Association Between Childhood Obesity and the Risk of Food Addiction: A Matched Case-Control Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nutrition
• Clinical Psychology
• Childhood Obesity

Background:

• Food addiction is an emerging clinical concern linked to obesity and eating disorders.
• Understanding its prevalence and impact in children is crucial for early intervention.
• This study addresses the association between food addiction risk and obesity in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the link between food addiction risk and obesity in children.
• To explore the relationship between food addiction, eating disorders, and body image dissatisfaction.
• To provide insights into the psychological comorbidities of childhood obesity.

Main Methods:

• A matched case-control study involving 62 Spanish children (31 obese, 31 normal weight).
• Utilized the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (S-YFAS-C), Child Eating Attitudes (ChEAT), and Body Image (CDRS) scales.
• Collected sociodemographic and anthropometric data for comprehensive analysis.

Main Results:

• Obese children exhibited a higher number of food addiction symptoms compared to normal-weight controls.
• Significant differences were noted across S-YFAS-C scale items between groups (p=0.002).
• A significant correlation was found between all studied scale scores, indicating interconnectedness.

Conclusions:

• Children with obesity present with more symptoms indicative of food addiction.
• Increased food addiction scores are associated with a higher risk of developing eating disorders.
• Elevated food addiction scores also correlate with greater body image dissatisfaction in children.