Food Addiction Support: Website Content Analysis

Abstract

BackgroundFood addiction has a long history; however, there has been a substantial increase in published literature and public media focus in the past decade. Food addiction has previously demonstrated an overlap with overweight and obesity, a risk for cardiovascular disease. This increased focus has led to the establishment of numerous support options for addictive eating behaviors, yet evidence-based support options are lacking.ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the availability and content of support options, accessible online, for food addiction.MethodsA standardized Web search was conducted using 4 search engines to identify current support availability for food addiction. Through use of a comprehensive data extraction sheet, 2 reviewers independently extracted data related to the program or intervention characteristics, and support fidelity including fundamentals, support modality, social support offered, program or intervention origins, member numbers, and program or intervention evaluation.ResultsOf the 800 records retrieved, 13 (1.6%, 13/800) websites met the inclusion criteria. All 13 websites reported originating in the United States, and 1 website reported member numbers. The use of credentialed health professionals was reported by only 3 websites, and 5 websites charged a fee-for-service. The use of the 12 steps or traditions was evident in 11 websites, and 9 websites described the use of food plans. In total, 6 websites stated obligatory peer support, and 11 websites featured spirituality as a main theme of delivery. Moreover, 12 websites described phone meetings as the main program delivery modality, with 7 websites stating face-to-face delivery and 4 opting for online meetings. Newsletters (n=5), closed social media groups (n=5), and retreat programs (n=5) were the most popular forms of social support.ConclusionsThis is the first review to analyze online support options for food addiction. Very few online support options include health professionals, and a strengthening argument is forming for an increase in support options for food addiction. This review forms part of this argument by showing a lack of evidence-based options. By reviewing current support availability, it can provide a guide toward the future development of evidence-based support for food addiction.

Meeting of Minds around Food Addiction: Insights from Addiction Medicine, Nutrition, Psychology, and Neurosciences

“…For instance, the implementation of a self-help support group through a structured program could promote mutual support between persons with FA, break isolation, and create a space for sharing experiences [ 144 ]. Some authors also reviewed the beneficial input of online support options for food addiction, as well as other forms of self-help groups and sessions [ 145 , 146 ]. The restriction, or even the relative reduction, of some specific foods seen as addictive for a specific patient could be an option, contrary to the current view which aims at reducing dysfunctional dieting in favor of regular eating with flexible and moderate food consumption with no forbidden foods [ 51 ].…”

Current Intervention Treatments for Food Addiction: A Systematic Review

“…Whereas, both medication studies, which included the combination of naltrexone and bupropion [ 38 ] and pexacerfont (a corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF1) antagonist) [ 31 ], and the lifestyle modification study which comprised of diet and physical activity [ 33 ], reported this significant reduction over a shorter time period (16 weeks or less). Although the limited results prevent recommendations, it is important to note that the studies included in this review used higher-quality designs, and involved health professionals (versus peer-based or self-help) as part of the intervention delivery, in contrast to the majority of the studies included in previous reviews [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]. However, the majority of the included studies were of neutral quality (n = 6) based on our risk of bias analysis.…”

“…Given the high levels of self-perceived FA, there is a need for treatments or management approaches to assist individuals to seek help. However, current interventions are limited, with the majority of available treatments lacking a scientific evidence approach or not utilising health professionals with expertise in behaviour change [ 15 ].…”

“…The current treatments for FA largely reflect online self-help groups with many groups comprising of large member numbers, such as Overeaters Anonymous (OA), which has an estimated 54,000 members [ 16 ]. Previous systematic reviews regarding interventions to treat FA have focused on online support options [ 15 ] and psychosocial interventions only [ 17 ]. The review of online treatment options by McKenna et al (n = 13), identified these were predominately self-help groups utilising a 12-step tradition (11 of 13 studies), with a peer-led, spirituality-based format with very few health professionals involved [ 15 ].…”

“…Previous systematic reviews regarding interventions to treat FA have focused on online support options [ 15 ] and psychosocial interventions only [ 17 ]. The review of online treatment options by McKenna et al (n = 13), identified these were predominately self-help groups utilising a 12-step tradition (11 of 13 studies), with a peer-led, spirituality-based format with very few health professionals involved [ 15 ]. While a lack of qualified health professionals such as dietitians or psychologists was reported, the review also highlighted the popularity of online approaches for individuals.…”