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Development of the Highly Processed Food Withdrawal Scale
Erica M Schulte1, Julia K Smeal1, Jessi Lewis1
1The University of Michigan, Department of Psychology, USA.
Appetite
|September 19, 2018
Summary
Researchers developed the Highly Processed Food Withdrawal Scale (ProWS) to measure symptoms when individuals reduce intake of highly processed foods. The scale shows promise for studying food addiction and withdrawal effects.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Science
- Nutritional Neuroscience
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Food addiction theory suggests highly processed foods can induce addictive-like symptoms, including withdrawal.
- Limited research exists on the specific withdrawal phenomena associated with reducing consumption of these foods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the first self-report measure, the Highly Processed Food Withdrawal Scale (ProWS).
- To assess the psychometric properties of the ProWS in individuals attempting to reduce highly processed food intake.
Main Methods:
- Adapted existing drug withdrawal measures to create the ProWS.
- Evaluated internal consistency and validity in 231 adults recruited online.
- Assessed convergent validity with addictive-like eating, BMI, and weight cycling, and discriminant validity with dietary restraint.
Main Results:
- The ProWS demonstrated good psychometric properties.
- Withdrawal symptoms peaked between days 2-5 of reducing intake, mirroring drug withdrawal patterns.
- The ProWS showed significant correlations with addictive-like eating, BMI, and weight cycling, and an inverse correlation with dietary restraint.
- The ProWS explained unique variance in diet success beyond addictive-like eating and BMI.
Conclusions:
- The Highly Processed Food Withdrawal Scale (ProWS) is a psychometrically sound tool for investigating highly processed food withdrawal.
- Findings provide preliminary support for the existence of withdrawal symptoms when individuals reduce consumption of highly processed foods.
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