The relationship between food addiction and emotional eating in individuals at risk for anorexia nervosa

O. Aytaş, H. Alataş

Ozgür Aytaş Psychiatry Clinic, Malatya, Turkey. drozguraytas@hotmail.com

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• Nutrition

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between anorexia nervosa, food addiction, and emotional eating.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study was carried out with 395 university students. The Eating Attitude Test (EAT)-26 was used to determine the risk of anorexia nervosa in individuals. Yale Eating Addiction Scale (YFAS) and The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) were used to determine the eating behaviors that may be effective in anorexia nervosa. Digital scales were used for weight measurement, and a non-stretchable tape measure according to standard techniques was used for measuring height, waist, and hip circumferences.

RESULTS: In this study, in which individuals at (high and medium) risk of anorexia nervosa were examined, 62.03% were females, and the mean age was 25.21±4.33 years. The mean BMI value was 22.25±3.48 kg/cm2. In the study, 8.35% of people with both anorexia nervosa (AN) risk and food addiction made up 19.75% of the food addict population (p=0.023). The distribution of DEBQ scores by sub-dimension shows that AN risk decreases as external eating score decreases. The group at the highest risk for AN also had the highest emotional eating score (p=0.029). In the multiple linear regression analyses, emotional eating behavior, gender, and BMI were predictive factors for eating attitude or anorexia nervosa risk.

CONCLUSIONS: Food addiction increases the risk of eating disorders and the most important factor affecting them is BMI. Women were more likely than men to have anorexia nervosa and food addiction. This study informed young adults about food addiction, eating disorders, and anorexia nervosa.

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