Author Interviews, PLoS, Weight Research / 16.11.2013
Food Addiction and Obesity
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Guang Sun MD, PhD
Professor, Discipline of medicine
Faculty of medicine, Memorial University Canada
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Sun: Plenty of anecdotal reports on how ‘Food Addiction’ may be a potential culprit of the rising prevalence of obesity. However to date no scientific study, based on a comprehensive criterion of the diagnosis of Food Addiction, has been performed at the population level. The main findings are in the following fours aspects:
1) Food Addiction is indeed an important contributing factor in the development of obesity.
2) The prevalence of Food Addition was 5.4% and increased concomitantly with
obesity status defined by either body mass index (BMI) or body fat percentage
(%BF). In another word, there is one food addict in every twenty adults (Newfoundland Province, Canada)
3) Clinical Symptom Count(s) of Food Addiction is strongly associated with the severity of obesity.
4) Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with “Food Addiction” than men.
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