Prevalence of food addiction determined by the Yale Food Addiction Scale in Latin America: A systematic review with meta‐analysis

Abstract

Objective Food addiction (FA) has been extensively investigated worldwide; however, the prevalence of FA in the Latin American population has yet to be established and past work has largely neglected the specificities of this region, that includes the most significant economic disparities in the world. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of FA measured by the Yale Food Addiction Scale in Latin America. Method The search was performed on MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, LILACS, IBECS, SciELO, PsycArticles, CENTRAL, and the gray literature. FA prevalence data were collected, and random effects meta‐analyses were performed to calculate the overall weighted prevalence, the prevalence by country, and by clinical and non‐clinical samples. Results A total of 10,082 occurrences were identified through database searches, and 23 studies were included (Mexico = 9; Brazil = 7; Chile = 4; Argentina = 1; Peru = 1; Uruguay = 1). The prevalence of FA found in clinical samples was 38% (95% CI: 16%–63%; I2 = 98.67%; 8 studies), while in non‐clinical samples, it was 15% (95% CI: 10%–21%; I2 = 98.51%; 15 studies). Discussion The average prevalence of FA in the Latin American countries included here was in accordance with that reported in other regions worldwide. It is noteworthy that the studies were conducted only in six countries, which are among those with the highest income in the region and do not represent the situation in native populations or those with lower purchasing power. This gap in the data also reflects the effects of economic disparities on the availability of empirical data in the region. Public Significance The prevalence of food addiction in Latin America was similar to that reported in other regions. It was higher among individuals with overweight, whether or not undergoing bariatric surgery, than in non‐clinical samples. These findings contribute to aggregate information about this condition that has drawn the attention of clinicians and researchers.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with food addiction in Brazilian women living in poverty

“…The association identified in the present study draws attention since the prevalence of FA is higher among women (3) . This situation may contribute to the trend of increasing cases of DM2 worldwide.…”

“…There are some ways to explain the possible relationship between FA and DM2. First, the diagnosis of FA is more frequent in individuals with higher BMI, a factor known to increase the risk of DM2 (3,19) . In addition, individuals who meet the diagnostic criteria for FA appear to have an unhealthy eating pattern, often associated with higher consumption of confectionery, baked sweet products, fast food and ultra-processed foods, including in a Brazilian sample (20,21) .…”

“…Food addiction (FA) is characterised by excessive consumption of highly energetic, hyperpalatable and processed foods, whose characteristics are similar to addictive substances (1) . The prevalence of FA is about 14 % in non-clinical samples in general and low-income countries (2,3) . Horsager et al (4) and Silva Júnior and Bueno (5) reported for the first time the association between FA and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) in the general population, with mental disorders and individuals undergoing bariatric surgery, respectively.…”