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. 2021 May;26(4):1049-1056.
doi: 10.1007/s40519-020-01021-3. Epub 2020 Sep 23.

Food addiction and psychiatric comorbidities: a review of current evidence

Armando Piccinni #  1   2 , Rachele Bucchi #  3 , Claudia Fini #  3 , Federica Vanelli  3 , Mauro Mauri  4 , Tiziana Stallone  5 , Ernesto Daniel Cavallo  3 , Cargioli Claudio  6
Affiliations

Food addiction and psychiatric comorbidities: a review of current evidence

Armando Piccinni et al. Eat Weight Disord. 2021 May.

Abstract

Background: Food addiction (FA) is characterised by the consumption of appetible foods and by addictive psychological and behavioural symptoms such as cravings, tolerance, limited control of substance intake and withdrawal symptoms. Despite previous research on FA has been hindered by the lack of a formal definition for this condition, recent global trends have stirred the interest of the scientific community towards a proper classification and construct of FA. More specifically, recent studies have pointed towards shared defective neurobiological mechanisms as well as frequent comorbidities between FA, eating disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders and substance-related and addictive disorders.

Objective: In this review, we will provide an overview of the complex symptomatology of food addiction evaluating its relationship with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders and substance-related and addictive disorders.

Methods: We wrote a systematic review and followed a PRISMA methods.

Results: Patients with FA and substance use disorders show similar risk factors, neurobiological and hormonal correlates, personality traits and symptom profiles. The presence of FA appears to be directly proportional to the burden of symptoms of affective disorder. The comorbidity between FA and other eating disorders is associated with worse clinical conditions and symptoms.

Conclusion: FA should be considered a sort of transnosological construct existing in different psychopathological domains that have similarities with substance-related, affective, and eating disorders. Furthermore, FA seems to be likely an important factor related to several psychopathological dimensions, but further studies are needed to clarify this view.

Level of evidence: Level V, review article.

Keywords: Eating disorders; Food addiction; Mood disorders; Psychiatric comorbidities; Psychopathological dimension; Substance use disorders.

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