Hormonal and Dietary Characteristics in Obese Human Subjects with and without Food Addiction

Abstract

The concept of food addiction (FA) is a potentially important contributing factor to the development of obesity in the general population; however, little is known about the hormonal and dietary differences between obesity with and without FA. Therefore, the aim of our study was to explore potential biomarkers, including various hormones and neuropeptides, which regulate appetite and metabolism, and dietary components that could potentially differentiate obesity with and without FA. Of the 737 adults recruited from the general Newfoundland population, 58 food-addicted and non-food-addicted overweight/obese individuals (FAO, NFO) matched for age, sex, BMI and physical activity were selected. A total of 34 neuropeptides, gut hormones, pituitary polypeptide hormones and adipokines were measured in fasting serum. We found that the FAO group had lower levels of TSH, TNF-α and amylin, but higher levels of prolactin, as compared to NFO group. The total calorie intake (per kg body weight), the dietary intake of fat (per g/kg body weight, per BMI and per percentage of trunk fat) and the percent calorie intake from fat and carbohydrates (g/kg) was higher in the FAO group compared to the NFO group. The FAO subjects consumed more sugar, minerals (including sodium, potassium, calcium and selenium), fat and its components (such as saturated, monounsaturated and trans fat), omega 3 and 6, vitamin D and gamma-tocopherol compared to the NFO group. To our knowledge, this is the first study indicating possible differences in hormonal levels and micro-nutrient intakes between obese individuals classified with and without food addiction. The findings provide insights into the mechanisms by which FA could contribute to obesity.

Food addiction distinguishes an overweight phenotype that can be reversed by low calorie diet

“…In the present study, metabolic and hormonal factors, including glucocorticoids, cannot be advocated to explain different brain responses to food in high-YFAS compared with low-YFAS overweight women, because no metabolic or hormonal difference was detected between the two groups. This is in line with published data (Pedram & Sun, 2015), showing only a modest increment of amylin and TNF-alpha plasma levels out of a panel of 34 markers including neuropeptides, gut hormones, pituitary polypeptide hormones and adipokines in obese food addicted compared with obese nonaddicted women stratified according to the YFAS questionnaire.…”

The association of serum leptin levels with food addiction is moderated by weight status in adolescent psychiatric inpatients

“…Overweight patients with food addiction had slightly elevated leptin levels in comparison to overweight patients without food addiction. Our findings in adolescent psychiatric inpatients do not agree with the results of Pedram and Sun (2014), who could not identify differing leptin levels in population-based food-addicted overweight/obese subjects in comparison to nonfoodaddicted overweight/obese subjects. However, the discrepancy might be due to the fact that Pedram and Sun did not adjust the leptin levels for body fat percentage or BMI (Pedram & Sun, 2014).…”

Relationship between dietary intake and behaviors with oxytocin: a systematic review of studies in adults

“…Eleven of the 26 studies included female participants exclusively, 56,58,60-64,66,68,70,71 7 included only male participants, 43-45,52,55,57,69 and 8 included both male and female participants. 42,53,54,59,65,67 Fourteen of the studies included participants with clinical characteristics: diabetes mellitus [T1DM] (n ¼ 2), 53,62 gastroparesis (n ¼ 1), 53 functional dyspepsia (n ¼ 1), 53 chronic normal-transit constipation (n ¼ 1), 68 AN (n ¼ 5), 58,60,61,63,66 bulimia nervosa (BN; n ¼ 3), 58,62,66 binge-eating disorder (BED; n ¼ 1), 71 and food addiction (n ¼ 1). 42 Participants were recruited from 7 countries: United States (n ¼ 7 studies), 44,52,55,58,[62][63][64][65] Germany (n¼ 4), 43,45,59,70 Italy (n ¼ 3), 56,57,71 Sweden (n ¼ 4), 53,54,67,68 South Korea (n ¼ 2), 60,61 Denmark (n ¼ 1), 69 and Canada (n ¼ 1). 42 Participants ranged in age from 16 to 65 years (mean, 31.1 6 9.0).…”

“…[38][39][40][41] More recently, research has investigated oxytocin in relation to addictive eating behaviors. 42 Traditionally, research has focused on the contribution of endogenous oxytocin (ie, oxytocin produced and secreted within the body in response to stimuli 5 ) in the regulation of food intake and eating behaviors. During the last decade, several preclinical studies have found that administration of exogenous intranasal oxytocin inhibits eating behaviors driven by hunger and extends to limiting the intake of palatable food.…”