of binge eating beyond a measure of disinhibited eating. The mYFAS 2.0 may be an appropriate choice for studies prioritizing specificity when assessing for addictive-like eating or when a briefer measurement of food addiction is needed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Scientific interest in “food addiction” is growing, but the topic remains controversial. One critique of “food addiction” is its high degree of phenotypic overlap with binge eating disorder (BED). In order to examine associations between problematic eating behaviors, such as binge eating and “food addiction,” we propose the need to move past examining similarities and differences in symptomology. Instead, focusing on relevant mechanisms may more effectively determine whether “food addiction” contributes to disordered eating behavior for some individuals. This paper reviews the evidence for mechanisms that are shared (i.e., reward dysfunction, impulsivity) and unique for addiction (i.e., withdrawal, tolerance) and eating disorder (i.e., dietary restraint, shape/weight concern) frameworks. This review will provide a guiding framework to outline future areas of research needed to evaluate the validity of the “food addiction” model and to understand its potential contribution to disordered eating.

Background/Aims: To assess the prevalence and correlates of addictive-like eating behavior in Germany. Methods: The German version of the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) 2.0 was used to investigate, for the first time, the prevalence of ‘food addiction' in a representative sample aged 18-65 years (N = 1,034). Results: The prevalence of ‘food addiction' measured by the YFAS 2.0 was 7.9%. Individuals meeting criteria for ‘food addiction' had higher BMI and were younger than individuals not meeting the threshold. Underweight (15.0%) and obese (17.2%) individuals exhibited the highest prevalence rate of ‘food addiction'. Addictive-like eating was not associated with sex, education level, or place of residence. Conclusion: YFAS 2.0 ‘food addiction' was met by nearly 8% of the population. There is a non-linear relationship between addictive-like eating and BMI, with the highest prevalence among underweight and obese persons. These findings suggest that ‘food addiction' may be a contributor to overeating but may also reflect a distinct phenotype of problematic eating behavior not synonymous with obesity. Further, the elevated prevalence of YFAS 2.0 ‘food addiction' among underweight individuals may reflect an overlap with eating disorders and warrants attention in future research.

Intraoperative use of thoracic epidural catheter reduced stress response and prevented stress-induced perioperative impairment of proinflammatory lymphocyte function.

The current study investigated the prevalence of food addiction and its associations with obesity and demographic factors in a sample recruited to be more nationally representative of the United States than previous research. Individuals (n = 1050) were recruited through Qualtrics' qBus, which sets demographic quotas developed using the United States census reference population. Participants (n = 986) self-reported food addiction, measured by the modified Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0, height, weight, age, gender, race and income. Food addiction was observed in 15% of participants, with greater prevalence in individuals who were younger, Hispanic and/or reported higher annual income. Food addiction prevalence was higher in persons who were underweight or obese, relative to normal weight or overweight. Food addiction was associated with higher body mass index in women and persons who were older, White and/or reported lower income. Identifying the scope of food addiction and individual risk groups may inform public policy initiatives and early intervention efforts. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

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