Does food addiction contribute to excess weight among clinic patients seeking weight reduction? Examination of the Modified Yale Food Addiction Survey

Abstract Background Despite controversy surrounding the construct of food addiction, its relationship with obesity and the validity of the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), have become emerging fields of study. No prior research has examined the prevalence and correlates of food addiction, and validation of the Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale (mYFAS), in a non-research based weight management clinic setting. Objective The current study sought to examine the validity of a brief version of the Yale Food Addiction Scale in weight loss seeking patients, and to determine whether food addiction contributes to excess weight in this patient population. Participants The sample consisted of 126 Veterans with overweight/obesity who attended an orientation session for a weight management program. Participants (mean age = 61.8 years, mean BMI = 38.0, male = 89.7%, Caucasian = 76.0%) completed questionnaires related to food addiction, weight and eating, and mental health and behavior. Results Ten percent of the sample met diagnostic threshold for food addiction. Correlational analysis revealed that food addiction was significantly and highly correlated with BMI, emotional eating, night eating and screens for depression and insomnia (p's  Discussion This study provides further evidence for the validity of the mYFAS, and clinical significance of the food addiction construct among weight loss seeking patients in non-research based weight management settings. Findings confirm that food addiction contributes to excess weight among clinic patients seeking weight reduction above and beyond the effects of disordered eating. It is recommended that clinicians and researchers consider an addiction framework for addressing comorbid overweight and food addiction among afflicted individuals seeking weight loss.