The body asks and the mind judges: Food cravings in eating disorders

Abstract

Background: Food Craving (FC) is a construct influenced by cognitive, emotional, physiological and external components, severely altered in Eating Disorders (EDs).

Objectives: To investigate how FC was measured in EDs.

Methods: A search was conducted (PubMed, Scopus and PsycINFO databases) for studies that have investigated FC in EDs published in the last thirty years.

Results: The studies found (n=37) demonstrated that FC is a predictor of binge eating in individuals with Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder, which are more sensitive to the environment and emotional factors, whereas, in individuals with Anorexia Nervosa, FC levels are lower.

Discussion: FC is a physiological component of eating behavior, as well as the craving/urge that arises associated with thirst during dehydration, and food restriction is a crucial mechanism for the restriction-binge cycle to hold. Further studies are needed to see if FC increases in response to treatment for Anorexia Nervosa, recognizing that individuals without Anorexia Nervosa have higher FC levels and greater motivational orientation towards food.

Conclusions: It is necessary to understand the physiological role of FC and also consider the significance of each food in an individual eating context (eating attitudes) and whether it is treated like a "drug" or just as a desired tasty food and future studies should verify possible neural changes involved in FC after nutritional treatment.

Keywords: Anorexia nervosa; Binge eating disorder; Bulimia nervosa; Eating disorders; Food craving.